These custom-made chainplates will be mounted at the stern (rear) of the boat and used to attach a Jordan series drogue. The drogue (not pictured) is a long rope with 150 or so fabric cones sewn into it. When trailed from behind it slows the boat to keep it from going too fast down the faces of steep waves, which can lead to capsize in a small vessel. This style of drogue was designed and studied by engineer Donald J. Jordan with the U.S. Coast Guard following the 1979 Fastnet race incident.
This safety system is the vessel’s last line of defense in a major storm, and as such must be incredibly strong… and these chainplates are absolute BEASTS!! They were years in the making and their arrival marks a massive milestone in preparing Sparklemuffin for her journey.
Hi,
How thick were your chainplates and how heavy your boat? From 316 stainless?
many thanks for the answer
Hello Charles, thank you for stopping by! The chainplates are for a series drogue and are 3/8 in. thick titanium. Boat has a dry displacement of 17K pounds, but fully laden is around 24-25K pounds. Hope this helps!