When a sea anchor is used in landing stern...

🔍 Key Concepts

• Purpose and rigging of a sea anchor (drogue) when landing a small boat through heavy surf • Difference between the holding (towing) line and the tripping line on a sea anchor, and what each one controls • How to control sternway (backing movement) of a boat while keeping the bow properly aligned to the seas

💭 Think About

• Picture a small boat backing toward the beach with the stern toward shore and the bow toward the sea. Where should the main pulling force from the sea anchor be applied to keep the bow into the seas? • Which line do you want to take the load of the sea anchor in order to create drag and check sternway, and which line is mainly used to collapse or recover the sea anchor? • If you pulled mostly on the tripping line instead of the holding line while in heavy surf, what would likely happen to the effectiveness of the sea anchor in checking your sternway?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify clearly which line is the working (holding/towing) line and which is the control/recovery (tripping) line. • Confirm which option has the holding line under tension to create drag and reduce sternway, rather than using the tripping line as the main towing line. • Eliminate any options where using the tripping line as the primary towing line would tend to collapse or destabilize the sea anchor instead of letting it pull properly.

When a sea anchor is used in landing stern first in a heavy surf, sternway is checked by __________.

slacking the tripping line and towing the sea anchor by the holding line

towing the apex end forward with the tripping line

slacking the tripping line and towing the sea anchor from the stern

towing with the tripping line and leaving the holding line slack

🔍 Key Concepts

💭 Think About

✅ Before You Answer