What was your worse sea /ocean passage.

oceandrive

oceandrive

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www.oceandrivecharter.com
I have a few myself as I have delivered boats on a pro basis for a few years. So I wonder if things go compleatly wrong for all of us not just me. I have funny ones, sad ones and very very scary ones, and the just great ones.

So lets have some interesting trip stories. Pics of big waves, giant squid attacking your Fairline, legs sticking out of engine hatches always apreciated.

I will add few of mine over the next few days if the thread gets going.
 
Possibly down to interpretation, what may have seemed scary at the time, may raise a a bit of a laugh when thinking about it later.

Doesn't seem to matter how well preparations are done prior to departure, somewhere in the voyage, some degree of the unexpected will/can occur.

My dis-like is mechanical failure, even worse than rough weather.
Recently while offshore, a solid copper oil feed pipe split on one of the gearboxes, pumping and spraying 25 litres of oil into the engine room at 350 PSI.

The concern of a resulting fire rates prominently (especially around the turbos), and then the annoying wrestle with the helm, to hold some kind of a course (twin shaft, planning hull) in sloppy conditions, wondering if the hydraulic steering will cope with the extra pressure of being held hard over, to counter the boats swing to the in-operable side. Even with the drive side tab down and slow ahead, they don't enjoy this state of operation, neither did the helmsman.
Thankfully a resourceful engineer did a fantastic job to repair the fault, after a couple of hours of wallowing in a hot engine room (full marks), and back to cruise speed.

An hour later, just you and the dolphins, and lots of water around, alls good again. :)
 
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oceandrive said:
scary ones, .
Click to expand...


Boulogne to Dover, how hard can that be ?

We knew the conditions were far from perfect but it was only 28 miles and we were in our new big Flybridge ( 31ft Corniche ).

I tucked in to Cap Griz Nez but we stuffed into each and every wave but managed to remain dry as the SW F7 simply blew the spray away.

I decided we should put a passage plan in but it was too rough to use the VHF, aerials were wiping around, mic was wet, wind noise, no chance and I soon gave up.

As we turned to cross the TSS at 90' to the waves we started to get an idea of the size of the waves towering above us, sharp and frequently breaking at the top.

It was hell, one wave washed the windscreen wiper off, the only thing that saved us was the calm troughs, at the bottom of the wave it was sheltered from the wind, water was smooth and the sun was out, I pushed the throttles forward and made 25 knots for a short duration until the next wave elevated us back into hell, so much spray you couldn't see far.


Having made it back to UK waters we had been blown about 6 miles off course way passed Dover West and about a Mile passed Dover East, we should have been at Varne.

According to the local VHF traffic it was a GF8 and the Ferries stopped running for a while as the wind had pinned them to their berths, even the tugs couldnt pull them off.

Advantage of an outdrive boat...

Loads of power and a sharp turn of the wheel can help keep your boat upright as beam on seas break over you.
 
By far the worse was the Isle of Wight car ferry. At least a force 5 from the east and the rusty tub was rolling around. With out warning she lerched to one side and as I looked down to the car deck I saw my 3 hour old brand new Aprillia RSVR factory ltd edition motorbike fall over!!!!

I have never felt so sick in all my life!
 
dacarak said:
Boulogne to Dover, how hard can that be ?

We knew the conditions were far from perfect but it was only 28 miles and we were in our new big Flybridge ( 31ft Corniche ).

I tucked in to Cap Griz Nez but we stuffed into each and every wave but managed to remain dry as the SW F7 simply blew the spray away.

I decided we should put a passage plan in but it was too rough to use the VHF, aerials were wiping around, mic was wet, wind noise, no chance and I soon gave up.

As we turned to cross the TSS at 90' to the waves we started to get an idea of the size of the waves towering above us, sharp and frequently breaking at the top.

It was hell, one wave washed the windscreen wiper off, the only thing that saved us was the calm troughs, at the bottom of the wave it was sheltered from the wind, water was smooth and the sun was out, I pushed the throttles forward and made 25 knots for a short duration until the next wave elevated us back into hell, so much spray you couldn't see far.


Having made it back to UK waters we had been blown about 6 miles off course way passed Dover West and about a Mile passed Dover East, we should have been at Varne.

