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One heck of a staight line storm.....
rasbury
Member Posts: 8,254 ✭✭✭✭✭
I just came back from a restaurant on a large lake here in Sanford Fl, Lake Monroe. We have something here in Fl that I think is unique. I don't know if it's a sea breeze effect being a finger in the ocean or what, but we get storms late in the summer that goes from a little dark cloud to 40~60 mph blowing rain side ways for 15 mins- and then it's done and skies are clearing. Saw one sailboat sink and one was blown off it's trailer. I was thinking, what the heck would I have done if I were in the water.....
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Had that happen on Lake Erie about three years ago. Had the wife and her friend and her kids. Came out of no where. Wind and hail so bad couldn't even see the compass, wind and waves kept spinning me 180 degrees over in fifteen minutes. When I finally let them all come up from below, I looked as I had the measles with all the welts. I thought I broke the steering wheel, think my hand prints are still on the wheel. Scary to say the least. That was the day I figured out my 242 would take 6 plus waves at least for awhile. Was glad I bought a rinker
JC, That story explains a lot about why a spouse may never admit to being hesitant to make the boat her relaxing retreat. Sounds like it ended fine which they almost all do, but for a casual crew raw weather can be very frightening. We certainly have spontaneous weather events down here as Ras witnessed and I am constantly on guard for conditions that can quickly become "exciting", mostly to keep the crew from having a stressful experience.
I say mostly because lightning is my achilles heal after being a stick boat captain for years. Many a day has happened when the crew grumbles because I head for the dock when nothing seems out of line, only to later witness a deluge of chaotic boats jamming the canal trying to outrun a ferocious squall while we are tied up or even pulling away loaded and on the trailer.
All I can add is that a calm captain helps to keep a crew calm too...... welts and all.
Good job getting them through it and good luck with your forecasting. Mike
Well said Mike! & I think the more experienced you are the calmer you'll stay. Over my last 15 years of boating, I've ran into a couple. The ones where I was anchored, I rhode it out (like my wording :-) ). You get smarter with each one.
Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express
We were in DC last month and during dinner by the restaurant window at the docks I witnessed a squall that crossed the river and tore through the marina at Ntl Harbor with straight line winds over 40mph in what became a complete white out. I was a little shocked at how ferocious it was and as a "foreigner" I was wondering what my tack might have been if caught out in that river.
Open water is usually one retreat if I get caught in a jam and know it'll blow itself out in 30min or less. Solid objects or shoals in close proximity get me concerned. If I can get to a dock well before it hits then I'm usually happier and the crew is too. Dragging to a leeward shore on a muddy bottom is a concern if I attempt to anchor although if I can get tucked down in a sheltered hole I'm pretty happy. Sitting it out at the helm is a key......with the key/motor ready to ease the anchor stress or avoid an awkward windshift too.
Most boats are really tough and as DI said you do get more confident when you've seen how well they do in a tight spot like big weather can dish out. Piloting skills are a big plus too but you can't get that knowledge/experience unless you read up and then get out there and practice on incrementally more challenging days.
Chapmans and genuinely experienced(not posers) friends are a priceless duo in that pursuit. Sailors are usually pretty confident in big wind and seas. Crewing on a windy weekend is a good opportunity to get some higher wind experience to calm your nerves too. Just be careful, that sailing stuff can become addictive...
Mike
We got caught in a similar storm couple years back off Cayo Costa- was over getting lunch at Cabbage Key and saw it coming- from the direction we needed to go so headed down to Boca Grande Marina and JUST made it in before it hit...had a Tahoe bowrider and there is no way it would not of sunk or capzied that 20' boat, very scary. One of the reasons we moved up to the beast.
Days like those make you apreciate a bigger boat and bring to a reality of how dangerous it can be boating. Wouldn't give it up for minute though.
I've watched 'perfect storm', so.... I got this.. I'm not worried.... And, if that big long liner had some more ponies behind her, it woulda climbed that wave just fine, and those folks would have made it... Diesels... Toi Toi... They gots the low rev torque, but they can't get out of their own way... Plus, them ol fellers could have put all the fish in those holds on a great big stringer... There is an outside chance the fish would have helped them...
But anyway,
Point your beam away, right?