What constitutes too rough?

[Jamie Dundee]

We boat for fun. When it stops being fun we don’t go out. I’ve been caught out in some really crap weather and the boat has always handled it but survival is not the primary boating motivation.

 

[BruceK]

Things have only gone a bit wrong a couple of times, once when a cruise in company turned into an F7 with green water removing my radar reflector, and another time when I deliberately tried to cross close to the stern of some sort of tugboat.

Turns out the tugboat wake had a drop of 2m+ into a hole.

Neither of these were fun.

The general rule is that boating should be fun - anything more than an F5 and you will find me on the sofa or in the Pub (when it re-opens).

Fun is a relative term. If you or anyone else gets bothered by a bit of shake that's absolutely fine. If someone can cope with a bit more, thats fine too. People being judgemental and then sanctimonious about it that's not fine.

 

[BruceK]

Steering system?

I'm painfully aware that if my hydraulic fluid leaked away, I would be going around in circles.

Been there done that. Stupid mistake on my part. Calmish water with big swells, fishing, started one engine to retrieve anchor and couldnt start the second. It was in gear and couldn't release gear because the boat was in motion locking the prop. Should have stopped but we were going and I anticipated that it may be a larger problem and I could still make the tide back home as is. It's a bit tight to turn sure but we came back and berthed without incident, put it in neutral and hey presto alls fine, engine starts. We are cable with hydraulic assist. Cable still works when hydraulics are down

 

[Assassin]

Look on the bright side Bruce, rescue helicopter on Anglesey so not long to wait if it all goes wrong, you might even get a royal rescuing you.

 

[Bouba]

There’s going out weather and coming back weather. If it’s rough we don’t go out, but usually you have to come back regardless. I’m always thinking about parking when I arrive, if I think I will struggle then it’s too windy. The real test is what the wife and dog say, I don’t boat without them.

 

[BruceK]

My wife is ex WREN (mine destroyer) and is happier than a butcher's dog when the boat heaves. She is the one that commands anyway. Go! we go.

 

[PCUK]

If unsure I will go out and see the actual conditions. I have no qualms about coming back, however on many occasions horrendous forecasts have not produced the horrendous conditions. Always worth a look!

 

[BruceK]

Look on the bright side Bruce, rescue helicopter on Anglesey so not long to wait if it all goes wrong, you might even get a royal rescuing you.

That'll make a nice change, I'm normally the one that's standby vessel or being asked to assist in a search for some punter on a rented paddleski / kayak up when the RNLI are stretched by the English tourists.

 

[Bouba]

That'll make a nice change, I'm normally the one that's standby vessel or being asked to assist in a search for some punter on a rented paddleski / kayak up when the RNLI are stretched by the English tourists.

What would we English do without you lot??‍?

 

[BruceK]

What would we English do without you lot??‍?

Tough call. They'd all be rushing to the Med making a nuisance of themselves there too I suppose.

 

[willbank]

Have you considered just going out in decent weather rather than just seeing how much punishment you and the boat can take? Try to remember it's supposed to be fun, not an endurance test. The sea will always dish up far more than you could ever handle so why fiddle around at your limits just to make a point to yourself, given that no-one else is listening?

I get your point but I'm not trying to test my machismo or prove any points. I love being on the water and I also like improving my skills so rougher weather allows for learning that calm doesn't. However, I don't want to cause unnecessary damage to my boat or equipment and so I'm interested in the choices others make to understand more.

 

[BruceK]

If the boat is slamming, being slammed, or overtly flexing it's too rough and will take it's toll. This doesnt even have to be in rough water to occur. Adjust speed and course appropriately. Creaking, which you mentioned, is quite normal AFAIC

 

[BruceK]

I get your point but I'm not trying to test my machismo or prove any points. I love being on the water and I also like improving my skills so rougher weather allows for learning that calm doesn't. However, I don't want to cause unnecessary damage to my boat or equipment and so I'm interested in the choices others make to understand more.

Dont worry about that, you'll always find the sanctimonious ones that are so risk adverse one wonders where outside the marina they get value from a boat.

 

[[2068]]

Dont worry about that, you'll always find the sanctimonious ones that are so risk adverse one wonders where outside the marina they get value from a boat.

There are also those that have gone through the overfalls off Christchurch ledge without really meaning to, resulting in questions from the crew like "Is it meant to be doing this" and "Why are no other boats going this way".

i.e. the accidental adventurer.

 

[BruceK]

There are also those that have gone through the overfalls off Christchurch ledge without really meaning to, resulting in questions from the crew like "Is it meant to be doing this" and "Why are no other boats going this way".

i.e. the accidental adventurer.

When I first started boating I had no concept and went out in some atrocious weather for the boat at the time. A 19 foot cuddy. Currently I have just learnt what the boat and ourselves are comfortable with. It's not pushing the envelope it's having to come back or whatever in bad weather. Finding out that, hey it's not that bad and then setting new limits on what the boat can and cant handle. I dont believe we come close to what the boat can handle although thanks to a showboating Severn Class lifeboat and some vintage units creating a wake for jetski's during a lifeboat day exhibition I know I can be making emergency full revs astern and still take a broadside that dipped the cockpit freeboard under water. Moelfre 2017. We've never been back. Leave it to the jetski's.