According to the local VHF traffic it was a GF8 and the Ferries stopped running for a while as the wind had pinned them to their berths, even the tugs couldnt pull them off.

Advantage of an outdrive boat...

Loads of power and a sharp turn of the wheel can help keep your boat upright as beam on seas break over you.
Click to expand...

I'm feeling a bit weak at the knees just reading that.

Thankfully I have the wife and baby to keep my decision on whether to go out on the boat firmly on the side of caution.
 
This was not a good one....

DSC_0416.jpg
 
I was chugging up the river ouse and some barsteward angler threw some bait in, bread I think; maybe 50 yards in front of us, with severe ripples

Had to take a tight grip of the wheel then and ensure the kill switch lanyard was attached to my leg I can tell you.

White knuckles all round.
 
sorry...raggie story... with no pics...., new 419 Moody and a channel crossing to Jersey at the start of 3 weeks sailing holiday. Weather conditions not great & South Westerly F5-6 but seas moderate and outlook similar, but later (12hrs) getting worse so decided to go while we could. Left Yarmouth around 4am & was a bit choppy out through Needles but as previous boat had been 33ft this new one seemed invincible in comparison, but wind didn't ease, after about 5 hours we were making slow progress as we were beating into the wind and the sea was now pretty rough and wind now blowing a very steady 45knots, maximum gust we recorded was 58knots. Then as my mum went down below to get life jackets for us all.... (yep, this was in the late 80's so life jackets were bulky and in our view only necessary from F8 and beyond)... she stepped into water. We were just over half way across the channel so decided to turn about. The electric bilge pump gave up after 5 minutes as it was full of saw dust and fibreglass shavings, but a good search around and all seacocks were intact and no horrendous cracks around the keel were found, so an advisory VHF call to the CG to be aware of our issue we continued taking it in turns with the manual bilge pump and after around 45 minutes bilges were pretty dry.... later we found that because the side decks had been totally submerged for hours, water had been pouring into the calor gas locker and the drain was blocked with sawdust and fibreglass shavings... so once the locker was full of water it was overflowing through where the gas pipes entered the boat... so when we turned about that side of the boat was no longer submerged so water stopped coming into the boat...
However now we were coming back we hit the Needles channel wind over tide & it was springs, wind blowing harder now but we have no idea what as the windex had flown off, but now it was howling....anyone been to sea when the wind starts howling will know what I mean! The Needles channel became very narrow to us, to the point my brother was down in the cabin plotting our course and shouting messages to my mum who would relay them to my dad who was helming, biggest concern was being pushed over by the size of the following waves or a wave braking over us or even pitch polling as the troughs were swallowing us. Top speed recorded was 16knots surfing down the waves with 3 reefs in the mainsail and barely a handkerchief for a foresail and the boat just shuddered at that speed....all the Solent lifeboats were out that morning and we saw two boats lose their masts in the needles channel but could do nothing to help them. Once through the Needles channel the beers came out and still with 40+ knots of wind we all had showers so by the time we arrived back at Swanwick ready to throw the boat keys at Moody's we went straight for a late lunch at the pub. Within a couple of hours Moody's had cleared the blockages and replaced all the floorboards with another boat and washed the bilges down with fresh water ...but they still couldn't believe that we had the side decks underwater...
 
GrowingLad said:
I'm feeling a bit weak at the knees just reading that.

Thankfully I have the wife and baby to keep my decision on whether to go out on the boat firmly on the side of caution.
Click to expand...

Me too, it was different in the old days before Mobile Broadband ( I think it was around then but out of reach of most of us).
we had cruised from Cherbourg up the North coast of France and not read a forecast we had understood for 7 days.

I used to set the alarm for 0500 in order to tune the radio onto 198 LW for the world news and shipping forecast, of course every other day you would fall asleep while listening to 'Rule Britannia' or worse 'the archers', even if you did manage to stay awake they burbeled through so quick and you needed your wits about you to know where all the areas were sending swell your way, now you just check out magicseaweed when you get up ( http://magicseaweed.com/UK-Ireland-MSW-Surf-Charts/1/swell/in/ )

You young un's , you have no idea how easy it is now compared to back then. (smile)
 
Lumpy

Last week coming out of Lerwick, Helideck registering 37m heave (LOA 103m), nearly didn't have Dinner.
 
