matt_unique
New member
There are skippers with a lot more experience than me on this board, but Mike's request on the other thread sounded like a good idea and an interesting topic to discuss.
I'll start with my advice:
1.) AVOID IT - this is the obvious cliche but seldom respected enough. If you go out on the ocean with weather data less than 4 hours old, with the technology available today, bend over and have your Admiral kick you firmly in the rear end. There are many sources of weather data but I use these: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/marine_map.htm They tend to be updated every 4-6 hours. I also use these: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ (Move the map to your area, zoom in, then select the most applicable buoy for the most recent wind/wave data).
2.) Keep an eye to the sky and on your barometer. The above weather forecasts are not 100% accurate. You may read seas 2-3' then arrive to discover 4' or 5' seas. If your barometer makes a drop, particularly a steep drop over a very short period of time, there could be trouble.
Here's a rule of thumb...quite literally and figuratively...take your left hand, make a fist with your thumb up. That is the way the winds blow around a 'high' pressure system. High pressure is good in terms of sun but can also mean strong winds. Do the same with your left hand in a fist and thumb pointed down. That is the way the wind blows around a low pressure system. Low pressure is what brings storms, hurricane's, etc. The worst place to be in a hurricane or storm is on the side that has the direction of wind travel COUPLED with the direction of the storm. For example, a hurricane moving up the East Coast at say 18 mph with winds of 130mph means east side winds will be 130 + 18 = 148 MPH. Similarly, the west side means 130 - 18 mph = 112 MPH.
3.) Look for trends in the weather forecasts. While they are not 100% accurate, the trends will paint a pretty good picture. Let's say you are looking to take an overnight trip and you are looking at the marine forecast on Wednesday. Friday (day) looks a little rough, Friday night and Saturday looks good, and Sunday looks a little rough. There is a *good*chance the Friday rough weather will end up extending into Friday night or Saturday. Similarly, the rough weather for Sunday may arrive sooner than expected. Of course, 24 hours could pass and the entire weekend could look good.
4.) I was reminded of this last season for those who read my trip report of the largest seas I have ever handled - but don't try to 'thread the needle' of rough weather forecasts and BEWARE OF "get home itus". Get home itus has killed a lot of people.
I guarantee you and the Admiral would prefer to get home later than expected in calmer weather than getting home on time in hair raising weather.
5.) Don't be afraid to 'call it'. If you have good weather forecasts, you have your back-up systems, you have calculated your fuel and added a reserve, etc. but you arrive and the seas don't look good....call it or adjust your plans to negate the rougher weather.
I learned this lesson flying airplanes years ago. My flight instructor was former Secret Service, had acrobatics experience, had thousands of hours of flight time including turbine engines, etc. I had complete confidence in his abilities. (Soon after I got my license he went to work for Continental). During my Private Pilot training (even before my first solo) he took me up in "Moderate Winds with risk of low level wind shear". The airport was on a large bluff so the affects of strong wind were really pronounced. Long story short, we were getting tossed hard in our single engine Beechcraft. The instructor wanted me to do touch and go's. One instant we are pinned to our seatbelts, the next instant dropping down. I could barely spell my name let alone run through my checklists as we went from downwind, base, and final approach. We were on final approach and it was just silly...at 300' I finally said...I don't think I can safely land this plane in these conditions. He looked over and said "YES! You learned the point of today's instruction". He demonstrated a few touch and go's but it was not at all fun. Finally on the ground - and I was happy to be there - he said the most important lesson is to know your limits and to be capable of deciding to call it if something does not look good.
6.) Fair seas never made for good mariners.
