Flat calm or realistic?

BrendanS

BrendanS

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I've noticed a prevailing trend, that very few have been out in over F4 or above as swmbo doesn't like bouncing on anything above tiny little waves.

Do all you guys with big boats let swmbo set the limits, or do you go boating when you expect to?
 
Not quite that simple, i think.

If blokey says oh! it'll be great, no worries, and then it's a wild godawful trip, i think she/family/crew are more circumspect next time. I know a bloke who was always inviting people down, clients whatever, and he felt pressured to go out regardless - it seemed fine to his mates in the marina.

I must be doing okay wrt swmbo cos when i say we'll go, she is fine about it.

Okay there was that time whne our mates crapped out and asked to go back, f7-8 in gulfe of st trop with white water. Our lot were okay depite crashity pots and pans down below. But the boat was only rickinig about a bit, not slewing down giant waves or anything.

A lot of places sound exotic and fine cos the weather can't be that bad in the med coast can it? But it is sometimes, with very short-period waves which crash at/over the boat, whereas it's actually easier to ride far bigger 5m seas on the nose in atlantic cos waves have far longer period. Longer the wave period the better of course, my favourite being about three weeks between waves....

I suppose on longer trips some weather just turns up, dang.

Comfy-wise for trips of any length, i set a vague limit of about 40 knots of wind over the bows. I'll have probably decided to turn in somewhere by the time it reaches that level, unles i know it will change as i change direction past a headland etc and it often does change quite quickly in the med , whoosh, wind arrives rather than builds. On para's boat inthe solent it was over 50 knots and felt a bit leany but fine really, cd've made cup of tea tho we weren't getting too far.

I wdn't really set out in more than 30knots, okay, apart from that other time when the blimmin berth was over a 150 quid a night whereas home is prepaid 20 miles away and the 35 knots was with us, so nice gentle breeze from behind, which was all fine till we arrived other end, at which point i found the reception pontoon, wind howling a bit, got all fenders at that side and didn't need lines to tie up cos it was pressed hard against the quay for two more days.

Swmbo wimped out of the atlantic stuff with kids excuse, and possibly quite good thing too at times , bit flaky here and there. She blimmin rang me up whilst 29knots true on the nose thru gibraltar wotsit me clomping along at 11 knots in utter darkness mostly on radar with vhf full of commercial ships nervously shouting at each other , one engine control gone for us hello dear she says, is everything ok? so i said yes cos didn't much see the point of saying no i'm moderately in the poo since she was 1300 miles away.

So generally all fine.

I hink the med spoils motorboaters cos there are numerous oily-flat calm days which are more rare in uk waters, hence slightest breeze ogh dearie me no, it's fine here tendency. Tho it does seem to be either blimmin howling or flat calm, never nice breeze. Dunno why sunsail have a base in Nice it's rubbish for sailors in summer...
 
I tend to not leave port in bad weather or a bad forecast, unless it's a short hop, been caught out a few times in the meddy, especially around the ballearics, tends to sneak up on you. Only once ran from an anchorage for a port, then the "hurricane" didnt arrive anyway and was 250 squids worse off! But got caught in bad weather on longer passages, then just have to live with it, hope the boat is stowed well!
I know what TCM is talking about, it can get hairy if stuff starts to go wrong, and if the weather is really bad, no way of repiaring/bodging things. The meedy seas are notoriously short and confused, so make choosing a good course difficult to save the motion. But it's all part of the pleasure and fun. Knowing your and the boats limitations helps.
 
SWMBO basically will go if I go - she trusts me on that and considers the 18 foot waves and lots of banging around she has experienced as "fun" .... so its up to me to determine when we go out and she is happy to go along....... I think she unusual on this for a SWMBO.
 
>Do all you guys with big boats let swmbo set the limits, or do you go boating when you expect to?

Don't have a big boat, only a mid-size one, but usually it's my call: I know that if I drag her off into the crashy stuff for hours without fair warning, her view of my judgement will change for the worse.

It sometimes results in "you go", which is why I need something I can singlehand if required. 29ft with no bow thruster will be an interesting spectator sport for the first few attempts...

dv.
 
I consider my crew when planning a passage - yes

1. It forms part of the SOLAS regulations on planning a passage - although I never actually write it down of course /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
2. Her (their) enjoyment is my enjoyment

This does not restrict me to oily calm days though............
 
