What's the biggest waves you've been out driving your boat in?

J3ff

Not riding in someone else's boat..actually captaining your boat! 

I just took a 25 mile ride moving my 270 from one town to another.  Waves were as described:

I can tell you that there were times where I COULD NOT go the direction I wanted to, as in fearing the boat would get hit broadside and roll over.. (would it have? didn't want to test it)..

We were going with the waves and the wind...I kept it at a goal of 20mph, but was more like 16 or so, and when a wave would sneak up and get under me, it'd be more like 10mph,  I'd then let the wave behind catch up and when it was just about to hit the stern I'd power up and without any effort the boat would be on plane.

I did this on purpose and we had multiple radios and life vests on, even had wetsuits ready to go if we ultimately sunk it!

After a bunch of testing things out it seemed port trim tab down (wind from rear port quarter) all the way and keeping it just about on plane was the best ride.. burned a 1/4 tank of gas and worked the boat probably the hardest it's ever  been worked... but came out okay.  Did this because the plan this summer is to go on two big trips and I'd rather it break right now, close to shore vs half way into a 2 week trip.. 

So the question is, what have you been out in and what have you done to handle the conditions you were in?? Super long detailed replies are absolutely fine! 

Handymans342

8 footer for me. Got sick unless I was driving

skennelly

3 weeks ago at launch easily 6 - 7 foot of trailing seas. Hour and a half ride from waukegan il to Chicago.  When looking at the stern waves were taller than me in the cockpit and I'm 6'

Handled them just like you @J3ff. 

J3ff

skennelly said:

3 weeks ago at launch easily 6 - 7 foot of trailing seas. Hour and a half ride from waukegan il to Chicago.  When looking at the stern waves were taller than me in the cockpit and I'm 6'

Handled them just like you @J3ff. 

Crazy right?? I didn't look back much but when I did it was a sobering view!

rasbury

I must admit, I'm a fair weather boater- I know things can pop up but in this information age unless your just not paying attention to the weather reports it should be pretty hard to be surprised. Certainly my lack of experience plays into this and no way I'd head out in similar weather myself with my family. I do not know what the limits are on these vessels- I'd say much better than I would have thought from what I'm reading. I'd have to clean out my britches from any of the above !

J3ff

Al, what's the worst that could happen? I've been out in some waves before, just as today and I know that it sure doesn't feel good at all when a wave approaches from the rear and the boat starts to hunt for its direction all on its own.. is that worst case scenario? A wave comes up from behind and pushes the nose in a direction, the boat surfs the wave down and then gets broadsided by another wave? 

rasbury

Well, that sounds bad enough, how much worse a situation do you want to be in?

J3ff

rasbury said:

Well, that sounds bad enough, how much worse a situation do you want to be in?

Yes, instincts had me doing my best to keep the boat from that "rolling" feeling... but I want to know what happens when someone doesn't do that.. does the boat really roll over? 

You know...just how close are we to disaster here!  I searched youtube and it doesn't seem like there's any real tests done to see how much the average 30ft boat can handle.. 

Dream_Inn

Hmmm, I think the worst I had been in was in my 310, heading home just after the 1st annual Rinkervous.  At the time, my marina was a Rinker dealer and they had taken some new cruisers to it (well, they went to a marina to show them off, we anchored out).  The waves were 6-7 footers, which doesn't sound like much, but the period was very close, as they always are in the Chesapeake.  Several of the new demo boats came back with some damage.  I remember one had it's bow spotlight broken off and gone. 

J3ff

Alswagg said:

Worst case?   Tail wave hits from the rear pushes the aft sideways and then rolls the boat over and sinks.  The closest I ever came to rolling over was in a 280.   Quite the pucker factor.  I powered out at full throttle back into the wave.  The bow straightened back up with us facing back into the waves.  We were lucky 

so I feel like when I'm out in waves like today that you're only a few seconds of distraction away from that happening many times in a row.. is that right?  There was a few times today where I'd feel the boat starting to dive to the right side a little more then "comfortable" and I'd be on full throttle turning into the dive.. keep in mind waves and wind coming from port, rear, corner. 

So that begs the question, what happens if you have a break down of drive or engine while in the middle of that kind of mess?  Drop the anchor and let out the entire length of line you have? hope that it doesn't swamp the boat while you're hailing the CG? 

aero3113

J3ff said:

Alswagg said:

Worst case?   Tail wave hits from the rear pushes the aft sideways and then rolls the boat over and sinks.  The closest I ever came to rolling over was in a 280.   Quite the pucker factor.  I powered out at full throttle back into the wave.  The bow straightened back up with us facing back into the waves.  We were lucky 

so I feel like when I'm out in waves like today that you're only a few seconds of distraction away from that happening many times in a row.. is that right?  There was a few times today where I'd feel the boat starting to dive to the right side a little more then "comfortable" and I'd be on full throttle turning into the dive.. keep in mind waves and wind coming from port, rear, corner. 

