Jordan´s series drogue

Introduction.

In the first chapter of the on-line book ‘Handling heavy weather’ we saw the importance of reefing and reducing the size of the sails progressively, as the wind increases, until a storm situation is reached.

In the chapter ‘Storm strategies’ we looked at the main factors to consider when a storm is forecast, the serious risk that a ‘breaking wave’ represents for a sailboat, and the two possible strategies to follow, which are ‘wind´s up the storm” or ‘run off the storm’. Within each of these two strategies, we saw, in a general way, the different techniques that can be adopted.

As we have already mentioned, when it comes to dealing with a storm with a sailboat, there is a wide range of opinions as to which strategy and technique is the most effective. Factors such as the design of our sailboat, the equipment and preparation of the boat and crew, the intended course and the distance to the leeward side of the coast, as well as the weather situation, among others, must all be taken into account.

In the chapter ‘Hove-to’ (heave to) we explained this important technique, and the steps to perform it, which any ocean sailor should know perfectly.

In this chapter we are going to describe in more detail the ‘Jordan’s series drogue’ device; which, in my opinion, is probably the safest device and technique for running off a gale for an offshore sailboat. We will explain what it consists of, its main advantages and some considerations to take into account when implementing it in our sailboat.