Your Closest Call?

[magicalbill]

I think this has the potential to be interesting, informative and entertaining in equal parts.

I (and others, I'll wager,) would be interested in hearing about your most harrowing encounter on the water aboard your Grady.

Give Us The Tale Of The Day You'll Never Forget.

One requirement..NO EXAGGERATED WAVE HEIGHTS! Keep it Honest & Real, but Believable. Sea States grow with the re-telling of the story until your "Seafarer was caught in 15 footers." The BS Flag will be hoisted when these stories come up.

OK, I'll start. This is 100% True.

Launched at New Buffalo, Michigan on the Lake and motored down to Michigan City IN in August; fifteen years ago in my Seafarer. ( It was approx 6-7 miles Pierhead-To-Pierhead.) I foolishly misjudged the timing of a passing cold front. We waited 'till the line of storms passed ahead of it and took off.

While inside the channel in M. City, we had lunch & relaxed aboard. During that 2 hours, the NW winds began blowing in earnest post-passage, and as we motored out the Entrance on our way back to New Buffalo, we were met by a vicious NW Sea crashing over the North Pierhead, spraying almost to the top of the Lighthouse, and cascading into the channel like Niagara Falls.

Anyone familiar with the Great Lakes (like Family Affair) can tell you that a 25-30Kt NW wind blowing down the length of Lake Michigan will cause the hardiest power boater to pause. The seas were packed as tight together as the 103rd Infantry, and had to be at least 6 footers, cresting and leaving white foaming streamers on their back sides as they rolled down the Lake. It was truly astounding to see how fast the World out there had changed during our stopover. It was forever embedded in my conscience from that moment on how fast conditions can change on the Great Lakes.

We rounded the Lighthouse, came out out of the Lee and started North. With one hand on the throttle and the other gripping the wheel, I began steering a zigzag course North back to New Buffalo while I smacked myself repeatedly for thinking I was a Boater after making a lousy weather call and consequently endangering us all.

After what seemed like 10 minutes of constant maneuvering interspersed with equal doses of Fear and Self-Incrimination, I turned and looked aft.

We were barely 100 yards off the North Pierhead.

It quickly became evident that we would not make New Buffalo by sunset at that pace. The waves were coming at us so fast that our forward motion was slowed to a crawl. We were spending as much time climbing waves as going forward. About the time I decided to Abort and head back inside the pierhead, a huge Rogue crested over our Port quarter. I will abide by my Rules and not over estimate the wave, but my son and friend determined it was as high as our Bimini, and I don't disagree.

I spun the wheel hard over to port and gave the Yam some gas to climb it so it wouldn't snap roll us. The Seafarer, as y'all know, is a great and stable hull, but I didn't want to take a chance on an athwartship roll to starboard. We climbed the face of the wave, took Who-Knows-How-Many-Gallons aboard and slid down the backside. The 65 degree water cascaded aft down the walkarounds and sloshed around the cockpit until the overworked scuppers could drain it out.

I needed no more convincing. I made a wide turn to port, jockeying to stay in the troughs as much as possible while broadside to the seas, rode the back sides of the waves back into the channel, and we docked at the MI City Port Authority. From there we got a taxi, (no Uber in those days) and went back to New Buffalo. I brought the truck & empty trailer down to Mi City, and we pulled out at the ramp there. I noticed once we had the Seafarer tied up, the wind was blowing so hard we were getting sand-blasted even though the beach was several hundred feet away.

I have never misjudged an oncoming cold front again. We could've been the lead-off story on WGN's Local News At Six if things had went awry, and they almost did. The Great Lakes are lethal in a Blow, I assure you. Gordon Lightfoot didn't just dream up his biggest hit... That's why it's so interesting to me to read LuckyDude's and the West Coast guys encounters in the Pacific with the wide intervals between swells. The Great Lakes have steep Walls Of Water that hit you every few seconds. It's truly another World in freshwater.

