The para anchor


The desirability of being able to heave to in a storm is obvious to all who have done it but, as we have seen, modern yachts are to a greater or lesser extent compromised in their ability to do so. The main problem is the lack of forefoot which allows their bows to blow off the wind, a situation exacerbated by the way the Bermudan mainsail and headsail move their centres of effort forward as they are reefed. Smaller yachts that may have inherently more suitable characteristics suffer from having their bows knocked to leeward by each successive sea, but any of these yachts can be persuaded to point up as high as the skipper wishes by deploying a para anchor. The para anchor is in effect a large parachute that works like a drogue, except that it is generally streamed from the bow. Unassisted, it will leave the boat lying head to wind, which may be what you want. However, by attaching a spring line led from the quarter to the warp via a snatch block, the angle at which the boat is lying can be adjusted to find the optimum. Although she can lie thus with sail set as though hove to, she may well be better off under bare poles. Boats vary, and only experiment will reveal what suits best.


The slick left by the para anchor is said to assist in calming the worst of the seas. Lin and Larry Pardy, short-handed sailors of vast experience in small yachts, have written extensively in praise of this technique which goes a long way towards making up the shortfall in the modern yacht’s options. It should pass without saying that attention to chafe is a vital consideration.


Lying to a para anchor


When lying to a parachute anchor, adjust the rode length so that the boat and parachute lie in approximately the same part of their respective waves. This is because the movement of water on the surface of each wave varies from place to place, and not to have them synchronised may cause the rode to snatch or slacken suddenly.


Rode


Spring line


108 | MANUAL OF SEAMANSHIP


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