DaySailer.org Forum

Does anyone have a simple home made design for a sea anchor for the times you just want to drop the sails and relax or drift slowly to enjoy the peace of a beautiful day. I have a DS11 and my son has asked a few times why can't we just stop and float for a while. With us sailing in a lake we would soon end up on shore somewhere and it would be nice to slow down that drift. Since it is winter here in Indiana, this would be a great time to make it.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Try heaving to instead. It is quieter than drifting, because the sails are not flapping. With a sea anchor the boat is head to wind, riding any waves along the length of its hull. When hove to, you are at an angle to the wind, the wind is blowing against the jib only, the main is neutral, and you are quartering the waves riding the boat in its own wind shadow or flat slick of water. There are many books on how to hove to but essentially, you tack without releasing the jib sheet. This puts the jib on the upwind (or wrong) side of the boat, loose the mainsheet, and position the tiller at about the same angle as the jib, (ie parallel). This effectively stalls, the jib, neutralizes the main, and the rudder quarters the boat to the wind to keep it in that positon. You move slowly at about 1 knot.

If you are really bend on a sea anchor, experiment with a two gallon plastic pail, a float to keep it from sinking more than 5 feet and a long line to the bow. Compare the two technigues, and you will soon be convinced that heaving to is easier and more comfortable.

I personally like the heaving to technique. I also feel it's a necessary skill for any "man overboard" scenerios...

Thanks Roger for the simple explanation. I will try both this spring and let you know how it works for me. Heaving to sounds like the best way and the man overboard is something I never thought about.