 

[RussGW270]

Eh, not a Grady.... was in an open bow (?) not sure what they were called... but back in the Navy. We were in Charleston, shrimping at night. It was the other guy's boat and he was most certainly not a boater. We were blowing down the IC at full throttle. I kept telling him to slow down and he would not do it. Finally I told him if he did not slow down I was going to kick him off his own boat. He throws it into neutral and as we coasted to a stop, I looked left... stars, right.. stars... center, no stars. We had to have been just a few yards from a massive structure. 10-20 seconds more and we'd all have been dead.

Other than that, going to the Straits of Gibraltar during a storm. Worse than riding out Hurricane Hugo. Was hard for me to hit the water in a small boat after that, saltwater.

Anyway....not a Grady story, but I always remember those three things.. and anold saying, "The are old pilots, and bold pilots, but no old bold pilots."

R

 

[leeccoll]

I think this has the potential to be interesting, informative and entertaining in equal parts.

I (and others, I'll wager,) would be interested in hearing about your most harrowing encounter on the water aboard your Grady.

Give Us The Tale Of The Day You'll Never Forget.

One requirement..NO EXAGGERATED WAVE HEIGHTS! Keep it Honest & Real, but Believable. Sea States grow with the re-telling of the story until your "Seafarer was caught in 15 footers." The BS Flag will be hoisted when these stories come up.

OK, I'll start. This is 100% True.

Launched at New Buffalo, Michigan on the Lake and motored down to Michigan City IN in August; fifteen years ago in my Seafarer. ( It was approx 6-7 miles Pierhead-To-Pierhead.) I foolishly misjudged the timing of a passing cold front. We waited 'till the line of storms passed ahead of it and took off.

While inside the channel in M. City, we had lunch & relaxed aboard. During that 2 hours, the NW winds began blowing in earnest post-passage, and as we motored out the Entrance on our way back to New Buffalo, we were met by a vicious NW Sea crashing over the North Pierhead, spraying almost to the top of the Lighthouse, and cascading into the channel like Niagara Falls.

Anyone familiar with the Great Lakes (like Family Affair) can tell you that a 25-30Kt NW wind blowing down the length of Lake Michigan will cause the hardiest power boater to pause. The seas were packed as tight together as the 103rd Infantry, and had to be at least 6 footers, cresting and leaving white foaming streamers on their back sides as they rolled down the Lake. It was truly astounding to see how fast the World out there had changed during our stopover. It was forever embedded in my conscience from that moment on how fast conditions can change on the Great Lakes.

We rounded the Lighthouse, came out out of the Lee and started North. With one hand on the throttle and the other gripping the wheel, I began steering a zigzag course North back to New Buffalo while I smacked myself repeatedly for thinking I was a Boater after making a lousy weather call and consequently endangering us all.

After what seemed like 10 minutes of constant maneuvering interspersed with equal doses of Fear and Self-Incrimination, I turned and looked aft.

We were barely 100 yards off the North Pierhead.

It quickly became evident that we would not make New Buffalo by sunset at that pace. The waves were coming at us so fast that our forward motion was slowed to a crawl. We were spending as much time climbing waves as going forward. About the time I decided to Abort and head back inside the pierhead, a huge Rogue crested over our Port quarter. I will abide by my Rules and not over estimate the wave, but my son and friend determined it was as high as our Bimini, and I don't disagree.

I spun the wheel hard over to port and gave the Yam some gas to climb it so it wouldn't snap roll us. The Seafarer, as y'all know, is a great and stable hull, but I didn't want to take a chance on an athwartship roll to starboard. We climbed the face of the wave, took Who-Knows-How-Many-Gallons aboard and slid down the backside. The 65 degree water cascaded aft down the walkarounds and sloshed around the cockpit until the overworked scuppers could drain it out.

I needed no more convincing. I made a wide turn to port, jockeying to stay in the troughs as much as possible while broadside to the seas, rode the back sides of the waves back into the channel, and we docked at the MI City Port Authority. From there we got a taxi, (no Uber in those days) and went back to New Buffalo. I brought the truck & empty trailer down to Mi City, and we pulled out at the ramp there. I noticed once we had the Seafarer tied up, the wind was blowing so hard we were getting sand-blasted even though the beach was several hundred feet away.

