Seabrake Trial Report
Recently I was asked by Captain John Abernethy, Inventor and Designer of Seabrake to trial a new model Seabrake released into the Australian market in April 2004. I had more knowledge of John’s achievements as a skipper and Game Fisherman than I had of his invention, which I had not used before. I had heard of Seabrakes impressive performance as a drift anchor by people who had used it whilst bottom fishing and also when drift fishing for large pelagics like Marlin, Tuna and Broadbill, but had no personal experience with it as a drogue. When John asked me to trial this new model I took up the invitation, especially when the offer was "try and destroy it"!
Seabrake, now in its 21st year have produced several difference models, commencing with the rigid body types, essentially for power boats in the 1980s and 1990s. Not content to rest on their laurels, Seabrake have continuously tested and improved this revolutionary concept to now include yachts, the greatly improved design winning an Australian Design Award and two sea safety awards along the way. John, who worked Bass Strait for many years, came up with the idea out of sheer necessity, caught in 80 foot seas and 100plus MPH winds in a full on Southerly Buster off Port Fairy in 1979. Here to tell the story and pass on the benefits of his experience, John has given us a world first in Seabrake.
The idea of a drogue is to slow a boat down if travelling down sea in bad weather. I have heard of skippers dragging nets, tyres and chain, and almost anything to achieve this, yet the item I was handed, a GP24L, was very light and small compared to what I was expecting. My instructions to "rig up" the Seabrake were to shackle around 50 metres of “good” rope (anchor line) to the 2 metre length of 3/8” chain John provided with the Seabrake. Assured that it would pull a man overboard at 2-3 knots, the trick is to take a “bite” around a stern cleat and let it do the holding as you feed out the required length of at least 3 boat lengths. It is also a good idea to use cable ties or soft wire on the shackles to ensure they don’t vibrate loose.
My brief, put simply, was to “tow as hard as you can for as long as you can”. “Rathlin 11” is a 41 ft Flybridge Steber powered by twin 425 H.P. diesels, with a cruising speed of 20 knots and a top speed of 30 knots. On the day of the trial off Merimbula there was a one and a half metre swell running with enough breeze to create wash. Abeam of Tura Point we set about launching the Seabrake for the run down wind to the South. Aware that the pull would be severe, boat speed was reduced to 1-2 knots before lowering the unit and chain overboard off the stern.
As soon as the Seabrake filled with water, the amount of drag it produced was immediately noticeable (certainly enough to pull a man overboard if not for the turn around the cleat). Allowing the tow line to feed out through the fare lead we occasionally tied it off at various intervals to take the full weight of the load - at 3 boat lengths a constant restraint held “Rathlin 11” very true in the water where wave action had little effect on the hull and the helm required little correction. The downward force on the transom and Seabrake holding us back stiffened the boat up noticeably, both in the vessels pitch and roll. AS more speed was applied, the greater the effect became, causing the boat to sit more squat in the water and eliminating all surging a following sea normally produces.
At full throttle our speed steadily climbed to 14 knots and stayed there! It was like towing a block of concrete. I altered course several times, to port and starboard and was surprised that it had little effect on the helm, if anything making it more responsive. The tow line was as rigid as a steel rod and cut through the water a good boat length astern, not wavering or porposing but tracking straight inline behind the cleat to which it was tied. I was truly impressed.
From the flybridge it was a good vantage point to observe tracking, if it was rotating and how far below the surface it travelled. For the two hours we towed it the Seabrake tracked dead straight, never rotated and remained between 1 and 2 metres below the surface, depending on the speed. If the intent is to stop a vessel surging or surfing in a following sea, I was convinced, as all we did was go up and down as the waves passed beneath us, nothing was going to push us faster, even at 7 knots. At the conclusion of putting it through its paces there was no sign of fatigue whatsoever to the stitching or material of this very durable product.
Although the conditions were not Bass Strait at its worst where Seabrake was conceived, the trial was enough to demonstrate the claims made that it will hold a vessel straight and true and at a constant speed down sea. Apart from the obvious safety factor, the improved stability makes for a much more comfortable ride and lessens the stress on vessel and crew alike. In addition to the safety factor, it is an ideal piece of kit that can be used every day. With twice the holding power of conventional sea anchors and drogues drift fishermen will love this item as it will keep them over the fish longer, and in a lot more comfort.
More so, as Seabrake has 11 applications it represents great value at around $240.00 for the GP24L for vessels 26-46 ft (power and sail), around the annual cost of protecting the hull in anti-fouling!