The question of parachute anchors has been much in the news lately, and there have been lots of letters to the editor in the sailing magazines and e-mail’s to us here at setsail on the subject.

It appears as if some of the comments we’ve made on parachute anchors in Surviving the Storm have the purveyors of this gear up in arms.

To reiterate our feeling on the subject of parachute anchors in particular and storm tactics in general – there is no magic bullet. There is no single piece of gear or any specific tactic which works for all boats in all conditions. If you are caught in dangerous weather, the tactics employed – regardless of whether they are passive or active, must be modified to suit the sea state, wind, and navigational issues as they change. Obviously crew and vessel capabilities have a lot to do with what approach has the lowest risk factor.

We have nothing against parachute anchors per se, and in moderate conditions, where seas are not breaking dangerously, properly deployed, they can do a good job of holding you in position. But then, so can heaving to.

The difficulty arises in beaking seas. When we were doing our research for Surviving the Storm, we did not find a single positive experience in these conditions using para anchors. And the unmistakable conclusion for us from this is that in dangerously breaking seas, tactics other than a parachute anchor have a higher chance of success – for most situations.

Another related issue, discussed in detail in the book, is the correct para anchor rode. In the June issue of Cruising World magazine we have a detailed story on this subject – but for now, suffice it to say that our feeling is that nylon is NOT the correct material.

Should you carry a parachute anchor? If the boat is immobilized by loss of steering or the rig has carried away, and for holding station in moderate conditions – a para anchor can make sense. But they are not a magic bullet for severe sea-states.

Posted by Steve Dashew  (February 16, 2001)