So that begs the question, what happens if you have a break down of drive or engine while in the middle of that kind of mess?  Drop the anchor and let out the entire length of line you have? hope that it doesn't swamp the boat while you're hailing the CG? 

I think you would want a drag anchor in that situation.

J3ff

You mean one of these? http://www.ebay.com/bhp/sea-anchor 

aero3113

Yes

[Deleted User]

Good info on rough water seamanship here:

http://www.docksidereports.com/rough_water_seamanship_1.htm

Andy

Michael T

Yes, if on an open sea voyage you must have a drift anchor - even better yet one with controllable flow - mechanical aperture - via dual control ropes. Often referred to as parachute sea anchors, boat brakes or more properly drogues.

Just got off the phone with a friend 57 years old sailing for 50. Asked him for any advice when in the Bahamas - where he spends the winter. he said to be very careful in the Bahamas - fast weather and sea shelves that can make for huge waves. He got caught there a couple of years ago while delivering a 45 foot sailboat from New York. They had three drouges out and he said he'd have called his wife to say good bye but was too busy trying to survive. Check long range weather, file a chart plan with CG and friends. Apart from all of the required safety equipment - one absolutely reliable VHF with auto mayday plus a hand held VHF and drogue(s)

BTW I love scuba diving in the Bahamas - some of the biggest sharks I have seen anywhere. Guess what happens if you end-up in the water.

2 cents from an old geezer - go prepared.

skennelly

I totally agree with the statement of watching the weather.  I'm not proud that I ended up in dangerous trailing seas...and agree should be smarter than that.

93Vee

From the picture above, I can see using the sea anchor tied aft to slow down drift. But, if I were dead in the water during a strong blow, I would think that the sea anchor would be tied at the bow slightly off to the windward side. This would allow for slight angle to head on waves and not allow a broach to hit from astern. Or am I thinking wrong?

Wildboating

So is this drift anchor being deployed while underway?  At what speeds?  I understand how it would work if stopped in the middle of the sea.   What do you do in a following sea condition while underway?

trip_n

what were the wet suits for ?

212rowboat

the original post mentioned "not going the direction wanted for fear of taking one abeam".... that was a good decision... around here it's called "running in the trough" and it is ridiculously dangerous.  
if the frequency is short enough and the height high enough, you would literally be blind except front and back, and you'd have no clear idea where you were heading except for what a map/chart would display- and they won't show you debris..... not to mention other boats moving perpendicular to you with no idea you're there until they are literally on top of you.  also, and the reason it's most dangerous- if you're running in the trough and hit a pile, by the time you realize it's going to crest it's usually already high enough that it'll flip you anyway. 

a good friend of mine lost his boat in the inlet last year- a guy who's been on the water most all of his life, and he's nearing 70... has a captains license and has piloted up to 660' i think he said.  he know's what he's doing.  a perfect storm ht him where he was having engine trouble and an unpredicted but mighty storm blew in... his engine died in the trickiest part of the inlet and he took a wave over the stern which immediately pushed him abroad where he took another- that one taking the boat completely under in one fell swoop... said it all happened (engine died, wave astern, wave abroad) in no more than a five second window and he was floating, boom- just like that. 

212rowboat

where i boat most often, and if you can picture this:

the inlet is at 6 oclock, and there is an island/sandbar where the hands meet in the center that runs horizontally almost from 9 to  halfway to 3, and is vertically maybe from 8 to 10, and wedge shaped- so maybe 3-2:30...

anybody drawing over two feet has to make the loop around that island, and the buoys on the top side (it opens back up weaving toward another island around 1 o'clock)  are no more than likely 50 yards apart (green/red). 

when there is a storm coming in from off shore and the tide is coming at it's strongest point- you have no choice but to run the trough and 'ride' the waves.  a four to five foot swell is **** tricky.  holding position if someone is in that 'chute' isn't an option in those conditions... it's a both hands on the wheel with cheeks hugging the post/helm chair and ready to drop on throttle lever moment if there ever is one, and while passing others?  It's a, uh- spiritual- moment.  

solution: watch reports and monitor the weather radio at all times in the summer else get surprised. 

J3ff

trip_n said:

what were the wet suits for ?

water temp is 65, air was 70... didn't actually think we were going to sink the boat, but wanted them just in case somehow something crazy happened and we ended up in the water.