Ideally, you stay on the boat. Agreed, let's not flog that topic. I've written much about tethers, jacklines, and hardpoints.
The problem with a trailing line is that the sailor cannot hold it. So let's just stop the boat.
So why not just stop the damn boat?
Why not trigger the release of a parachute sea anchor? Remember we are talking about small boats, generally less than 27 feet and less than 6000 pounds. A 5' parachute will slow the boat to less than 1 knot, no matter the engine, sails or course. The boat will stop.
This is rather like killing ants with a hammer. It is idiot proof and make no assumptions about sail selection, balance, or course. There are no special installation, other than placing an eye over a stern cleat. The sailor does not need to understand what is in the bag. The force on the boat was less than 500 pounds. Sort of like a whole-air plane parachute with a long floating rip cord.
So as long as we are talking about smaller boats (less than 27 feet, less than 10,000 pounds), what am I missing? The only obvious problem is if you cannot find the floating line.
The problem with a trailing line is that the sailor cannot hold it. So let's just stop the boat.
- If we put the helm over the boat may tack off in a different direction. Effectiveness depends on the set of the sails and the course.
- If trip the autopilot, the boat many not head up (sail balance) or may still drift too fast.
- If we program the pilot to head up... good luck if the chute is up, and even if not, it may still take off.
So why not just stop the damn boat?
Why not trigger the release of a parachute sea anchor? Remember we are talking about small boats, generally less than 27 feet and less than 6000 pounds. A 5' parachute will slow the boat to less than 1 knot, no matter the engine, sails or course. The boat will stop.
- I've tested sea anchors and drogues by throwing them off the back of moving boats dozens of times, Faster than this with a 9000-pound catamaran. I did this to test the anchors with high force. Never a failure, just a firm stop.
- You do need enough elastic rode to buffer the stop (calculation varies with the mass and speed, but generally 50-100 feet of climbing rope is about right). You need certain floats and rigging; these are standard for sea anchors and are well understood.
- The swimmer does not need to hold the line. A brief 5-pound tug will do the job.
This is rather like killing ants with a hammer. It is idiot proof and make no assumptions about sail selection, balance, or course. There are no special installation, other than placing an eye over a stern cleat. The sailor does not need to understand what is in the bag. The force on the boat was less than 500 pounds. Sort of like a whole-air plane parachute with a long floating rip cord.
So as long as we are talking about smaller boats (less than 27 feet, less than 10,000 pounds), what am I missing? The only obvious problem is if you cannot find the floating line.