Son of What Now Skip -October!

[timbartlett]

October !!!!

Here 's the next of the "new, improved What Now Skips"
The "Rules" are still being developed, but there really aren't any.
Nor are there any right or wrong answers...
REplies will be used as the basis for a piece in the October issue of MBY, attributed to your YBW username, but edited if necessary.

You've just phoned a friend, and found that although he's out on his boat, he's not really enjoying himself. Crammed onto their 35 ft sports cruiser are him and his wife, plus the mother in law, younger sister in law, sister in law's husband, and their obnoxious nine year-old son.

Things went well at first. They went for a blat along the coast, then dropped into a sheltered anchorage for lunch.

You phoned just as they were emerging from the shelter and discovering that things have changed a lot in the past three hours. A brisk wind is blowing straight along the coast, and has already whipped up some surprisingly big waves, almost all with distinct white crests.

Their home port — with both cars, and most of their visitors' luggage — is ten miles directly upwind. The only other harbour of any significance is twenty miles downwind.

And the in-laws are supposed to be catching a flight home later this evening.

What now, Skip?

Possible lines of discussion include the choice of destination, and boathandling tricks to give the safest and most comfortable ride possible, but there are other possibilities.
Feel free to include "if so-and-so, then such-and-such". But please remember that short sensible suggestions are much more likely to appear in print than long or silly ones.

 

[epervier]

But please remember that short sensible suggestions are much more likely to appear in print than long or silly ones.

Well that's killed off at least 50% of the usual responses

so that just leaves the silly ones

 

[powerskipper]

first

October !!!!

Here 's the next of the "new, improved What Now Skips"
The "Rules" are still being developed, but there really aren't any.
Nor are there any right or wrong answers...
REplies will be used as the basis for a piece in the October issue of MBY, attributed to your YBW username, but edited if necessary.



Possible lines of discussion include the choice of destination, and boathandling tricks to give the safest and most comfortable ride possible, but there are other possibilities.
Feel free to include "if so-and-so, then such-and-such". But please remember that short sensible suggestions are much more likely to appear in print than long or silly ones.

First they need to find out what the tide is doing,?


If the tide is against the wind that could be why the sea has grown so big, it could be a matter of waiting for the tide to either slacken, this is normally an hour either side of high or low water, this gives a 3 hour window that may help, do not judge this by the HW time of the port closest or Standard port to you.

Find the Standard port for you charts,
its on the top of the tidal info on your charts.
put time again HW for the Tidal diamond closed to your position and then look down the tidal info for the slackest speed and for a change of direction , should normally be around 180 over 2 or 3 hours.
This will give you the the flattest flow of water for that area.

When he does set off he need to tack or zig zag, but always keeping the pointing bit cutting though the waves at an angle, do not go directly into the wave,and do not let yourself get side on to the waves, scarey that can be[ said in a Yodda accent] . he needs to lengthen the distance between the waves to give the boat more time to settle and give a smother ride, put some power on when climbing the waves not loads but keep her on the plain if poss and as you reach the top power off, so she slides down the wave on her stern, keeping the bow up, so you do not bury the bow into the back of the next wave.

treat it as a roller coaster and shout yippy evertime you go over a wave, great way of stopping peaple feeling nerviouse.

 

[jfm]

Figure out (from wind direction, tidal diamonds, and time) if the lively sea is caused by wind against tide, and if the sea will therefore get calmer in a few hours. If so, explain it to him and tell him to wait the couple of hours. All as Powerskipper said

If it's not going to get better, advise him to go the 20miles downwind and tellim you will google a local taxi firm that has a minibus to take them all back to base, and text him the number. Then sail the boat back to base with him the following weekend mebbe, if it's all nice and sunny

 

[DAKA]

I would tell my mate to go back into the anchorage while I drove to pick up the crew, leaving him and his bro inlaw to take the boat with the swell to a safe heaven.

Drop all the crew off with the cars leaving his wife to drive to the safe heaven 30 nm away.

Not loosing the opportunity to remind dopey again that he needs a Flybridge to cope with afternoon seabreezes.

