rough water crossing

General boating discussion
westward
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rough water crossing

#1

Post by westward »

Greetings. We are planning a family trip to our cabin this weekend, hopefully in the new boat. Problem is, the weather forecast for the San Juan's is pretty marginal, with gale-force winds a possibility on Saturday. We plan to launch at Washington Park, and head across Rosario Strait to Decatur via Thatcher pass. Does anyone have experience with the technique of following the State Ferry through rough waters, letting the ferry knock down the worst of the wind waves and following in its wake? I've heard of this before, but the C-Dory's I've owned could not have kept up with the ferry for very long so I never tried. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and observations. Mike.
Chaps
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Re: rough water crossing

#2

Post by Chaps »

Depending on a ferry to get you through gale force conditions (that you could have otherwise avoided by staying put) is a pretty unwise approach to planning and executing a trip and likely even illegal given the rules pertaining to required security zones around passenger vessels. Its not going to be a safe weekend on the water and taking the family out in those conditions will sour them on going boating with dad in the future if not totally scaring the scat out of them and yourself in the process.
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Napa Mike
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Re: rough water crossing

#3

Post by Napa Mike »

ditto what Chaps says. I've been a long-time ferry rider and I have noticed, since 9/11, that the captains get really uptight if anyone comes within 500 yards.

Mike
westward
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Re: rough water crossing

#4

Post by westward »

I forgot about the distance buffer. Not a wise plan, just me grasping at straws. This will be a good weekend to get the boat organized and arranged in the driveway. Thanks, Mike
capesteve
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Re: rough water crossing

#5

Post by capesteve »

If you do it take some pictures
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goatram
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Re: rough water crossing

#6

Post by goatram »

Sunday not Saturday. There is some wind and waves that will make your ride Sux. Those waves will be tight and Tall for your first trip. If you get up and are ready and be at the ramp at 7am first light you might be able to do the run. Just check the actual weather in the morning as well as looking at the water if you want to chance it. Weather from NOAA is at; http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... 0534667969

Tonight: ESE wind around 12 kt. A chance of rain after 4am. Wind waves around 1 ft.

Saturday: SE wind 17 to 25 kt, with gusts as high as 33 kt. Rain, mainly after 10am. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft.

Plan on running 20mph or less and your women complaining. :burn:
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Chtucker
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Re: rough water crossing

#7

Post by Chtucker »

If you need any help this weekend let me know and I can stop by. We still haven't seen pictures yet!
kmorin
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Re: rough water crossing

#8

Post by kmorin »

westward, I'm not hi-jacking your discussion just looking for boating 'trips' that rarely get done as much as they could!

Gear up the boat and have kitchen table discussion of line handling off the trailer, so the crew knows what to do, sometimes they're not tuned exactly what to do in launch and retrieval trailering operations?

So by sitting down at the table and discussing line handling, when to pull, how hard or softly and all other moves, your family could become confident of the dock protocols, your planned moves, what to do while you're parking or backing etc. Then go to the launch and do a half dozen launches, with a park in between, then a postmortem on what questions came up? These may be clarification or matters that were not even in your coach's chalk talk when you diagrammed the play? Then walk back and get the truck after you pep talk the load out, and haul the boat.

Repeat a few times, reduce tension, don't be in a hurry, let the entire family understand the moves of the boat and vehicles, as well as the lines and their position on the dock and where you'd like the boat put if there are A)lots of people B )not so many and what about winds?

I've seen more families off to a poor start on a weekend that could have been a dream; right next to families where harmony, skills and cooperation reigns so they're all smiles as they leave the harbor. I've seem the First Mate yelled at, threatened and called names by pukers that should have stayed on the beach, or bought an RV not a boat.

If every Dad/skipper/Leader would spend as much time teaching launching and hauling, line handling and general seamanship, their families will enjoy boating many times more than if young or female crew members are 'dumped over the side' into deeply unfamiliar circumstances where public embarrassment can freeze reactions and cause avoidable silliness at the launch and haul out of the family boat.

