How is the C Dory in 5-8' swells?

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kevrangray

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C Dory Year
2005
C Dory Model
22 Cruiser
Vessel Name
C-Chief
How does the 22' C Dory do in 5-8' swells?

Any info/experience is appreciated.
 
Any wave form depends on its peroid--or time from crest to crest. This can also be influanced by the current either with or against the wave form. Generally with swells, the C Dories do very well.
 
Thanks for the info. Possibly looking at going out near Newport,Or and they are calling for 8' swells at roughly 10-15 seconds apart.
 
What Bob said....

The answer is "it all depends on the prevailing conditions". You could be in 5-6' seas with Gale winds that would be terrifying and present a high capsize risk. You can also be in measured 10' swells with no wind, long period, and a very round shape that would be like moving up and down in a freight elevator - no problems at all.

Evaluate carefully.
 
If the height of the swell waves (in feet) reaches or exceeds the interval of the swell waves (in seconds) I stay home. If there are wind waves of any size on top of those swell waves, I really stay home. Big (within reason) long swell waves are really fun. Big short ones aren't. And always watch the wind, too.
 
The boat will probably do a lot better than the people on it. It just isn't any fun when you have to fight to stand up.
 
What everybody already said! We've been out in C-Cakes in some pretty ugly weather, 6-8' short wind waves, confused so you couldn't run with them. The boat did fine but required constant and very tiring attention. Prudence is the overwhelming rule to stay safe. It really doesn't matter that the boat is capable of surviving a 7' short chop. Unless somebody's life is on the line stay in harbor.
 
kevrangray":wa1j1i92 said:
...8' swells at roughly 10-15 seconds apart.
Click to expand...
Those conditions are pretty decent, relatively speaking, unless you get some wind on top of it. That will make it ugly real quick.

Watch out for crab pots while heading out of Newport. Those things can be tough to see sometimes in the swells, and getting a line around the prop is bad joo-joo. (Old nautical term for excrement :D)
 
In one word.................FUN.
 
It sounds doable in a high pressure forecast. Other than that, it is probably outside of my comfort zone. BTW, I take my boat out very frequently in the Gulf of Alaska in the summer months and have some screws loose....But seriously, it should be fine at that duration as long as you avoid the bays and passes where everything will be very different.
 
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