Roughest Seas You’ve Endured - Seafarer 228?

[Mgaul1]

Just curious, from fellow Seafarer 228 owners…what’s the roughest conditions you’ve encountered in your vessel, and how did she “fare”?

Anything you noticed with regards to the stability, ride, do’s/don’ts, etc. Have you ever felt unsafe, if so why?

I love my 228G (had it a year now, 208 for many years prior), have fished in rough conditions off Hawaii. Most noticeable thing with the 228G over my old 208 is a FAR superior downsea ride, especially at higher speeds with NAC2 AP engaged, straight as an arrow. The 208 seemed to dig a bit, even broach when at a slow troll.

Just figured I’d gather some opinions here. It’s not uncommon for us to go chase tuna when it’s blowing 20+ with 6-10ft @ 8 sec seas. Worse than that and I’m probably staying home.

 

[nuclear]

We don't get big swells like that around here, it's more of a short chop that can keep you in, especially when it comes from the East and therefore across the Sound/Atlantic.

 

[wlewis]

I wouldn't want to be in 6-10 foot seas in a 22.

 

[loubeer]

I wouldn't want to be in 6-10 foot seas in a 22.

I wouldn't want to be in 6-10 foot seas in ANY boat. When you're retired - there is always tomorrow

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Good looking boat! I just bought mine on the east coast, trailered it back to Seattle and took her out for her maiden voyage last Friday. On Friday it was raining pretty well, the winds were at least 15mph with gusts of probably 25mph or maybe even closer to the low 30's? It's hard to tell the height of waves in a boat as you're rocking back and forth and you're standing oftentimes above the waterline but I'd say they were probably at least 4-5' tall and pretty close to one another? At times during the trip, I'm thinking they were likely even in the 6-7' range? Again, it's hard to tell when you're bouncing around a bit and trying to stay focused on driving. I took one wave over the bow but it did not come over the windshield and at no point did I ever feel unsafe. The boat handled perfectly and was honestly something that if we didn't have the rain combined with the wind, I'd have wanted to stay out for another couple of hours. We were out for about 3 hours total and didn't even feel like I was rocking afterward like I would've in my previous boat, which was a 21' Arima. That would've been miserable being out there in those conditions as it's a modified vee along with a flat bottom in the rear with all the weight also in the rear and the deck on the boat is the same as the waterline. So you'd have taken many more waves over the bow and with it not being self bailing, you'd have to rely on your bilge pumps to pump all of the water out.

We were just trolling for salmon, so we weren't going very fast but even being out there in shorts and a lightweight jacket, I was still just fine. I think the boat still would've handled the same or similar conditions to yours just fine, probably even worse. I know that playing around with the trim tabs and trim/tilt on your boat can make a huge difference... I put the bow a little bit further down than normal to kind of "plow" through the waves as opposed to going up and over every single one of them. I think that's why I took the one wave over the bow as it was sitting lower in the water, but with the self bailing deck, I could really care less if I take a wave or two over the bow. Especially since I'm within a couple hundred yards of land and if the water doesn't come over the front or sides of the windshield and soak everyone in the cockpit area. I always like to see what a boat "is made of" and enjoy taking a sea trial run when the conditions aren't optimal to know what kind of boat you're buying and how it's going to perform in less than optimal conditions. Just about any boat will do great when it's flat as glass out there with no wind and so on. The real test is being out there in the wind with the chop or white caps, or swells and seeing how the boat as well as how you perform.

 

[Mgaul1]

I wouldn't want to be in 6-10 foot seas in ANY boat. When you're retired - there is always tomorrow

I feel you, but unfortunately here with our usual summertime trades the conditions are almost always rough. Just the nature of the bEast side, as we call it. Not much we can do about that, of course 10ft @ 8 seconds is an extreme for me and not something I’m likely to go out in unless I’m doing a canoe race escort. That said, I’d say the average summertime condition is 6-7ft at 8-10seconds, which guys here fish in much smaller boats without issues. Most here fish to put food on the table.

 

[Mgaul1]

Good looking boat! I just bought mine on the east coast, trailered it back to Seattle and took her out for her maiden voyage last Friday. On Friday it was raining pretty well, the winds were at least 15mph with gusts of probably 25mph or maybe even closer to the low 30's? It's hard to tell the height of waves in a boat as you're rocking back and forth and you're standing oftentimes above the waterline but I'd say they were probably at least 4-5' tall and pretty close to one another? At times during the trip, I'm thinking they were likely even in the 6-7' range? Again, it's hard to tell when you're bouncing around a bit and trying to stay focused on driving. I took one wave over the bow but it did not come over the windshield and at no point did I ever feel unsafe. The boat handled perfectly and was honestly something that if we didn't have the rain combined with the wind, I'd have wanted to stay out for another couple of hours. We were out for about 3 hours total and didn't even feel like I was rocking afterward like I would've in my previous boat, which was a 21' Arima. That would've been miserable being out there in those conditions as it's a modified vee along with a flat bottom in the rear with all the weight also in the rear and the deck on the boat is the same as the waterline. So you'd have taken many more waves over the bow and with it not being self bailing, you'd have to rely on your bilge pumps to pump all of the water out.

