Making a Jordan Series Drogue

[co256]

http://www.cruiser.co.za/JordanDrogue.pdf

[helixkimara]

ALSO, if your short of time, I noticed that you can buy the drouges on ebay for £1.39 each

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3802236072...ht_1286wt_1163

Malcome

[co256]

A few more threads of interest...

http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Pr...ogue/index.htm

http://www.wbryant.com/StellaBoat/Pr...structions.pdf

and a video to watch...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L23MdzCbx2Y

[parsifal]

Anyone here used one? How did it perform?

[co256]

The clearest instruction of a double braid eye splice I've found so far!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UghIS...eature=related

Enjoy.

[Glayva]

Anyone here used one? How did it perform?

The only person I know who has used one is Roger Taylor. He has written extwnsively on it on his website 'The Simple Sailor'. http://thesimplesailor.com/articles.html

[jesterchallenger]

I deployed mine on the way back from my aborted attempt at the JC10. It was blowing about a 9-10 (don't know for sure because the wind transducer blew off) and whilst the boat felt quite under control, we were topping 14 knots (speed through the water) with the storm jib up. I have a bridle through two fairleads on either quarter, led back round each sheet winch and then through the genoa cars to a hefty cleat on the foredeck. I found it very straightforward to rig and deploy, and when I'd finished with it, quite simple to retrieve.

Once deployed, the boat sat perfectly stern-to the seas with a forward speed of about 2 knots. Although a breaking wave is quite alarming, in that it hits with a fair old crunch, the boat feels quite secure. The JSD has a bit of 'give' and I think it is this aspect that makes them so good. A large parachute tends to hold you immobile which makes the wave impact more severe. The worst thing is the water squirting through the washboards, really irritating when you're trying to quietly read a book! The disadvantage of a JSD is that you do need a bit of searoom - if a lee shore is close, I guess a parachute would be the better idea.

When you come to retrieve the drogue, it's a fairly simple matter just to winch it in bit by bit - the small droguelets easily collapse and wind round the winch drum. You do need to deploy a temporary whip with a rolling hitch just to hold it whilst you adjust things on the winch occasionally, but the good thing is that the more you wind, in the easier it gets

With the benefit of experience, I wouldn't plan on setting it again unless windspeed was F9 or above, or unless I had to stop for some reason. You do need to pay GREAT attention to chafe - I had to replace one leg of the bridle because I didn't and I know Roger lost his because of it.

My JSD comes in three parts - two lengths with droguelets and the bridle, so it would be possible to deploy a shorter length with less drag if perhaps conditions warranted a bit of speed with control. By adjusting the bridle, it would also be possible to alter the aspect of the stern to the seas, perhaps when a cross-sea develops.

Would I sail without one? No, is the simple answer. There are no hard and fast rules about heavy weather tactics and you have to appreciate there will be times when you will have to something quite different to cope with the conditions, but a good drogue of some description is a useful part of your inventory. I personally dislike lying ahull, but there are others who advocate this and have done so successfully. The Pardeys have developed a system where you lay ahull to a parachute and are very persuasive about the technique. You pays yer money.....