I have never misjudged an oncoming cold front again. We could've been the lead-off story on WGN's Local News At Six if things had went awry, and they almost did. The Great Lakes are lethal in a Blow, I assure you. Gordon Lightfoot didn't just dream up his biggest hit... That's why it's so interesting to me to read LuckyDude's and the West Coast guys encounters in the Pacific with the wide intervals between swells. The Great Lakes have steep Walls Of Water that hit you every few seconds. It's truly another World in freshwater.

Holy crap! As in my pants!!
Doubt I could shake that one off magicalbill.
Speaking of Lee, dumbest thing I did was not checking gas level pre-launch in my 16' Arima back in '87. I went fishing for rock cod out of Half Moon Bay Ca, and coming back in she stalled. I was near the beach at Pacifica. I had this great idea since I was too embarrassed to contact the Coast Guard. I used an oar, and figured I could beach the boat, and run for gas. What I ignorantly didn't know was the breakers on the beach will draw you back out, then crash over you (me).
So wave engulfed my boat as I am jumping out at a 45 degree angle as she was rolling over. I am very lucky the boat did not roll on top of me. Everything happened so fast, and all I remember at that point was me on the beach, and lots of tourists and beach goers coming to see if I was ok.
I am proud, so I shake it off like no big deal. Luckily 2 guys were there that worked at a local car dealership as mechanics. They offered to get gas and try to start up the engine. Carburetor and engine were flooded, but somehow after 10 minutes they got it to start, pushed me back out into the Pacific, and I was able trailer it back at the launch.
Needless to say, we all met up right after at a local adult filling station, and drank a few beers together talking about what had just happened. Of course I picked up the tab-LOL
The outcome was a valuable lesson, all electronics were fried, so as I recall I dished out a couple grand in repairs.
But like you, glad I am here to tell the tale!

 

[Blaugrana]

Great stories!!

Isn’t Pacifica a rocky beach? Can’t imagine trying to paddle a boat in with those waves there. Pretty cool town though

 

[magicalbill]

Russ:

Wow..good thing you shut your helmsman down..Did you ever see what you almost hit? Every now and again we hear similar stories on the News and Ch #16. Thanks for contributing and let's all aspire to be old and not bold pilots.

Lee:

That incident tops mine! Glad you weren't injured.. I would imagine it was challenging starting that boat in the shallows while breaking seas washed past you. A bit like fueling up in a washing machine. Good story!

 

[leeccoll]

Great stories!!

Isn’t Pacifica a rocky beach? Can’t imagine trying to paddle a boat in with those waves there. Pretty cool town though

Amamola,

You are correct I forgot my local geography, I was just south of Pillar Point boat launch in HMB. There is a sand crescent shaped beach maybe a 1/4 mile long, Dunes beach as I recall.
That's were all the fun happened.

Yeah I wouldn't be here if I tried that in Pacifica.

Best, Lee

 

[Koakine88]

Every winter Hawaii gets the occasional massive swells from the North that make the North Shore really come alive. Literally 40-60 foot groundswell a handful of times a year is the norm. I used to launch a ton on the West side of Oahu out of Waianae Harbor in my little 18' bowrider to fish the fad buoys 3 miles off Kaena Point or Waianae and occasionally anchor or cruise close to shore where the spinner dolphins liked to play. I had launched out of Waianae many times before with a large North swell, but unless it had a noticeable Westerly angle, Waianae wouldn't really feel the effects that much, except some surge at the ramp. I knew there was a large 20-30 foot typical NW swell this one day, but the wind was projected to be absolutely flat all day after weeks of seeing wind and chop. I took the chance and launched early in the morning with a few friends from work. The way Waianae Harbor is, you can't really see the corner around the break wall until your outside of it unless you purposely walk over to look.

