The Use of a Drogue to Prevent Breaking Wave Capsize of Salling Yachts

Breaking wave capsize is a major hazard to many oceangoing craft, but small yachts are especially vulnerable. A research program to reduce this hazard was started after the 1979 Fastnet disaster and has been carried on for the past 2 years by the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center.The technique studied has been the use of a stern-deployed drogue with sufficient drag capability to pull the boat through a breaking wave.Although drogues have been in existence for a very long time, improper design and use has often led to unfortunate results.This study has used model and full-scale tests to study drogue behavior and use.A computer model has been developed which simulates a boat/drogue system in a storm sea and during a breaking wave strike. These studies have led to the development of a series drogue.