 

[TSB240]

Look on the bright side Bruce, rescue helicopter on Anglesey so not long to wait if it all goes wrong, you might even get a royal rescuing you.

Keep up at the back... No royal rescues available since yellow budgies retired and commercial operation took over from mainland at Caernarfon. The extended commute from Bodorgan to Covi Airport rather than Valley was part of the redundancy package.....

 

[BruceK]

Keep up at the back... No royal rescues available since yellow budgies retired and commercial operation took over from mainland at Caernarfon. The extended commute from Bodorgan to Covi Airport rather than Valley was part of the redundancy package.....

And he always likes to rev Aber before landing

 

[BruceK]

Keep up at the back... No royal rescues available since yellow budgies retired and commercial operation took over from mainland at Caernarfon. The extended commute from Bodorgan to Covi Airport rather than Valley was part of the redundancy package.....

It was with you that we spent our first anchorage with a hooli blowing. I bought a snubber after that.

 

[paul salliss]

This is a question I’ve long been asking both myself and boating friends. And clearly it depends on your kit and your mood so what I suppose I’m fascinated by are scenarios: what are you willing to go out in on your boat.

So, from my perspective: I used to have a 6.5m RIB that I’ve taken out in pretty large 2m+ seas with 40 knot winds off Falmouth. That was definitely for the fun of the experience rather than trying to go anywhere and speed was down to a very ginger 10 knots max. 20-30 mins of play and return to base.

I’ve also come back down the coast in the same boat trying to average 20 knots but falling to 12-15 knots in heavy chop (1.5m+ crests, lots of whitecaps) with jarring impacts and basically pretty tiring and unpleasant but not at all unsafe.

I wanted to buy a larger boat that could handle the weather better and allow me to be out when the RIB would have been too tiring. So, I recently purchased a 8.5m XO Front Cabin which rides through the 0.75m sort of chop with much greater ease and is comfortable at 20 knots cruise while throwing water about liberally but you're sheltered and warm in the cabin.

But coming back last Friday morning into a head sea during that low there was 20-30 knot winds against an ebb tide, no swell but quite steep 1.5-2m, shortish duration chop between Falmouth and Helford and she was heaving and crashing along which was disappointing.

One of the issues is that a small RIB has relatively little moving around, flexing and banging - it’s very visceral, and hard on the human body, but you don’t feel it’s so hard on the actual boat itself.

However, with the cabin XO there’s more stuff to creak & groan, there are bits and pieces in lockers and cabins that can rattle and bounce. I suppose I was surprised by the feeling that I was subjecting her to much more pain that the RIB despite the fact that I was much less affected, personally. And frankly I really didn't feel I was giving her much of a workout.

So, anyway, long-winded illustrations but what sort of weather will you happily tackle longer journeys in (1 hour or so) and what sort of boat are you using to do it?

(An old jaunt on the RIB:

)

 

[paul salliss]

This is a question I’ve long been asking both myself and boating friends. And clearly it depends on your kit and your mood so what I suppose I’m fascinated by are scenarios: what are you willing to go out in on your boat.

So, from my perspective: I used to have a 6.5m RIB that I’ve taken out in pretty large 2m+ seas with 40 knot winds off Falmouth. That was definitely for the fun of the experience rather than trying to go anywhere and speed was down to a very ginger 10 knots max. 20-30 mins of play and return to base.

I’ve also come back down the coast in the same boat trying to average 20 knots but falling to 12-15 knots in heavy chop (1.5m+ crests, lots of whitecaps) with jarring impacts and basically pretty tiring and unpleasant but not at all unsafe.

I wanted to buy a larger boat that could handle the weather better and allow me to be out when the RIB would have been too tiring. So, I recently purchased a 8.5m XO Front Cabin which rides through the 0.75m sort of chop with much greater ease and is comfortable at 20 knots cruise while throwing water about liberally but you're sheltered and warm in the cabin.

But coming back last Friday morning into a head sea during that low there was 20-30 knot winds against an ebb tide, no swell but quite steep 1.5-2m, shortish duration chop between Falmouth and Helford and she was heaving and crashing along which was disappointing.

One of the issues is that a small RIB has relatively little moving around, flexing and banging - it’s very visceral, and hard on the human body, but you don’t feel it’s so hard on the actual boat itself.

However, with the cabin XO there’s more stuff to creak & groan, there are bits and pieces in lockers and cabins that can rattle and bounce. I suppose I was surprised by the feeling that I was subjecting her to much more pain that the RIB despite the fact that I was much less affected, personally. And frankly I really didn't feel I was giving her much of a workout.

So, anyway, long-winded illustrations but what sort of weather will you happily tackle longer journeys in (1 hour or so) and what sort of boat are you using to do it?

(An old jaunt on the RIB:

)

I would be asking myself why I even needed to venture out if I thought it was too rough, then if I really had to go my first questions would be direction of wind and tide, length and time of intended trip and and the weather pattern ahead for the duration of the trip. I went to Devon to collect a boat last year and it was clear that the first 4 hours would be fairly heavy going but as planned the sea flattened out the elements were with me for most of the trip and the day went well, the devil is as always in the detail