Drag Device Data Baseand drogues to cope with heavy weatherBy Victor ShaneForward by Lin and Larry Pardey;preface by Earl R. HinzThings that drag through the watereither deployed from the bow or stern of a vessel being assaulted by heavy weatherare typically discussed at length by various encampments of experts who espouse wildly different views about their use and necessity. For this reason, the Drag Device Data Base, which is a collection of 150 real-life case studies, fills an appropriate niche. Considering that drogues and sea anchors are essentially survival tools, the Data Base is extremely useful. It is also one of the best books on seamanship available, because of the many accounts of heavy weather. For the sailors who believe that drag devices are unnecessary, reading this collection will undoubtedly turn them into believers.
Para-Anchors International, Summerland, Calif.; 805-966-0782; $36.95.