spectr17
05-30-2003, 04:23 PM
Sea anchor a good idea for big water boating
Dave Rice, SPECIAL TO THE RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
5/20/2003
Although I had a vague idea of what one was, I never really thought much about equipping my boat with a sea anchor until I was caught in a gale force wind while crossing the main body of Utah’s Flaming Gorge Reservoir a few years ago.
First and foremost, we had no business crossing the big lake in the middle of a nasty storm with winds reaching 50 mph. I knew better, but I failed to use the knowledge gained through a fair amount of U.S. Coast Guard formal training and many years of boating on Lake Tahoe.
The resurrection of the thought about sea anchors came as I watched my 200-plus pound fishing partner, Don Quilici Jr., bounce a foot or more into the air -- much like a paddle ball -- and then slam down into the seat every time we crested over the oncoming waves. Quilici had offered to take the forward seat and use his weight in an attempt to keep the bow down. The look on his face each time he crashed down into the seat -- his butt not always parallel to the seat -- told me he was not having a good time and that I would probably be hearing about this adventure for many years to come.
What put the fear of the seas into me was the thought that if my outboard motor failed for any reason, we would be in real trouble. The powerful wind would instantly turn the boat 90-to-180-degrees and we would surely take water over the side or stern . . . or worse. Although the boat is equipped with a small trolling motor, getting it started would be difficult and only increase the amount of water coming in over the stern with the added weight in that part of the boat.
If I had lost power and was equipped with a sea anchor -- also known as a para anchor -- that’s when I would have deployed it.
A para anchor is simply a small parachute, deployed underwater, which acts as a break for the boat much like a conventional anchor. In heavy seas, the para anchor is tied off to the bow of the boat, never the gunwales or stern. The para anchor stays ”inflated” under the surface of the water strictly reducing the progress of the boat as the wind blown boat exerts continuous pressure. It works just like its air born cousin, with the boat taking place of the human.
A properly deployed para anchor of the correct size will reduce the drift of a boat in heavy winds dramatically so that repairs can be made, another motor started, or just provide stability and comfort until the wind abates. In 70 mph winds, the boat will be slowed to less than 1 mph.
Shortly after our adventure, I purchased a sea anchor from Para-Tech Engineering along with a copy of their very detailed instruction book. The proper model for my boat is 6-feet in diameter and is made of heavy nylon. Although Para-Tech’s sea anchors are far from the cheapest, they are very well made.
They come in a deployment bag, slightly larger than a 1-gallon paint can, that insures the para anchor is under the water when it deploys or inflates automatically. The anchor is attached to at least 200-feet (about 10 times the length of the boat) of nylon anchor line at least 3/8-inches in diameter for boats 20-feet in overall length or less. Depending on the size of the anchor and boat, a few feet of galvanized chain is connected between the anchor line and para anchor to insure the line stays deep in the water. This provides slack in the anchor line and along with the natural stretch of the nylon line, acts as a shock absorber as the boat is hit by oncoming waves.
Attached to the top and outside of the para anchor is a trip line and one or two floats that enable the anchor to be pulled in after the winds abate or power is restored to the boat. The boat would be carefully powered -- to avoid the anchor line -- to the float. This line allows the anchor to be pulled towards the boat backwards, and then into the boat. Pulling from the other end, against the inflated anchor, would be exhaustive to say the least because the boat must be pulled to the anchor, not vice versa.
For those who regularly boat on lakes Tahoe, Pyramid or Walker, the ocean, or any other large body of water where they may be a few to several miles from shore when something goes wrong, I urge the purchase and proper outfitting (they do not come with everything you need) of a sea anchor. Chances are you will never need it, but then again you never know.
Para-Tech anchors (seaanchor.com) start at $225. Cabela’s master catalog has a 30-inch diameter sea anchor, advertised for boats up to 22-feet, for $90. Both would require an additional expense for proper anchor rope, chain and swivel. Under the web search words “sea anchor” I found many companies which sell sea anchors for a variety of prices. Buy what you can afford -- something’s better than nothing. I once asked a boat shop owner how much a life jacket was going to cost me. He replied, “Depends on how much your life is worth to you.” I got the point and bought a good one.
Dave Rice retired in 2001 after 30 years with the Nevada Division of Wildlife, 25 years as chief conservation officer. He can be reached at thomascreek@worldnet.att.net.