We were just trolling for salmon, so we weren't going very fast but even being out there in shorts and a lightweight jacket, I was still just fine. I think the boat still would've handled the same or similar conditions to yours just fine, probably even worse. I know that playing around with the trim tabs and trim/tilt on your boat can make a huge difference... I put the bow a little bit further down than normal to kind of "plow" through the waves as opposed to going up and over every single one of them. I think that's why I took the one wave over the bow as it was sitting lower in the water, but with the self bailing deck, I could really care less if I take a wave or two over the bow. Especially since I'm within a couple hundred yards of land and if the water doesn't come over the front or sides of the windshield and soak everyone in the cockpit area. I always like to see what a boat "is made of" and enjoy taking a sea trial run when the conditions aren't optimal to know what kind of boat you're buying and how it's going to perform in less than optimal conditions. Just about any boat will do great when it's flat as glass out there with no wind and so on. The real test is being out there in the wind with the chop or white caps, or swells and seeing how the boat as well as how you perform.

Sounds like a typical day out here. Congrats on your Seafarer!

I brought mine from Cape Cod, MA to Kaneohe, HI…an easy little 6,000 mile journey! Of course I paid for someone to do it, definitely not cheap!

I noticed the bow will sometimes take a dip in very short trough when it gets up to 10ish, I was very impressed with regards to the stability, especially in heavy following seas. When we cross the channel here for outrigger canoe race escorts, we are stuck aiming the bow directly downsea going very slow, around 5 knots. This can be pretty scary if it’s blowing hard, but the length of the seafarer with the bracket, really made it feel like a much larger boat. I do wish it was an 8’6” beam but overall I can’t seem to notice any difference, my buddies similar size Seacraft, albeit deeper V, seemed to rock way worse despite the added 6” of beam. Stability doesn’t seem to be an issue even with this rock solid hardtop.

I also converted the auxiliary tank area into a 460 qt insulated fish box for our tuna, can fit 3 150lbers, the ride is much better too when I have 300lbs of ice centerline and towards the bow. Would have been a great factory option! But I guess not everyone is chasing monsters in the NE and PNW.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Sounds like a typical day out here. Congrats on your Seafarer!

I brought mine from Cape Cod, MA to Kaneohe, HI…an easy little 6,000 mile journey! Of course I paid for someone to do it, definitely not cheap!

I noticed the bow will sometimes take a dip in very short trough when it gets up to 10ish, I was very impressed with regards to the stability, especially in heavy following seas. When we cross the channel here for outrigger canoe race escorts, we are stuck aiming the bow directly downsea going very slow, around 5 knots. This can be pretty scary if it’s blowing hard, but the length of the seafarer with the bracket, really made it feel like a much larger boat. I do wish it was an 8’6” beam but overall I can’t seem to notice any difference, my buddies similar size Seacraft, albeit deeper V, seemed to rock way worse despite the added 6” of beam. Stability doesn’t seem to be an issue even with this rock solid hardtop.

I also converted the auxiliary tank area into a 460 qt insulated fish box for our tuna, can fit 3 150lbers, the ride is much better too when I have 300lbs of ice centerline and towards the bow. Would have been a great factory option! But I guess not everyone is chasing monsters in the NE and PNW.
View attachment 23408

Nice modification. Definitely not needed out here in the PNW where we're only catching at the most maybe a 20lb salmon. If going for Halibut and you caught a couple decent sized ones though, then it might be a nice add on. Unfortunately Halibut has a very limited season, it isn't the easiest to catch out here and oftentimes the conditions aren't very good to where you don't want to go out because it would be too difficult to fish in them.

 

[TopsulTime]

6' seas (or more) can be very fishable...just depends on the period. We fished a day with forecasted 8' seas but with a long period. We thought about it and contemplated the possibility of the period shortening while we were out. The swells were from a far away storm and we decided it would be safe...it was. The period was 12 seconds and just big swells, no issue at all. Sometimes it's not as fun in big, smooth, spread out waves if you are on the underpowered side. Having plenty of HP makes that a non issue too.

 

[loubeer]

I feel you, but unfortunately here with our usual summertime trades the conditions are almost always rough. Just the nature of the bEast side, as we call it. Not much we can do about that, of course 10ft @ 8 seconds is an extreme for me and not something I’m likely to go out in unless I’m doing a canoe race escort. That said, I’d say the average summertime condition is 6-7ft at 8-10seconds, which guys here fish in much smaller boats without issues. Most here fish to put food on the table.

I hear you - just being my wise-ass self and, maybe, a bit thankful that I live in SoCal, where tomorrow is often calmer.

 

[Bdsp1234]

Sounds like a typical day out here. Congrats on your Seafarer!

I brought mine from Cape Cod, MA to Kaneohe, HI…an easy little 6,000 mile journey! Of course I paid for someone to do it, definitely not cheap!

