Quote:
Originally Posted by smackdaddy
Genie - the rest of your post was great - but this part was a little off I think. People keep throwing this one around: that when chuting off the bow, the boat falls off the wave backwards with great force - slamming the rudder. Well if the chute is out there doing it's job you're only doing 1 knot leeward and waves are passing under you, just like with the JSD.
To be fair, if the above scenario were the case with a chute, then with the drogue in the same scenario the boat is going to fall forward off the wave and pitchpole.
So the rudder slamming argument doesn't hold up real well unless something has gone bad wrong. If the boat is being virtually held in place and the seas are passing under it as intended - one could make the argument that bow in is better for the rudder.
At the end of the day, if either of these devices is doing its job you're probably going to be in pretty good shape. Unless the monster falls on you. Then you're just screwed.
|
Not quite, Smack. The resistance in a chute situation comes from a single point - where the chute is. Normally you let out enough scope so that the boat and the chute are in synch, that is, when the boat is on the front of a wave the chute is also in the same relative position, though one or two waves behind. Should the wave period change or should a "freak wave" develop (not necessarily a huge wave, just one that is not in synch with the others) the rode will go slack, leaving you in a situation similar to suddenly losing the chute. Aside from the terrific shock load experienced under this scenario that would take place when the rode tightens again, there is the very real possibility of the boat sliding backwards while the rode is slack and either turning more broadside to the waves or putting tremendous strain on the rudder as it slides backward. Not necessarily doing a reverse pitchpole (with double gainer) but enough to damage the rudder. A chute needs to be monitored so that the boat and the chute are both on the front or back of a wave at the same time to avoid the problem of slack rode alternating with multiplied shock loading if the boat is on the front of a wave while the chute is on the back of another or vice versa.
With a JSD, the many cones - usually over 100 - assure that a large number of cones will always be in the water regardless of what the waves are doing, so the resistance is never slacked and therefore you 1. have less chance of being tossed beam on and 2. you avoid the shock of the sea anchor suddenly "biting" again. True, an elastic nylon rode mitigates this effect somewhat, but I have often enough felt the shock that comes when a boat "sails" at anchor and comes to the end of a swing. Multiply that by an order of magnitude when dealing with a big storm at sea.
Try a little experiment. Put the transmission in reverse and let the boat get some way on backwards with the rudder held firmly amidship. When moving briskly backwards turn the wheel one way or the other, making sure you have a good grip on the wheel (or tiller). Multiply the pressure you feel by the the kind of forces you would be experiencing in a storm condition and you'll have an idea of what I'm talking about. (disclaimer - not responsible for damage sustained by someone who tries this while going at or near hull speed)
Incidentally, another thing i like about the JSD is the bridle attachment. If the boat swings to one side the bridle set up means that one of the legs of the bridle will go slack - the one that is on the side toward which you have swung. All the pressure on the other leg will act to pull you back so that you are stern to the waves again.
Again, I cannot reiterate enough that each boat and each storm and each crew is different. Get into a nasty situation and all the theorizing goes out the window and you stick with what keeps you alive and afloat. I really think that both systems can, and do, work, depending on the boat and the situation. And either is better than being unprepared and unequipped. I lean more toward the JSD but I can see where other tactics/gear might, in some situation, work better.