using sea anchors

[jimbosplumbing]

Gday all, Having just bought a sea anchor for the first time was just wondering how do i use it. Do i just tie it off and throw it over. Do they work if wind and current and running in the same direction. Cheers everyone

[Dignity]

Jimbo,
Here is one thread below but I am sure there was a more comprehensive thread elsewhere on Ausfish but me and technology are poles apart, maybe some one else can find it.

One thing though is to go to your local hardware and buy 2 x 4 inch rubber rings, the type used in plumbing for joining pipes. I splice the first one into the rope about 2 meteres from the boat , the next one about half to 3/4 metre past that then about half metre of rope to the drogue. When I splice it in I take the main line and loop it about double the diameter of the rubber ring and splice another rope into it. A bit hard to explain but have done this as a mate cut the rope to tie onto each end ofr the rubber ring, but after a bit of age the ring broke and he lost his $250 parachute anchor, in my case the main line is still in tact. When I can get home again I will try and take a photo for you.

The reason for the rubber rings, if you don't have them watch the drogue and you will see with the swell the chute will open and close on a regular basis, with the rings the rubber takes up the shock (2 needed) and the chute will stay open most of the time thereby slowing you down even more. I have run it with a bridle to keep the boat straight, and on the next drift without the bridle, that is just off one corner so that I get a different drift.

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?67493-Sea-Anchor&highlight=anchor

[jimbosplumbing]

cheers thanks alot dignity

[dadstinny]

I have one that's designed for boats up to 6 metres.

I find it almost useless in slowing us down.

When we bought it the guy said we need to have 5 metres of rope in order for it to work but I have only used about two or three.

I am going to try and increase the length tomorrow but usually it fills up but we keep moving the same rate.

[Noelm]

depends on what you want your sea anchor for, safety when broken down, or to slow the drift and keep the boat sideways in the wind, the two requirements are enirely different in use, for safety if broken down in strong winds/rough sea, the anchor is deployed off the bow bollard on a nice long rope, this will keep the bow pointed into the wind and waves, but, to slow you down when fishing, you will need to experiment where to tie it off to attain the drift you want, it WILL slow you down, buy a decent sized one, not too sure about rubber rings and so on, I have never needed them, but it can't hurt to have them.

[Si]

i use mine off the stern in an estuary as its easier to deploy and bring back in. i dont have an electric motor and boat has high windage. its a pretty simple home made set up and works ok. i would use a proper one outside though. basically they negate wind effects on your boat not current. allows you to drift relatively in line with the current and stops/slows you getting pushed to the bank or off the mark in a wind.

[Dignity]

Finally got home and around to the boat, having major renos going on so have it stored at a mates place. Here is how the rubber rings are connected. Noelm, if you are in a bit of swell or chop keep an eye on your chute and you will notice that it collapses and fills regularily, it doen't seem to matter whether it is the cheap $40 chute or the $250 para anchors. The rubber rings compensate for it.

[jimbosplumbing]

Thank you everyone. looks like ill just have to get out there and test it out

[johncar]

I use a sea anchor 4' for fishing offshore to help maintain the boat travelling with the current and to defeat the effects of wind. This allows you to fish with less weight making it much easier to get to the bottom in deeper waters. I just use a stretchy 6m rope which works well enough and don't need the rubber rings.
Tying off at different points allows you to get the boat at a useful angle to where you are fishing.
But yeah there are some days where the shute is not needed or not helping, depending on wind and current direction.
So just think of it pulling you along in the current, or if there is no current and some breeze it will definitely slow your wind influenced drift down.
I must say I use mine extensively and if not anchored up to the bottom and drift fishing the sea anchor is almost always deployed

[Scalem]

Mine is the most useless bit of rubbish that has been on board my boat.... and is no longer being used.... because I forgot it was out and took off which ripped it to shreds:-X I thought the motor must be due for a service, bit slow out of the hole....;D;D

Scalem

[Angla]

I have a "Para Anchor Fisherman 7" for my 575 Outsider and it works a treat. Instead of surfing lines out the back you can normally fish nearly straight below.

Always have a second longer and small gauge line to the closed end or the para anchor with a 100mm styrene ball 2 metres from the anchor. This is for retrieval as it collapses the chute for retrieval and is also a safety line should the main line break.

Where you tie it off to is up to you. but mine normally runs from the bow with about 6 or 7 metres of main rope and the retrieval line ties to the side of the boat and is probably 4 metres longer. You only have to go up front once then as you retrieve to the fishing deck area and deploy from there too.

Cheers
Chris

[Noelm]

it depends on your boat and how you want to drift as to where you tie it off to, it will take a few goes to get it right, some boats will drift stern into the wind, usually cabin and canopy equiped boats do this, simply because the cabin makes a great sail! some centre consoles will drift almost completely sidways, because on the motor makes a difference to direction from the added drag at that 'end" some cats will sail acroos the wind really well, the twin hulls act sort of like a centre board and the boat will "sail" frontwards across the wind, how you position your motor during your drift can also be used to advantage, whether you leave it in full lock, one way or the other will have a big influence of boat angle to the wind, so get out there, play around and see what fits your boat the best.