Talk:Sea anchor

Small sea anchors

There are smaller versions of sea anchors used for similar purposes, called trolling anchors, drift anchors, etc. These are often used to slow the drift of a fishing boat due to wind. Since the only difference between these and a sea anchor is scale and rigging (drift anchors are rigged with much shorter lines and often to allow sideways drift) I may expand this article to cover them all, with a section for each use. scot 14:30, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

Merge?

I am not clear what the difference is between a sea anchor (this article) and a drogue. They seem to be much the same sort of construction, used for the same purposes in similar circumstances, and the two articles even use an identical image. If there is a difference, we need it explained more clearly; if not, we need to merge the articles. Richard New Forest (talk)

Good point! I think a merge is called for. Springnuts (talk) 18:37, 3 January 2011 (UTC)

a sea anchor is deployed off the bow of a sailboat as opposed to a drouge which is deployed off the stern. A drouge controls speed while sailing downwind (running) while a sea anchor slows a drifting boat - very different! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Melmo2 (talk • contribs) 14:12, 25 April 2011 (UTC)

The differences are subtle, and as much or more in technique, the intent or use, as in the objects themselves. Deploying a drogue is (at least in my mind) an technique to slow the passage of the boat through the water, while deploying a sea anchor is (contrariwise) a technique to stop the passage of the boat through the water. You might want to stop the boat if you don't want to approach a near shore that you're being driven onto, for example, but might want to only slow the boat if there was ample sea room and travel would be in a somewhat desirable direction. What you deploy, depending on the sea, wind, boat, ... might well be the same thing, but it would have different effects depending on those other things. That help? I think both articles need help, but I'm not sure that merging is the right approach. htom (talk) 02:22, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

But a sea anchor is a drogue is a sea anchor, and will only ever slow a boat. If you want to stop the boat you need an anchor. Friendly regards, Springnuts (talk) 23:08, 4 March 2011 (UTC)

The only way to really stop a boat is to take it out of the water. Anchors are usually better than sea anchors or drogues, I'll grant, but I've seen too many dragging anchors to think of them as "stop". There are devices that will only really act as drogues, and some only as sea anchors, but for many, the circumstances and technique of use will determine how much slowing action there is. htom (talk) 01:30, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

OK you are very confused about this. Springnuts (talk) 09:14, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

It seems to me more that Wikipedia appears confused, because of language changes in the world over time. Long ago, a drogue was the opening cone device, and a sea anchor was a jury-rigged thing (perhaps a pair of oars, crossed and lashed together, with a scrap of sail stretched between them and weighted at a corner); times have changed. Sailing techniques and methods have changed, and language changes chase those. Simply merging the articles I don't think would ease the confusion, because that confusion (of the names for devices and use of them) is in the world, and Wikipedia properly (if confusingly) reflects that condition of the world. htom (talk) 18:12, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

(Extremo88 (talk) 09:39, 5 August 2011 (UTC)) I don't think we should merge them. I think we should make sure that the use (sea anchor deployed from the bow, drogue from the stern) and intent (sea anchor to "stop" yes as best you can in water, and drogue to slow down) are clear for these two devices that are used externally to the boat.

The two articles should definitely be merged. Wikipedia is about concepts, not about words, and the two concepts are very closely related. --Macrakis (talk) 15:00, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

Heaving to does not involve a sea anchor!

(Extremo88 (talk) 11:35, 5 August 2011 (UTC)). Heaving to (read the heaving to article! does not use a sea anchor, only specific sail and rudder positions. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Extremo88 (talk • contribs) 10:13, 5 August 2011 (UTC)

Rode length

(Extremo88 (talk) 10:47, 5 August 2011 (UTC)).

There's some confusing and illogical stuff here that needs clarification. It also seems to be a direct cut and paste from the Paratech commercial page.

If the sea anchor is only supposed to hold the boat from drifting from the wind the following makes some sense:

A line significantly shorter than the wavelength means the anchor and hull will ride over the crests together while a line equal to the wavelength will keep the hull and anchor from ending up out of phase, which can result in severe loading on the anchor.

If you are concerned with breaking waves rolling the boat and using a sea anchor to prevent this, then in both the above cases of rode length the sea anchor will accomplish nothing, since the anchor and boat will get rolled by the same or adjacent waves. If waves are your concern then you want the anchor and boat out of phase. It is the waves that are the danger, not the wind.

Breaking waves required?

Only breaking waves can roll a boat? Have you a source for that? I'll grant that most boats near shore that are rolled are rolled by breaking waves, but it would seem that a steep BIG wave could roll a small boat without breaking. htom (talk) 00:12, 6 August 2011 (UTC)