MapisM said:
Blimey! Was it green water up there?
Good thing you were helming inside, I guess!
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Yup helming inside and a bit green water ... (funny how you look at things afterwards ) ...

Wife and daughter was great !!! ... lifevests on, safety line on and wife went out to tie down the swinging bits with daughter keeping safety line taught around safety point inside.. fortiunately was relatively short way from safe harbour..
 
dacarak said:
Boulogne to Dover, how hard can that be ?

We knew the conditions were far from perfect but it was only 28 miles and we were in our new big Flybridge ( 31ft Corniche ).

I tucked in to Cap Griz Nez but we stuffed into each and every wave but managed to remain dry as the SW F7 simply blew the spray away.

I decided we should put a passage plan in but it was too rough to use the VHF, aerials were wiping around, mic was wet, wind noise, no chance and I soon gave up.

As we turned to cross the TSS at 90' to the waves we started to get an idea of the size of the waves towering above us, sharp and frequently breaking at the top.

It was hell, one wave washed the windscreen wiper off, the only thing that saved us was the calm troughs, at the bottom of the wave it was sheltered from the wind, water was smooth and the sun was out, I pushed the throttles forward and made 25 knots for a short duration until the next wave elevated us back into hell, so much spray you couldn't see far.


Having made it back to UK waters we had been blown about 6 miles off course way passed Dover West and about a Mile passed Dover East, we should have been at Varne.
Click to expand...

Ha! Incredible - I could have written that almost identical tale. Substitute where appropriate with;

1990/Princess 33/Calais to Ramsgate/pre-g.p.s./6 knots was as fast as we dared travel/so far offcourse we almost went aground on the Goodwins.

We learnt some important lessons that day.

1. 'We're under time pressure' is the very worst reason for making a channel crossing.

2. Boats are much better at withstanding rough seas than SWMBO and me.

3. Never be too proud to turn back to port. There's no shame in it.
 
Back in the mid 60’s I was 20 and in the last year of my engineering apprenticeship at a firm called Samuel Williams. I was asked if I wanted a position as 5th engineer on board a ship that was owned by the Hudson Steamship Co. voyaging to the USA. Yes I’ll take that l said. The manager then said being September you know it the hurricane season, l laughed never heard of a hurricane as a 20year old l thought it was just a bit blowy
After 9 long days of seasick, and constant jibes by the crew, l was awoken in the middle of the night by the ship which at that moment felt like it was being shaken to pieces l looked out of the porthole and saw what l thought was a block of flats only to realise it was the top of a huge wave, it was at that point l disappeared under the blankets and prayed.
Next day we were told we had gone 100 miles of course to get out of the way of Hurricane Betsy which we still caught the tale end of. On entering New Orleans and seeing the devastation it had caused it suddenly dawned on me how lucky l was.
Until this day it has taught me to respect the force of the sea as there is nothing greater.
Wait till l have had a few drinks and it gets worse.
I am surprised the Welsh lads have not come up better stories.

David
 
Sardinia to Menorca, 18 hour trip, turned into 36 hours, 45 knots of wind on the beam and mountainous seas, out of the gulf of lions! Waves breaking green water over the wheelhouse and its a long way up! Tore the cover off my motorbike, but didnt damage the bike atall and it was still lashed down solid, strange that one! Just the mizzen and staysail up to steady her, was a bloody wild day, night and day again! Didnt let up until we were well into Mahon harbour, I realised then just how good a sea boat Englander is, I would give up long before she would! Next time I wont believe the weather forecasts!
 
Its the bad forecasts that get you into trouble.

Poole - Brixham - forecast SW F3/4 sea state moderate, possibly increasing 4/5 later.

Had a nice run past Portland and across the first part of Lyme Bay - then the wind got up but way beyond 4/5 - more like 7/8. The swell got up very quickly and soon we had to start zig-zagging to counter the worst effect of waves about 2m+ with the odd 3 or 4m one for good measure. Now I know how the washing feels going around in the tumble dryer. We logged over 50 sea miles to do the last 26 miles as the crow flies. We arrived almost 4 hours later than anticipated, very tired and hungry and ready to strangle the bod at the Met Office.
 
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