 

[gjgm]

"whipped up some surprisingly big waves, almost all with distinct white crests."
Excellent, lets get some air under those props. Should be back in twenty minutes. This is why you didnt buy a boring flybridge.

 

[benjenbav]

As I see it, the #1 priority is to get the inlaws airside. Otherwise he's gonna have to put them up indefinitely - jeez.

So, hand out double rations of stugeron, fire up "Ride of the Valkyries" on the big speakers, declaim: " Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more/Or close the wall up with our English dead", whilst pushing the levers forward and heading straight into the eye of the storm.

 

[epervier]

As I see it, the #1 priority is to get the inlaws airside. Otherwise he's gonna have to put them up indefinitely - jeez.

So, hand out double rations of stugeron, fire up "Ride of the Valkyries" on the big speakers, declaim: " Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more/Or close the wall up with our English dead", whilst pushing the levers forward and heading straight into the eye of the storm.

Martin,


you get my vote

 

[Firefly625]

a good reason not to get a sports cruiser in the first place.. a sound semi displacement boat with a wheel house with reliable windscreen wipers is all you need....and an hour of playing submarines and you will be back in your home port as if nothing had happened

Serious answer....find out what the tides are doing, hopefully you already know what the forecast is and you thought it acceptable to journey out in the first place with inexperienced crew! If its wind over tide you may consider waiting for it to change if that is going to be within the next hour or so, but if forecast is for stronger winds then a downwind charge to the harbour 20 miles away may well be the safest answer. If the wind strengthens and you have waited a few hours it may well be to rough to sensibly go in either direction, at least if the tide & wind is in your favour, then the 20 mile journey to alternative harbour won't take long, especially in comparison to tacking all the way back to your original destination. Get on the mobile, get a berth and organise a couple of taxi's to take your passengers back to your original home port....

 

[lovezoo]

Another vote for Powerskipper's plan, with one important addition. Deploy the ringo, place the obnoxious 9 year old in it, open the throttles and video the result on your mobile phone.

 

[powerskipper]

wow

Another vote for Powerskipper's plan, with one important addition. Deploy the ringo, place the obnoxious 9 year old in it, open the throttles and video the result on your mobile phone.

What a wonderful Idea , LOL

 

[MapisM]

You've just phoned a friend, and found...

I don't have any further suggestion on top of what has already been said.
Otoh, I'm not sure that I would have given ANY suggestion at all, to start with.
I mean, from what you said there's no reason to think that the helmsman is not capable to deal with the situation. And surely he can assess it better than anyone else.
Besides, he didn't ask for suggestion during the phone call. Rather the opposite in fact: he took the time to answer a phone call from a friend while dealing with somewhat difficult conditions. I guess he would have phoned himself, if in need of support?

 

[timbartlett]

Besides, he didn't ask for suggestion during the phone call. Rather the opposite in fact: he took the time to answer a phone call from a friend while dealing with somewhat difficult conditions.

Fair comment.
Without moving the goal posts, let's suppose that he answered the call on his way out of shelter, and that as call developed he said something along the lines of "Bl00dy 'ell, it's a lot rougher out here than it was this morning. I'm not sure whether to carry on back or not ..." and then outlined the problem. So not a direct request for help, but a gentle hint that it wouldn't go amiss.

 

[MapisM]

'salright, my point wasn't meant to deny the reason for the wns as such, but just to underline that giving suggestions to someone else is not necessarily/always a good idea. Quite often, it just leads to further confusion.
In real life (forums are obviously a different matter altogether) I never make ANY recommendation when I'm onboard a boat helmed by someone else, regardless of whether he/she has much more or much less experience than myself.
Unless I think that some suggestion becomes necessary to avoid some kind of danger, of course.

For instance, also based on your latest clarifications, in principle my answer would still be something like "your call, mate. You're the only one who can assess the situation and take the best decision".
Then again, I would also offer to help, but still subject to his judgement.
Frinstance: "do you want to return to the sheltered anchorage for a while, and give me time to check the tides, weather forecasts, or anything else, and ring you back asap?".