We rounded the corner and as I was pulling my fenders on board I saw waves breaking and white water in different peaks from the North Breakwall across the entirety of Pokai Bay. There was a wall of white water heading towards me just past the breakwall, that had to be 5-10'. The white water was breaking in patches where the shallower water was and I carefully picked my way around the breaking parts and timed the incoming sets. We didn't exactly have any close calls on our way out, but we saw enough for my friend to joke "Should I call my wife and say I love her!?" Once we were in deeper water about a 1/4 mile out (where the sea floor drops from about 200' to 1,500'), there was basically no sign of the swell anymore and we enjoyed hours of fishing a perfectly glassy day. We didn't see evidence of it until we ventured a bit out past the NW point of Oahu (Kaena Point) to the "V" FAD buoy. With no lee from the Island, we saw and felt that eeriness of a massive ground swell, despite the conditions being perfect. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, basically you have these very gradual 20-30 foot hills in the water that are long period (15-20 seconds). When each set comes from the distance it looks steeper than it is and always makes you second guess if it's a good idea being out. By the time the swell gets to you, it's a very casual and slow rise and fall. We were all humbled, but felt safe and oddly enough it was the busiest I ever saw this FAD buoy. There were at least 10 boats, a number about the same size as mine out there trolling around.

Later in the day we decided to head back in and I underestimated how much that swell grew throughout the day. When we approached from the outside of Pokai Bay those scattered peaks of breaking waves was now one big massive closeout of the bay. There was no channel to take, no way to pick our way through. Tough to say the size of the waves looking at the spray out the back, but it would've been game over for my boat if we were caught on the inside of any of these sets. We sat there on the outside watching and discussed our options for about 15 minutes. I considered calling a friend to bring my truck and trailer with a spare key to a ramp on the South Shore or Ko'Olina, but we decided we could time it right and charge into the harbor between the sets. Luckily we made it in, timing it right, but I remember as I rounded into that breakwall, and looking back at the next set starting to break on the outside that what we did was very, very, stupid. My little 18' runabout was newer (2013), had low hours, and I maintained it meticulously, but imagine if something happened as we charged in? a stall, line caught in a prop?

I am an avid surfer, have tens of thousands of nautical miles of steaming under my belt in my Coast Guard Career and have recently qualified to captain a 154' cutter that should give me what I need to test out for a 500 ton license. I need to keep self-confidence in check when dealing with small boats. My 20' Grady will be regularly launched out of Haleiwa because I now live on the North Shore and the ramp is less than a mile from my house. However, there are going to be a ton of days that I have no business going out. I will be thoroughly checking not just winds, but swells, and also walking across the parking lot to check live conditions outside of the Harbor before backing my Grady down that ramp.

I have had many other small, less exciting "close calls" but not with the same level of consequence that this day would have had. Hawaii can get the nasty short period wind chop as well, it's all about the wind fetch. There are days we cross the Hawaii Channels on our cutter (the Alenuihaha being the worst), where normal 15-20 knot trade winds get funneled between massive island mountain peaks in these narrow 20 mile channels. Those 20 knot winds quickly speed up to 50-60 knots and kick up the nastiest, steepest, short period slop you'll see. A little chop is normal, especially in the afternoons on hot days. The higher temperatures over the islands makes the air rise, leaving low pressure gaps for the cooler air over the water to fill. The "Sea breezes" can be uncomfortable especially if the day was windier to begin with. I made it a point to check Windyty and NOAA for reports before going out, but definitely under-estimated that swell's effect on Pokai Bay.

 

[HTHM]

I posted this on another board. This occurred on Lake Erie offshore of Dunville Ontario in an 18' aluminum bowrider:
Well, I had a day today... Started out by the fingers trolling for walleye, no love. *Sigh* Decided to head out to Tecumseh Reef for some bass. Went to a spot that a very kind angler had pointed out to a friend and I last week, casted about and then noticed that I had water on the floor. Went to the stern to check the bilge pump, and it was so much water weight that I was causing the transom to capsize, thought better of that and started for shore. This is VERY IMPORTANT... do not give full power when it that situation, because you will cause the boat to capsize. As much as you want to get the heck off the water, go slow.
Well I was about half way to shore, having had the very distressing experience of ZERO responses to my PAN, PAN, PAN calls, (if any of you heard them and did not respond - I would ask that you go have an intimate relationship with yourself), I saw a fellow fisherman/boater, flagged him down and he towed me to shore. by the time I got to shore I had about three inches of water over the floor while I was huddled on the bow.
It turned out it was the very same man that pointed out the sweet spot to me last week.
He did not want anything for towing me in and is not the type of person that would like to be identified for his good deeds, so I will not post any identifying information. He knows who he is and has the satisfaction of taking someone from Erie's grasp.
By the way the cause of my bilge pump failure, switch broke and caused the outlet pipe to disconnect, so if anyone wants to point a finger at the fool who goes out without checking every fitting and connection; please don't I like to think of myself as a responsible and safe boater. This is similar to your fan belt breaking on the 401.
P.S.: Check your bilge pumps and connections.

