Sea Anchors and Drogues

Do you need a Yacht Drogue or a Sea Anchor (Parachute) ?

Yacht Drogues are generally deployed from the stern to slow down a yacht that is surfing too fast in severe wind and wave conditions.

In acute circumstances, a yacht drogue can be attached to the bow in order to take the seas head on or at a slight angle to assist in heaving to.

Jimmy Green Yacht Drogues were originally designed by Transatlantic Boatbuilder and Yachtsman Mike Green back in the 1980s.

The production method has been tweaked and upgraded over the years but the shape and construction principles have remained the same because the design has been proven to work well in all conditions over many decades.

Jimmy Green Yacht Drogues are produced in house by the Jimmy Green Sewing Team on heavy duty industrial sewing machines using the best quality PVC fabric, high tenacity polyester webbing and stainless steel rings.

Jimmy Green Yacht Drogues are available in different sizes which equate approximately to the overall yacht length in metres, illustrated in the chart below:

When selecting a Yacht Drogue, consideration should always be given to the level of expectation in terms of 'slowing' performance.

Parachute Anchors are designed to bring the yacht to a virtual stop with minimal backward drift in the face of adverse conditions.

Jimmy Green offer the Ocean Safety range of Parachute (also known as Sea) Anchors for extreme conditions.

Pre-spliced and Custom Build Warps, Bridles and Trip Lines are available to purchase online to enable the successful deployment of a Yacht Drogue or a Parachute Anchor, all spliced in house by the Jimmy Green Rigging Team. Team Jimmy Green can also make up bespoke solutions designed by the skipper/owner.

N.B. With careful consideration of the required specification, one long warp, a short length of chain, a V shaped bridle and a selection of rated stainless steel connecting shackles should cover multiple purposes:

• Emergency kedge line or second anchor rode
• Towing rope
• Yacht Drogue Warp
• Parachute Anchor Warp
• Anchor Snubber (V Bridle)

Generally speaking, the rope diameter should be compatible with your main anchor rode. One size smaller may be considered, but this is dependent on the overall expectation of the main use of the warp, chain and bridle.

The optimum line for long drogue/anchor warps is LIROS Anchorplait (Octoplait)

LIROS Anchorplait White Nylon Article 01058JG - 100% Nylon (Polyamide) manufactured exclusively by LIROS Ropes for Jimmy Green Marine with the Jimmy Green designed Easy Splice Markers - UV stabilised, excellent weathering and wear resistance properties - The 8 strand construction (2 pairs left hand, 2 pairs right hand) gives a balanced performance and no twist under tension. Anchorplait is the rope that won't cockle. In fact it flakes like chain. Ideal for use as an anchor warp as it will stay supple for the duration of it's working life.

LIROS Break Load: 10mm 2400kg ~ 12mm 3300kg ~ 14mm 4400kg ~ 16mm 5600kg ~ 18mm 7000kg ~ 20mm 8140kg ~ 24mm 11800kg ~ 28mm 15000kg ~ 32mm 20000kg

A trip line is an important additional requirement to assist in recovery the drogue or parachute.

General Trip Line Specification requirements: Longer than the total length of rode (including chain) Floating - not essential but polypropylene is less expensive than nylon or polyester and the fact that it doesn't sink, adds different all round capabilities to your rope locker Less strength required for simply tripping, but consideration for multi-purpose use e.g. floating shore lines may influence the final decision on the rope diameter. 3 Strand construction is adequate, but Octoplait will be much easier to handle and stow in what will be a very long length. Octoplait is more expensive but the extra may be worth it if the warp will be multi-purpose.

The specification is not limited to the pre-spliced products listed on this page. Design your own warp or bridle in our custom build products. It is easy to get a quote and purchase online. e.g.

V Shape Bridles

Anchorplait Anchor Warps

Anchorplait and Chain Spliced Warps