Dave Rice, SPECIAL TO THE RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
5/20/2003
Although I had a vague idea of what one was, I never really thought much about equipping my boat with a sea anchor until I was caught in a gale force wind while crossing the main body of Utah’s Flaming Gorge Reservoir a few years ago.
First and foremost, we had no business crossing the big lake in the middle of a nasty storm with winds reaching 50 mph. I knew better, but I failed to use the knowledge gained through a fair amount of U.S. Coast Guard formal training and many years of boating on Lake Tahoe.
The resurrection of the thought about sea anchors came as I watched my 200-plus pound fishing partner, Don Quilici Jr., bounce a foot or more into the air -- much like a paddle ball -- and then slam down into the seat every time we crested over the oncoming waves. Quilici had offered to take the forward seat and use his weight in an attempt to keep the bow down. The look on his face each time he crashed down into the seat -- his butt not always parallel to the seat -- told me he was not having a good time and that I would probably be hearing about this adventure for many years to come.
What put the fear of the seas into me was the thought that if my outboard motor failed for any reason, we would be in real trouble. The powerful wind would instantly turn the boat 90-to-180-degrees and we would surely take water over the side or stern . . . or worse. Although the boat is equipped with a small trolling motor, getting it started would be difficult and only increase the amount of water coming in over the stern with the added weight in that part of the boat.
If I had lost power and was equipped with a sea anchor -- also known as a para anchor -- that’s when I would have deployed it.
A para anchor is simply a small parachute, deployed underwater, which acts as a break for the boat much like a conventional anchor. In heavy seas, the para anchor is tied off to the bow of the boat, never the gunwales or stern. The para anchor stays ”inflated” under the surface of the water strictly reducing the progress of the boat as the wind blown boat exerts continuous pressure. It works just like its air born cousin, with the boat taking place of the human.
A properly deployed para anchor of the correct size will reduce the drift of a boat in heavy winds dramatically so that repairs can be made, another motor started, or just provide stability and comfort until the wind abates. In 70 mph winds, the boat will be slowed to less than 1 mph.
Shortly after our adventure, I purchased a sea anchor from Para-Tech Engineering along with a copy of their very detailed instruction book. The proper model for my boat is 6-feet in diameter and is made of heavy nylon. Although Para-Tech’s sea anchors are far from the cheapest, they are very well made.
They come in a deployment bag, slightly larger than a 1-gallon paint can, that insures the para anchor is under the water when it deploys or inflates automatically. The anchor is attached to at least 200-feet (about 10 times the length of the boat) of nylon anchor line at least 3/8-inches in diameter for boats 20-feet in overall length or less. Depending on the size of the anchor and boat, a few feet of galvanized chain is connected between the anchor line and para anchor to insure the line stays deep in the water. This provides slack in the anchor line and along with the natural stretch of the nylon line, acts as a shock absorber as the boat is hit by oncoming waves.
Attached to the top and outside of the para anchor is a trip line and one or two floats that enable the anchor to be pulled in after the winds abate or power is restored to the boat. The boat would be carefully powered -- to avoid the anchor line -- to the float. This line allows the anchor to be pulled towards the boat backwards, and then into the boat. Pulling from the other end, against the inflated anchor, would be exhaustive to say the least because the boat must be pulled to the anchor, not vice versa.
For those who regularly boat on lakes Tahoe, Pyramid or Walker, the ocean, or any other large body of water where they may be a few to several miles from shore when something goes wrong, I urge the purchase and proper outfitting (they do not come with everything you need) of a sea anchor. Chances are you will never need it, but then again you never know.
Para-Tech anchors (seaanchor.com) start at $225. Cabela’s master catalog has a 30-inch diameter sea anchor, advertised for boats up to 22-feet, for $90. Both would require an additional expense for proper anchor rope, chain and swivel. Under the web search words “sea anchor” I found many companies which sell sea anchors for a variety of prices. Buy what you can afford -- something’s better than nothing. I once asked a boat shop owner how much a life jacket was going to cost me. He replied, “Depends on how much your life is worth to you.” I got the point and bought a good one.
Dave Rice retired in 2001 after 30 years with the Nevada Division of Wildlife, 25 years as chief conservation officer. He can be reached at thomascreek@worldnet.att.net.