Pretty much the same as the others, we compromise - though SWMBO is pretty good at not minding it lumpy (so the trip back across the channel in a SW 4/5 gusting 6 the other weekend wasn't a problem, despite having to hang on a bit in places).

Rick
 
We only have a small boat but the sea state is not the only issue, sun and final destination play a huge roll.

I wouldn't want to take the family out in rough conditions in a chilling April North wind to visit Grimsby, but we would all be happy to take a few over the top in August en route to St-Vast or St Peter Port.

Over the years we have been with several larger boats and seen them leave port with families on board with out waiting for wind with tide, they end up scrubbing the puke from the sides and the boat soon goes up for sale or becomes a Gin Palace just gathering weed.

If we get storm bound in a Gale F4 , I take the boat back and SWMBO takes AVIS, one of the reasons we have a boat small enough for me to handle on my own.



( I am only joking about Gale F4, it usually takes a 7 or 6 in the wrong direction before I have to start booking hire cars)
 
SWMBO does't come out that often not the best of sailors even gets sick on the sea cat the minute she steps on so its always flat calm when we go anywhere otherwise its a frying pan on the back of the head. Little N is a different animal, the faster and the more up and downy the better, absolutely no fear what so ever.

With clients its a different matter, often they will rock up with SWMBO and its all bravado and 'yeah I can handle it, been out in much worse than that, really need to see how she handles in the rough stuff'.... furry nuff and off we go, 20 mins later his swmbo is giving him death stares and he is looking a bit green and then its 'yeah seen enough, great lets go back. When that happens I always try and get them to helm a bit and it takes their mind off it and rescues a bit of pride.

Took a music celeb out on a jolly last season up IOM way, he recanted tales of daring do and this and that exploit with his own boat, thought well a bit of James Bondy stuff won't put him off in a bit of rough so headed down to Lagness light always good for a bit of lumpy, did a bit of this and that boat goes like a dream and then.....what's that smell?.....aaargggh vomit all over the nice white cockpit uplostery and Mr cool is greener than mushy peas. Now I have to say I did ask beforehand was he happy with a bit of twisty's and white stuff and it was ' yeah yeah lets go'.

The point being is that even if peeps give you the ok sometimes it all goes to poo anyway, have to say though girlies are general much more up for saying no thanks its a bit too rough, never had a chap say no, male bravado and all.
 
Two stories to tell here.
please consider the first i wasnt a boat owner and the second, in terms of sea journeys, i was a novice.
A friend (the person responsible for me enjoying this wallet crunching hobby) had a Windy Grand Mistral. Superb boat. We took it (skipper + 3) from Denver near Kings Lynn to Gt Yarmouth Saturday then on to Ramsgate Sunday. Saturday into the Wash was fun F5/6 on the nose waves over us several times and flying through the air a couple. he tinkered with legs (think she had legs) and trim tabs and we were pottering along nicely at about 10/12 knots. i looked at Browett a couple of times and could see he was thinking "carry on or go back". off Cromer change of direction and we got up to 16 kts. Anyway into Gt Yarmouth at low tide under the bridge and too late for any decent food.
Sunday left Gt Y flat calm. the east coast seems not to hold onto waves for long if the wind/weather changes. 28 kts was fun. until we left sight of land. wind up, sea changed. again with adjusting controls he had control of the boat. we entered Ramsgate with F7 blowing. on the approaches we surfed a bit. no changes to the throttles and the boat went from 8-26 kts. fantastic i thought. strange one of the guys slept through the whole thing.

then my own passage.
this was only SWMBO second sea trip!
weather forecast said F3 sea slight over the weekend so off we poddle to Ipswich. Leaving Gt Yarmouth the wind was a bit more than F3 but offshore i could see the sea was quite calm. Great journey down, joined by a rib off Southwold who appeared from no where (lesson to keep a good look out at all times ) kept nice speed about 28 kts most of the way. Anchored.....for first time.....off Suffolk Yacht Harbour for lunch. into Ipswich. met a forumite. life doesnt get much better me thinks.
Sunday morning weather forecast is nearly the same. F3 sea slight/moderate. in Ipswich it was glorious. almost no wind, sun shining. tea shirt and shorts on, canopies off! through the Orwell it was great. Past Languard and turn north......oops this is a bit different. wind E/SE F5 sea moderate! this is where i remembered Browett slowing down on the Windy and playing with the controls maintaining a good speed and not too much slamming. so 15 kts until i got used to it then gradually tweeked the speed and up to 25 kts. now with no canopies, every time i went into the bottom of a trough, not slamming, water would spray over the boat. SWMBO thought this was hilarious. me standing at the helm and occasionaly it was as though someone threw a bucket of water over me. absolutely soaking wet. i learnt a lot about the boat and boat handling on that trip. it was nice to be accompanied by a couple of other boats for part of the journey too. and one of them turned out to be a forumite.
So i now believe SWMBO will accept if i say its ok to go....then we go.
Though i still have a lot learn.

