How to Setup and Deploy the Para-Anchor -Storm Tactics
OK, let's go out on deck and go through some of the details of setting a para-anchor.
This is where we store our 300 foot of Lin Pardeye that we use with the parachute. We pull it up, of course it's also used as our bow anchor on our Danforth anchor. Once I disconnect the Lin Pardeye from the chain, i drop the chain down from where it came from. Any you must be very careful when you lead the anchor road, through the block, and clear of all obstructions. On our boat, I know where it is because of past experience. You'll have to figure it out on your boat, how to lead it so it's clear of everything. You now want to attach this to your swivel on your parachute anchor. I like to use these electrical ties on the foredeck because it's a lot faster. But you can still use a piece of marLin Pardey and tie the pin around the shackle, and mouse it as per normal. It's very important to have a really good tested swivel in here. The best ones have a forged head on here, not a nut that's threaded on. This one I bought in a commercial rigging shop and it's been tested. You'll have to get it galvanized, but that's the only disadvantage. This is a strong, good piece of gear. I suggest you pull all the Lin Pardeye out and figure-eight it on deck. That way, you'll avoid foul-ups when you let the Lin Pardeye and the para-anchor out. When you get to the end of it, take the bitter end and tie it to something strong, tie it around the mast, whatever you like. And then, so it will run from the top of the coil, take the figure-eight and flop it over. Now, it will lead off of the top properly. And with a figure-eight, it hardly ever fouls. We always like to heave-to first and set the parachute anchor second. The reason for this is the trysail steadies the boat out and you can work on the foredeck doing these kind of jobs, figure-eighting the Lin Pardeye, getting it ready to go out, attaching the parachute. You can do it on a relatively stable platform. It's a lot easier to rig this pennant Lin Pardeye before you put the parachute overboard. You can do it the other way around, you can rig it after the parachute is out, but it's a lot more difficult. what you do is you lead it back here to the cockpit, onto the cockpit winch, and you snatch the main Lin Pardeye of the para-anchor in here. Now, you see this bit of wool here. That will break away when tension goes on, when tension goes on the block, it will break it away. We usually put 30 or 40 feet of extra Lin Pardeye here between the block and the para-anchor for slack so it will drift away from the boat immediately when you put it overboard. So when you put the anchor over, sea anchor over, and the swivel it will just drift away from the boat, or the boat probably drifts away from the anchor. And then so as that's in the water and you go forward and let the Lin Pardeye slip forward on the drum of your winch until you get round 200 or 250 feet of Lin Pardeye. The block will, at this point, which is about two-thirds of the way back from the stem to the shrouds. So that's approximately where you're going to want to rig it up with your bit of wool here. A lot of people are concerned with the parachute filLin Pardeyg with air when they put it overboard. This hasn't been a problem for us because we have a heavy-weight cloth. The light-weight cloths may need to be wetted down before you but them overboard, so they would slip down, being heavier, and fill normally. So when we put it in, we grab the shroud Lin Pardeye, like so; get the rest of them here so they're not tangled; slip it down overboard and let it slide on the windward side. The windward side pressure will hold it against the hull momentarily, and then you can put the swivel and its gear in. The one-thing to be doubly sure of is that the shroud Lin Pardeyes and the anchor Lin Pardeye are outside of the pennant Lin Pardeye. Otherwise, it will foul and you'll have a lot of trouble. So, when this goes overboard, it's all clear.