Two boats battle terrifying storm on Strait of Juan de Fuca

localboy

http://threesheetsnw.com/blog/archives/12068

hardee · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:00 pm Post subject:

Mark, great story, and good lessons for all of us. Like for this weekend, Straits are looking real nice until Sunday noon, then it will be nasty, but should be laying down again in the evening. Local experience knows that mornings are usually the best time to cross, evenings are second best usually. Best to have and use a trusted and regular weather source.

Here is one that was passed to me by Dave on Plan C, and I have been liking it:

http://bis_portal.apl.washington.edu/bis_portal_app.php

BIS == Boater Information System

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

starcrafttom · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:02 pm Post subject:

localboy · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:14 pm Post subject:

Woulda, coulda, shoulda...lesson learned the hard way for them.

I must confess to having a few "pucker moments" while boating, but nothing like what was described in this article. I take enough "risk" at work and don't care to expose family or friends to it out on The Sound. Boating is fun! I want to keep it that way. I try to do the common sense things; safety gear, check the weather, tides etc, have MORE than enough fuel for the planned trip, keep the boat in good mechanical condition etc. But as Forrest Gump said: SHIT HAPPENS. All we can do is the best we can. Our lives and the lives of others rely on it.

(not to mention some rather expenive boats) Wink

Adeline · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 9:32 pm Post subject:

The scariest time I've ever had was crossing the Strait North to South. Winds out of the West and an ebbing tide. It was simply whitecaps @ Bird Rocks when I decided to proceed. I kept thinking it was getting better as I got further and further South. I was long past Smith Island before I realized just how bad things were. Much closer to Port Townsend than Lopez, too late to turn around.

At it's worst I VERY SERIOUSLY considered simply turning to port and driving Adeline onto the gravel beaches on Whidbey, 3 or 4 miles to my East. By this time I'd been repeatedly thrown out of the helm seat onto the floor. My Sevylor had been blown off the roof. And I'd "beaked" 3 waves so severely that Adeline had actually been driven backwards, prop forced up out of the water.

I was scared to death and convinced that I was going to die alone out in the Strait.

Somehow I continued and made it to Point Partridge where the strong westerlies had forced me into the kelp beds, overheating my Johnson 70(forcing S.L.O.W. Mode).
I limped in to Port Townsend on my kicker.

This was my first crossing back in '90 or '91 when I was still a rookie in big waters.

hardee · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:36 am Post subject:

Pete,

Your story goes to show that the C-Dory will take much more of a beating than we can take. Glad you made it. Like Tom said, That skipper passed a "go - no go" moment, and missed an opportunity. Could have been a life ending choice. In his case hopefully, it is a life changing learning experience.

NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE the power of the water, wind and weather. RESPECT is not to strong a word.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

jennykatz · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:08 am Post subject: straits weather

When we lived in Seattle area we had a 23 ft Seaswirl aft cabin boat with a few friends we were going up to the san juans from shilshole we passed south tip of whidby and all hell broke loose we were playing victory at sea water crashing over the top not fun .I turned the boat around and came up between Camino and whidby much better ride and waited out the weather . the next day was an easy crossing . I'm sure a lot of us have these pucker moments it makes one relize you can't fool with Mother Nature