Doug
 
Agree that people think that the med is always better weather (well wind wise) than south coast but three out of half a dozen times last year it was too lumpy to go out (to be enjoyable anyway), whereas phone call back to Hamble and the world and his wife was out those days.

Miffs me off when people say that med built boats are only fit for flat calm stuff, they get and have just as much white stuff at times as we do just it feels better cus its warmer, if she is a good med boat or good UK boat ( bad weather wise) then either or suits me fine. In fact round Italian west coast it can be hellish rough at times unlike Solenty where its rare to get any really big lumps even if it blowning a houlie.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I've noticed a prevailing trend, that very few have been out in over F4 or above as swmbo doesn't like bouncing on anything above tiny little waves.

Do all you guys with big boats let swmbo set the limits, or do you go boating when you expect to?

[/ QUOTE ]

What is a "big boat"??
We're 45 ft and got to be realistic.... NE Scotland and North Sea straight out.... Even at no wind, the aftermath of a F7 can be felt several days after, so very seldom flat calm .... 1M swell is common and considered "calm" and perfectly OK by family standards.... less is better of course... When we take green water over bow as wel leave the breakwater we know it will be bumpy and may restrict progress speed, but no concern from family. Family trust skipper and skipper do not wish to put family or other crew in danger ... nor do we wish to cause damage to the boat or equipment.
 
Well, I have the opposite problem. My SWMBO does'nt seem to have any fear or praps she's stupid but in the early days of our boating career she was up for virtually any conditions and we found ourselves out in seas that we really should'nt have been. She's a reformed yottie and has some hairy tales about knockdowns and capsizes so a few pots and pans flying about don't faze her
Now its me thats more circumspect than her. Whilst we try to avoid bad weather, if needs be, we'll do it.
I also agree with what others have said about Med weather. Yes it may be generally calmer than the E Channel in most areas most of the time but you do get sudden storms or strong winds which often come out of a blue sky and are not forecast which whip up an angry sea very quickly. Then you get strong seabreeze effects in some areas which often exarcebate the situation. In some ways I prefer UK conditions as strong winds are more predictable and there are more forecast resources available
 
Yep, i reckon mrs Deleted User is hard as nails. Obvious really from the way she would clearly prefer to fling the anchor out overarm, instead of pratting about with electric thingies. The motorbiking is gonna be a bt dull for her as well, unless of course Deleted User gets a racing sidecar outfit converted for road use and mrs Deleted User drives...
 
Good idea

hm, that's quite a good test then - you tellem it's going to be potentially a bit rough. To which anyone sensible would engage in proper discussion such as well, how rough and do we really want to go? and only the less experienced would say "yeah, nae prob, easy peasy".
 
good point about 'past experiences' - having been left hanging from the wires more than once after spinaker broaches on an OOD34 I have to keep reminding myself that my little mobo wont actually 'self right' if it does go over............ /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

maybe I should fit a 1 ton keel?
 
Re: Good idea

I wish I'd applied that test when my wife's cousin and partner came down for a weekend. We told them that the weather forecast meant that we'd think twice about going out (and we're raggies, so need a bit of wind!).

They asked whether it was safe, and we said that if we had to deliver the boat back home we'd do it in that weather but wouldn't go out for pleasure. Even offering the chance to abandon the weekend or just use the boat as a caravan didn't persuade them - they just banged on about all these extreme winter sports they did and how a June sail would be a walk in the park, even if the boat did "bounce up and down a bit".

S*d them, I thought and we had a cracking sail whilst they disappeared below to throw up for hours and got the train back instead. I hope I've learnt to ignore bravado since then, and make the decision based on what I really think.
 
6 to Gale 8, occasionally Severe Gale 9 was the worst we've been out in, and that was pretty much out of necessity and a short hop only. SWMBO is as mad as I am, so generally we'll go out in up to a 6, as long as it is either moderating or off the land or going to be behind us all the way, or has only just swung through 180* so had no time to build. Clearly we don't have the cojones of Brendan...

Ye gods, it's a boat, innit? It's meant to go out in.
 
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