Drogues and Sea Brakes

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There are many situations where conditions are poor but not really life-threatening, and you would rather continue sailing and still maintain control. If you're running before big seas, especially breaking seas, broaching can be a danger, notably if you are running dead square to the wind. Whether in the ocean or entering a harbour (perhaps over a bar) even in a narrow channel, broaching can be disastrous.

In Australia there are two major suppliers of AYF certified drag devices - the Para Anchor Australia Para Drogue and the Burke Sea Brake.

In both cases, the Drogue is deployed from the stern and designed to provide greater control, vary the speed of the vessel and improve directional stability downwind or on a bar crossing.

These devices can also be rigged as an emergency steering device and help prevent overtaking when under tow.

Emergency Steering

Para-Anchors Australia's Para-Drogue has been approved by the Australian Yachting Federation as an Emergency Steering Device under regulation 15-12, 1995.

On a multi-hull, a bridle is required to be able to vary the drag position on the after end of the boat.  A similar effect can be achieved on a monohull by strapping a spinnaker pole across the transom and rigging a bridle through the end fittings back to the primary winches, allowing easy steerage.

Under Tow

Under normal circumstances, especially with a sea running, a towed vessel can easily overrun the towing vessel or at least be directionally unstable. When the towed vessel in turn tows a Para-Drogue, towing steerage and manageability becomes a breeze.

Para Drogue

Para-Anchors Australia's Para-Drogue is based on parachute technology, but in the case of a drogue we use two parachute sea anchors. The two units are cut differently and closely coupled. They are designed to interact with each other, creating a very high drag and consequent pressure wave. 

The Para-Drogue will not break free of the water and maintains an even and positive drag on the stern of a vessel. The Para-Drogue has a simple adjustable vent that can be pretensioned to vary the load being applied to the boat

Test Results

BOAT SPEED      DRAG
5 knots                 265kg
7 knots                 480kg
9 knots                 890kg

Para Drogue Configuration and sizing

The Para Anchor Drogue comes in three versions, single, tandem and triple. The tandem and triple units are designed to interact with each other maintaining a positive and even drag on the stern of the vessel.

Description Boat size(m)                              Boat size(ft)                         Part number
Yacht drogue <15.24m                                    Up to 50ft                               SAF1200
Yacht Tandem drogue >15.24m                      Over 50ft                                 SAF1220
Yacht Triple drogue >21m                                Over 70ft                                SAF1225

Sea Brake

The Burke Sea Brake is a single variation on the traditional cone shaped drogue, complete with vents to avoid the jelly fish style pumping that would otherwise occur.