I hope the heavy weather days are not lost boating days? A couple practice runs with good coaching, lots of encouragement and atta-boys all around will make family boating something that the entire crew welcomes- no something where the first Mate finds excuses that she can't go.

My (step) daughter learned to handle lines, run a truck and trailer and crew her own boat in a gradual assumption of responsibility over a decade. Her Uncle(s) and I began with chalk talks, then some go along practice and eventually she learned to be a reliable skipper. Now, when she hauls a four woman crew to the Harbor, loads out with completely minimal fuss, parks and departs with an all woman crew - she turns heads.

If it blows this weekend, you can still go boating by simply launching and recovering a few times; then treat the crew to a nice lunch/dinner and thanks all around! When the weather gets better the confidence will make the calmer trips more enjoyable.

my few cents, if you have to find an icebreaker or a wave breaker don't haul the women or youngun's - or just don't go.

cheers,
Kevin Morin
kmorin
westward
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Re: rough water crossing

#9

Post by westward »

We've changed plans and will fish in the South Sound this weekend instead. It's calm here, and I can see it's starting to blow up North. Just pulled the boat back to Seattle and plan to read up on the electronics and downriggers, maybe get everything organized and put away on the boat. BTW I met a fellow at the dealership this AM who was taking delivery of my boat's sistership, another white Stabicraft 2050 Supercab. I'll try to get him to start posting here. He fishes off the West coast of Vancouver Is. in the Summer. We talked about a flotilla for offshore Tuna sometime; maybe I'll put the word out here when we get closer. 20+ miles offshore I like the idea of one or two companion boats for company. Cheers! Mike
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goatram
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Re: rough water crossing

#10

Post by goatram »

Mike I will be in Westport all summer on the weekends on Float Six. I will be fishing if the weather is nice both days Salmon or tuna. Weather depending. :clint:
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THEMOORINGMAN
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Re: rough water crossing

#11

Post by THEMOORINGMAN »

It's a bad feeling when it's so rough out that you need to hide behind a ferry and it slowly slips away as the waves get bigger and bigger and the ferry gets smaller and smaller. Been there, done that.......but never planned a trip around it.
Last edited by THEMOORINGMAN on Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
westward
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Re: rough water crossing

#12

Post by westward »

thanks everyone! Goatram: would love to join you this Summer! Sent you a PM. Thanks, Mike
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Almar22
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Re: rough water crossing

#13

Post by Almar22 »

Good call on not going Westward! Late last spring my wife, 2 kids and I left Sequim headed for a friends place on San Juan Island for the weekend. It was right after the I-5 bridge broke and we were worried about traffic so went to Sequim instead of Anacortes to launch. Weather conditions were for extended nice weather, 1-2' wind wave max. Dropped prawn traps on the way over, great trip, lots of prawns, good drinks, etc. Woke up Monday morning and could hear the wind howling in the trees. Ooops! We had to get back that day and didn't have a back up plan. Tide was flowing out past Cattle Point, and hitting rollers coming in from the West. Serious washing machine effect for the first couple miles - what took 45 minutes on the way over was closer to 3 hours getting back. Boat and I did fine, family wasn't real happy. Don't put too much trust in weather forecasts!
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Gypseas
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Re: rough water crossing

#14

Post by Gypseas »

Made for a good sig picture :beer:
Almar22 wrote:Good call on not going Westward! Late last spring my wife, 2 kids and I left Sequim headed for a friends place on San Juan Island for the weekend. It was right after the I-5 bridge broke and we were worried about traffic so went to Sequim instead of Anacortes to launch. Weather conditions were for extended nice weather, 1-2' wind wave max. Dropped prawn traps on the way over, great trip, lots of prawns, good drinks, etc. Woke up Monday morning and could hear the wind howling in the trees. Ooops! We had to get back that day and didn't have a back up plan. Tide was flowing out past Cattle Point, and hitting rollers coming in from the West. Serious washing machine effect for the first couple miles - what took 45 minutes on the way over was closer to 3 hours getting back. Boat and I did fine, family wasn't real happy. Don't put too much trust in weather forecasts!
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