P.S. P.S. This is the reason I want to get a Grady.

 

[magicalbill]

Koakine88:

Thanks for that very interesting story. I was in Hawaii once, rented a car and drove to the North Shore and was amazed by the huge swells breaking on the beach. (I recall it was so deep, they broke close in to shore.) That day was likely no different than most, but I remember it 40 years later.

Accounts like this are great 'cause you learn something out of it. I have no concept of open ocean conditions, so it was great to read & take in. I'm guessing you were not thinking about about politics, the affairs of the world, or, for that matter, anything else on Earth as you made that run thru the surf back in.

Great read!

HTHM:

Thanks to you as well! Other than the obligatory "Forgetting To Put The Plug In" at the boat ramp, I have never had one fill to dangerous levels away from shore.

I'm surprised the CG didn't hear your VHF transmissions. they have Erie fairly well covered as I recall.

Lake Erie is generally cold and unforgiving. It's a good thing you stayed dry and in the boat.

Keep 'em comin' Kids..We can all learn from others adventures and be entertained as well.

 

[RussGW270]

@magicalbill yes, I never went back out with him again. I think I went shrimping one more time after that before moving back, but it was with a safe boater.. heh. I am not sure what it was... it should have had some lights on it. That was back in....I guess 1988-ish...if I remember correctly, and I don't many times heh.. I think it was like a 'oil derrick' or crane or something? It was large, took up at least 20-30 feet wide minimum, but again.. long time ago. All I remembered was not seeing stars, on a clear night, because it blocked them out....was the only way I knew it was there till we stopped.

Live and learn heh. I think Gibraltar was the worse though. That movie "The Perfect Storm" brought back bad memories after that heh.

R

 

[Mr.crab]

Haven’t had any close calls yet, but 2018 second week of crab season. In Bodega Bay on Monday around 20kts wind water around 10 to 12 ft whitecap , they were pretty steep. We were the only boat setting crab pots, other boats were inside Bodega Rock. Weather was getting a little better as the week went on. The overall mood at Westside camp was not much crab inside the Bodega Rock, as we were launching on Wednesday a guy with Pro Line a similar size boat as my Marlin .Said not having much luck where are all the crab, l replied follow me and we will show you. He asked where I was headed l said north, he said no thanks I don’t have a Grady.

 

[Divajean]

Haven’t had any close calls yet, but 2018 second week of crab season. In Bodega Bay on Monday around 20kts wind water around 10 to 12 ft whitecap , they were pretty steep. We were the only boat setting crab pots, other boats were inside Bodega Rock. Weather was getting a little better as the week went on. The overall mood at Westside camp was not much crab inside the Bodega Rock, as we were launching on Wednesday a guy with Pro Line a similar size boat as my Marlin .Said not having much luck where are all the crab, l replied follow me and we will show you. He asked where I was headed l said north, he said no thanks I don’t have a Grady.

About 20 years ago, me and my 10 year old son were fishing stono river inlet south of Charleston. We anchored in outgoing tide and were catching buckets of Whiting, having a blast. I saw the tide was turning but didn't realize the anchor rope had gotten wrapped around the motor. Water started coming over the transom of my 16 foot cc,tackle box was floating around, l was hung.told my son to go to bow,flipped on bilge, trimmed up the evinrude and saw the rope. I jumped over transom and unwrapped the rope and climbed back aboard. We were in 12 feet of water and 50 yards from shore. Scared the crap out of me but I stayed cool,learned one of those maritime lessons. Of coarse, my son had to tell everybody........otherwise it was a beautiful day