Safety in bad weather??

[nickjh]

Hi all,

Mariah 268 - 27.5ft with 5.7V8 Merc.

Took a last minute boys trip to cowes last Saturday night (11th), arrived in the dark and found a lovely little mooring between a 50ft and 60ft cruiser... Had a few vino's and a few more scotches! Woke up to heavy bumping and the that wind in the rigging howl we all know so well. Anyway, had to get back to Shamrock to meet family and consider whether we go back out.. Had breakfast and left Cowes at around 11am Sunday. Weather forecast/report said 3-4 poss 5 with calm to moderate seas...So headed off, got a short distance across and found myself surrounded by 8 - 12ft high walls of water crashing down on me... I don't think i have been that scared for a long time. The water was crashing down on the boat and spraying through the canvass and tossing us around like a matchstick. I had no choice but to turn back, I then spent 30 mins driving up (full power) and then riding back down some very large waves.. As the wind was coming from the East, we had to keep turning 90 degs to the onslaught to make any headway..

Finally question - being new to sea use.. How safe is being out in those conditions? What could happen, riding nose up then diving down feels bad enough, but the side hits were definately painful! Even 40ft cruisers decided to stay put after we returned... Could we go over? Any one been close? Anyone elso out on Sunday??


Glad to be alive, lots of underwear to wash though!

Regards

Nick.

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[hlb]

The problem with bad weather is not usualy that your going to sink, well not straight off at least!!. Problem is damage. Stuff riping apart, water over petrol engine ETC ETC ETC. Now even this in it's self is not a disaster. Less course, the bottom falls out. But sooner or later, you will be blown onto rocks. Then its a disaster.

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[Solitaire]

From what you have siad you handled the conditions very well. Powering up the waves was right but did you have the leg trimmed in? The would have kept the bow down and cutting through the waves. The only thing is that when you surfed down the other side you need to think about trimming the leg out a bit.

From your description, it makes me think you had the hood up. If so, don't - get wet! Hoods start to act as sails and give you both more resistanc and can upset the stability of the boat. In the main, the plastic windows distort your view and in rain and spray you need to see a) where your going and b) what the waves are doing and from which direction they come from. In rough conditions,it is my view that having your hood up is asking for trouble. Get some good wet weather gear, some ski googles and make sure everyone is wearing a lifejacket.

In terms of going over, yes you could but it would have to be really bad and you'd be driving the boat to hard in to bad a sea, fear prevented you from doing that. But again I say, having that hood up could push the balance.

Yes I was out on Sunday, but in a rib and the waves were 10ft-15ft around Poole Bay.

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[oldgit]

Must get home-itus is responsible for quite a few flying and not a few boating mishaps.Why not leave the boat somewhere safe and then have the fun of collecting it the following weekend or better still take a sickie and collect during week/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[Col]

Been out in worse off the Needles & in the channel in my 27footer. Boat will usually fare better than the crew. Having said that, Experiance counts for a lot in conditions like that.
In my opinion you did the right thing. As you say, being new to sea use, only you know how safe / unsafe you feel. The more bad weather you encounter, the better prepared you will be. Also you will learn how your boat reacts to differing seas. As solitare says, trim leg(s) in to keep the bow down and give you a softer landing (although wetter) put the tabs down too if required, but not in a following sea.

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[BrendanS]

Nick,

was out with my club over weekend, and on Sunday monring was out at the same time as you. We went across to Cowes from Hamble at 10am, then after breakfast a few of us went to Ryde futher East round the coast.

The trip to Ryde was in boats smaller than yours and it was quite safe, but not weather for inexperienced sea boaters. Your boat was quite safe in those conditiions, as long as you didn't do anything silly with it, but you have to build up that experience and confidence over a period.

Being sideways on in those conditions is never a good idea, far better to do 45 degree zig zags. You shouldn't really need full power in those conditions, riding back down West after Ryde I was doing 30 knots quite comfortably and didn't use any where near full throttle once, but equally didn't need to do much throttle control............., but going East into the waves and wind, which is typically more uncomfortable, you'd need enough power to take you up the wave without launching you off the top, then take the throttle off as you go over the top.

The waves shouldn't crash over you constantly, you should ride over them, though it's unavoidable sometimes. If it was happening frequently, use a little less throttle next time

You have to read the waves, sometimes you can power on for a minute or two and make good headway, then take the throttle right back if you see some big ones appear.

In my 21'er I came back beaming with a big smile, as it was a great day out, and never dangerous, but you probably need to build up to those conditions with experience before you can say you enjoyed it.

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[Col]

Did the windscreen survive this time? /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[BrendanS]

Yep, but ladder strap didn't! /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif


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[Deleted User YDKXO]

There should never be any problem about turning back. If you feel that you or your crew or your boat are not up to the conditions, then its not big or clever to keep going. Boating is supposed to be fun after all.
What I would say is that you should test yourself and your boat in marginal conditions occasionally so that when you are unavoidably caught out, you do have some experience to fall back on
Obviously, it goes without saying that you have good safety equipment on board in terms of lifejackets, liferaft, flares, VHF etc

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[Will_M]

Yep we were out racing last Sun (stick & rag stuff!!!) conditions were alittle lumpy!! So much so that when stick & rag jobbie was tucked up back in its berth, we went back out for a blast in the RIB round and about the area of the forts mainland & IOW side..........

SSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun, if abit battered by the time we returned!!

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[St3v3]

Hi Nick,
We were out on Sunday in that area, ran back from Lymington to Hythe at 1100hrs. we did slow down to 12knts to make the ride more comfortable until we rounded Calshot, but we had a great time up on the flybridge, although we did get very very wet. I think the advantage we had was that we were taking the waves on the bow for most of the trip. I think you did the right thing though, if you dont feel comfortable then turn back, there is no reason to put you, your crew or your boat at risk, we are doing this for fun at the end of the day.
Our boat is a Princess 35 with 250 cummins.

cheers
Steve

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[Renegade_Master]

Agree with other comments about slowing down no point in trying to plane through that lot. Good idea to zig zag as suggested. When going into the waves just remember not to go exactly 90 degrees pick a point about 3/4 onto the the wave thus you will ride over at a slight angle, head on (90degrees) will result in far more slamming and and be a lot wetter, plus the need if necessary to throttle back at the peak.
You were right to turn back.

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[Dave_Snelson]

Yes, been there with my 12 year old son on board (not clever). We rode over towering walls of green water with the wind shrieking.

In some ways I was glad I did it, because I got to put my theory into practise and I got to test my boat. Windy 8800 - lives up to its reputation.

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