I noticed the bow will sometimes take a dip in very short trough when it gets up to 10ish, I was very impressed with regards to the stability, especially in heavy following seas. When we cross the channel here for outrigger canoe race escorts, we are stuck aiming the bow directly downsea going very slow, around 5 knots. This can be pretty scary if it’s blowing hard, but the length of the seafarer with the bracket, really made it feel like a much larger boat. I do wish it was an 8’6” beam but overall I can’t seem to notice any difference, my buddies similar size Seacraft, albeit deeper V, seemed to rock way worse despite the added 6” of beam. Stability doesn’t seem to be an issue even with this rock solid hardtop.

I also converted the auxiliary tank area into a 460 qt insulated fish box for our tuna, can fit 3 150lbers, the ride is much better too when I have 300lbs of ice centerline and towards the bow. Would have been a great factory option! But I guess not everyone is chasing monsters in the NE and PNW.
View attachment 23408Damn that’s a good looking boat. Love the modification and would love to see/hear your process. I’ve handled 4-5,s with waves over the bow. She handled well though. Wouldn’t want to see 6’s

 

[efx]

Honestly i would be very concerned about falling out of the boat with that swell and period if the boat went to a beam sea. I prefer no more than 3-5 and no less than 12 sec and wind less than 15 knots. Thats for a 228. Anything more than that and you really are working the boat to manage the sea.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I think that just about any fisherman/boater would love 75+ degrees, blue skies, no winds and the water being flat as glass every time you went out. Coming back down to reality though... up until recently I've been much more of a fair-weather fisherman in that if it looks like it would be miserable fishing/boating conditions, then I'll likely stay in. Upgrading from a 21' Arima to a 22' Grady White though makes me push the envelope a bit more in that the boat is much more comfortable and can handle the rougher conditions much better. And then there's things like tide changes and so on that are at times unavoidable. I do the majority of fishing within a mile or two of my beach cabin and will generally row out to the buoy, get in my boat and pretty much start fishing right after taking her off the buoy. At times though, the area in front of my beach cabin is closed for fishing and you have to drive the boat 20 miles or so south to the next marine area and go fishing there. Doing so means you have to drive past a couple of points on the shore that during a tide change can really pick up with the rip, wind and current. After fishing for 4-5+ hours and then driving back 10-20 miles or so in 1-2' chop wasn't exactly much fun and is the reason why I sold my Arima. With the Grady though, it's a much more comfortable ride and the conditions that we had a week ago when out fishing in high winds and 5' swells is something that we don't get very often. Or at least during the summer when I use my boats the most. I'd rather not be out in 5' + swells, but I'm very glad to know that the boat I have is more than capable of being out in those conditions safely, and with relative comfort if I do get stuck in those kinds of conditions.

 

[alan campbell]

Just curious, from fellow Seafarer 228 owners…what’s the roughest conditions you’ve encountered in your vessel, and how did she “fare”?

Anything you noticed with regards to the stability, ride, do’s/don’ts, etc. Have you ever felt unsafe, if so why?

I love my 228G (had it a year now, 208 for many years prior), have fished in rough conditions off Hawaii. Most noticeable thing with the 228G over my old 208 is a FAR superior downsea ride, especially at higher speeds with NAC2 AP engaged, straight as an arrow. The 208 seemed to dig a bit, even broach when at a slow troll.

Just figured I’d gather some opinions here. It’s not uncommon for us to go chase tuna when it’s blowing 20+ with 6-10ft @ 8 sec seas. Worse than that and I’m probably staying home.

View attachment 23394

 

[alan campbell]

I have a 91 24’ Seafarer
Crossing GULFSTREAM coming back to Florida from Grand Cay, next to Walkers Cay. Unseasonably north wind blowing in June made Stream stand up like a wall. Life jackets on EPIRB in hand, easily 12’ seas.
boat had damage but dam it, it brought us home safely.
God Bless Grady White cause I had my 15 year old son with me.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I have a 91 24’ Seafarer
Crossing GULFSTREAM coming back to Florida from Grand Cay, next to Walkers Cay. Unseasonably north wind blowing in June made Stream stand up like a wall. Life jackets on EPIRB in hand, easily 12’ seas.
boat had damage but dam it, it brought us home safely.
God Bless Grady White cause I had my 15 year old son with me.

A 24' Seafarer? You mean a 22' Seafarer... or a 24' Offshore?

 

[alan campbell]

A 24' Seafarer? You mean a 22' Seafarer... or a 24' Offshore?

Sorry
24 Offshore

 

[alan campbell]

Been in seas that rough before but not in a 24’ boat

 

[efx]

I was in a 21 McKee craft with a Chrysler 100hp?, When the stream built up, I’d say 6-8 and once was enough that I’ll never forget. The entire run back we had a foot of water in the boat and slammed that boat so hard the console broke loose. 3-5 at Hillsboro was like glass after that day. This was about 1988.

 

[alan campbell]

Oh brother! You HAVE been there. It can be terrifying. The ocean really has no concience