Victor Shane's Drag Device Data Base

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The Theory: Expert Advice

Foreword by Lin & Larry Pardey
Preface by Earl Hinz
Survival – A Quantum Perspective
Emerging Tactics: Alignment
Sea Anchors
Drogues
The Database: Purpose & Guiding Principles
Warning & Disclaimer

The Practice: Actual Case Reports

DB Reports (5)
Drogues on Catamarans (10)
Drogues on Monohulls (24)
Drogues on Trimarans (10)
Sea Anchors on Catamarans (21)
Sea Anchors on Monohulls (40)
Sea Anchors on Power Vessels (9)
Sea Anchors on Rowing Boats (2)
Sea Anchors on Trimarans (21)

Lessons Learned

Analysis & Lessons Learned: Sea Anchors
Catamaran Bridle Advisory
Analysis & Lessons Learned: Drogues
How to Steer Without a Rudder – Must Read and Watch!

Appendices: Additional Resources

Appendix I – Books to Read
Appendix II – Weather Information
Appendix III – Drag Device Manufacturers & Suppliers
Appendix IV – Hardware Ratings, Chain and Rope Strengths
Appendix V – Meteorological Events by Month
Appendix VI – Offshore Checklist
Appendix VII – Multihull Capsize Protocol
Appendix VIII – Beaufort Wind and Douglas Sea Scales

Behind The Scenes

About Us
Acknowledgments
Contact Us

About The Sea

"Eternal Father, strong to save, whose arm has bound the restless wave...

O hear us when we cry to thee, for those in peril on the sea."

William Whiting

"Every small vessel venturing offshore is a lonely entity, face to face with the most elemental force on the planet earth."

    Carleton Mitchell

"The sea drives truth into a man like salt."

Hilaire Belloc

"The time to take measures for a ship's safety is while still able to do so. Nothing is more dangerous than for a seaman to be grudging in taking precautions, lest they turn out to have been unnecessary. Safety at sea, for a thousand years, has depended on exactly the opposite philosophy."

Chester W. Nimitz,
Admiral, U.S. Navy

"At sea, man is always at war with the elements."

Anonymous

"When the wind rises to Force 10 or more, and the gray beards ride over the ocean, we arrive at totally different conditions, and for yachts it is battle for survival, as indeed it sometimes may be for big ships."

     K. Adlard Coles

"The fallacy lies in expecting anything at sea to be as it `should be'."

     Webb Chiles

"In the 1979 race, the sea showed that it can be a deadly enemy, and that those who go to sea for pleasure must do so in the full knowledge that they may encounter dangers of the highest order."

Official Inquiry, Fastnet tragedy of 1979

Love the Drag Device Database? Help us to keep it free for all mariners by making a tiny donation to cover our server and maintenance costs. Thank You!

About the sea
May 27, 2014 Noel Swanson

More quotes →

Praise for DDDB

"Living to tell the tale is proof enough of a successful method. Victor Shane's concept to compile such information is to be congratulated, considering a lack of knowledge has existed for as long as the problem itself. I look forward to the day when such information becomes a basic fixture on all sea going vessels."

John Abernethy, Founder, Seabrake

"This is a valuable collection of information regarding the use of parachute-type sea anchors and various types of drogues on the sort of boats we use. The case histories are interesting and revealing. The author pioneered the use of former USN ordnance parachutes on multihulls, and founded the company based on that experience. But this is more than an argument for his product. It is an honest presentation of frightening experiences made more bearable by these devices. Highly recommended for anyone who goes to sea...."

Captain John Bonds, Executive Director, U.S. SAILING (Courtesy American Sailor, The News Magazine of U.S. Sailing)

"I read through virtually the entire book without stopping. The cases were fascinating. What really made the reading educational, however, was your immediate analysis of each case. It is not the ultimate success or lack of success that makes the case studies worthwhile, but the factors leading to the result. I would think that anyone considering a voyage offshore should read the DDDB before selecting a sea anchor or drogue. I hope that the publishing of this inspires more people to submit their case histories to you and enlarge the base of information."

Cameron Bright, Associate Editor, Ocean Navigator

"I have read the DDDB from its inception and believe that it is, in context, a valuable contribution to safety at sea."

Peter Bruce, Editor, Heavy Weather Sailing

"I think your research can be a great contribution to the safety of small vessels at sea. I would like to suggest that you might consider expanding the DDDB so that, in the future, one could access a new design or an existing vessel and pass an intelligent judgment on its behavior in gale force winds. I hold the opinion that the prismatic coefficient, location and shape of the maximum section, shape of the buttocks, shape of the keel, rig, and shape of the hull above the waterline all play an important role in the behavior of the vessel in gales and the probability of needing to deploy a drag device."

Thomas E. Colvin, Naval Architect

"Victor has done a great job with his Drag Device Data Base. We must all support his efforts. He needs as many records as he can get, both the successes and the relative failures. This record is a vital part of research into survival at sea."

Professor Noël Dilly, University of London

"At the Wolfson Unit we specialize, and have complete faith, in physical testing, difficulties, time scales and safety. This is usually conducted in a controlled environment, often with scale models. Correlation of test results with full scale experience is invaluable but often difficult to achieve. The DDDB provides a compilation of experience which supports our limited experimental data. Whilst our recommendations for yacht stability have been much publicized, our advice on the value of drogues and sea anchors appears to have been overlooked. The evidence in this publication should be brought to the attention of all who operate ocean going yachts and other small craft."

Barry Deakin, Wolfson Unit, University of Southampton, England

"Prior to reading your book on sea anchors and drogues, I had numerous misconceptions about storm survival tactics and deployment of drag devices. Your extensive documentation of case histories was a source of tremendous enlightenment. I will incorporate much of this information in future safety lectures."

Charles Hawley, Moderator & Speaker, Cruising World Safety Seminars

"I am very impressed with your work on drag devices and feel that your collection of actual incidents of blue water sailors using drag devices is very beneficial to the improvement of safety at sea. Your Fourth Edition is a fine book which I can highly recommend to blue water sailors who want to buy real insurance, and not simply the kind printed on paper."

Earl R. Hinz, Author, Understanding Sea Anchors and Drogues

"The DDDB is a real and important contribution to our knowledge of storm tactics. You are to be commended for organizing and maintaining the data collection process and for presenting the results in such a clear and useful fashion."

Donald J. Jordan, Co-Author, Investigation Of The Use Of Drogues to Improve The Safety Of Sailing Yachts (U.S. CG-D-20-87)

"There is ever more evidence that the catamaran configuration is rather more seaworthy than even the most enthusiastic of its proponents amongst us anticipated. In my view, the two items that will add the `seal' to the catamaran's place as a fully seaworthy, go-anywhere yacht are the drogue and the sea-anchor. No serious trans-ocean yacht should leave port without one. To go with the equipment we need to know how best to use it. Not something we can just go out and test - the DDDB is the next best thing. Keep up the good work."

Derek Kelsall, Kelsall Yacht Designs, Ltd.

"A very good effort!"

Richard Newick, Newick Multihulls

"Keep up the good work!"

Daniel C. Shewmon, Shewmon Sea Anchors, Inc.

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Praise for DDDB
May 27, 2014 Noel Swanson Leave a comment

More asides →

Using Parachutes, Sea Anchors and Drogues to Cope with Heavy Weather – Over 130 Documented Case Histories

Recent Case Histories

D/C-10 Copelli/Reed Custom Catamaran
D/M 23 Bruce Roberts V388
D/M 22 Bestevaer 60C
D/M-21 Seastream 43
D/M-20 SPARKMAN & STEPHENS 34 (Swarbrick)

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