If you only ever cruise in calm seas, you will be less equipped to deal with rough weather. Don't do anything crazy - but make a point to get some exposure to stronger winds, rain, larger seas, etc. Do so in as controlled and safe a circumstance as possible. Don't go into open ocean during the next storm but incrementally get a feel for how everything works/feels on the water. Take a more experience skipper with you and leave a float plan with someone reliable (i.e. Will be in X Bay from 2-4 - you should hear from me by 4 to let you know all is OK, etc.,)
7.) OK - life happens and you end up in rough weather. "Rough" will be very relative to the skipper. What I find rough may be considered a 'slight chop' to Dr. Bob for example. A few things are common denominators though.
a. Make sure everything is secured on your deck/cabin/etc. It's just bad nautical karma if you let anything flop around. If waves toss your vessel you DON'T want things like coolers, passengers, etc. shifting around and causing damage, injury, or adding weight in a potential capsize event. A classic problem is large heavy coolers - if a wave heels your boat hard to port you don't want an added weight sliding to that side for example.
b. Close your windows - fresh air is good - fresh sea water is bad.
c. Maneuver your vessel to minimize the affect of wind and sea state. DO NOT let waves hit you abeam as this presents the greatest risk for a capsize. It is better to hit waves head on and under power but at an angle. The degree of angle depends a bit upon how steep they are but try to think of maneuvering such that your forward quarter rises up first and your opposite aft quarter rises last. Don't have too much power though as this can cause you to accelerate down the back side of a wave and go bow first into the next one causing a broach. Use just enough power to maintain directional control. A broach can add several hundred pounds of water in a flash and cause damage or worse.
d. If you need to turn do so quickly. In some cases, it is better to have seas hit you from astern with only enough power to maintain directional control. This really depends on the shape of the waves. If they are really steep a wave over the stern can immediately flood your vessel. In some cases it can allow them to safely pass under you. I employed this technique when I was stuck in rough seas last year on Napoleon. In that instance getting to safety for us meant traveling in a direction that would not allow sufficient time for me to turn to take waves head on and I had to take them from astern. Just keep in mind you NEVER want to take seas abeam.
e. Maneuver your vessel to the lee side of an island if possible. This means the island is taking the hit of waves/sea resulting in a calmer footprint behind it.
There is so much more to write based on the particular circumstances... and I hope others will chime in with their wisdom.
I'll start with my advice:
1.) AVOID IT - this is the obvious cliche but seldom respected enough. If you go out on the ocean with weather data less than 4 hours old, with the technology available today, bend over and have your Admiral kick you firmly in the rear end. There are many sources of weather data but I use these: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/marine_map.htm They tend to be updated every 4-6 hours. I also use these: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ (Move the map to your area, zoom in, then select the most applicable buoy for the most recent wind/wave data).
2.) Keep an eye to the sky and on your barometer. The above weather forecasts are not 100% accurate. You may read seas 2-3' then arrive to discover 4' or 5' seas. If your barometer makes a drop, particularly a steep drop over a very short period of time, there could be trouble.
Here's a rule of thumb...quite literally and figuratively...take your left hand, make a fist with your thumb up. That is the way the winds blow around a 'high' pressure system. High pressure is good in terms of sun but can also mean strong winds. Do the same with your left hand in a fist and thumb pointed down. That is the way the wind blows around a low pressure system. Low pressure is what brings storms, hurricane's, etc. The worst place to be in a hurricane or storm is on the side that has the direction of wind travel COUPLED with the direction of the storm. For example, a hurricane moving up the East Coast at say 18 mph with winds of 130mph means east side winds will be 130 + 18 = 148 MPH. Similarly, the west side means 130 - 18 mph = 112 MPH.
3.) Look for trends in the weather forecasts. While they are not 100% accurate, the trends will paint a pretty good picture. Let's say you are looking to take an overnight trip and you are looking at the marine forecast on Wednesday. Friday (day) looks a little rough, Friday night and Saturday looks good, and Sunday looks a little rough. There is a *good*chance the Friday rough weather will end up extending into Friday night or Saturday. Similarly, the rough weather for Sunday may arrive sooner than expected. Of course, 24 hours could pass and the entire weekend could look good.
4.) I was reminded of this last season for those who read my trip report of the largest seas I have ever handled - but don't try to 'thread the needle' of rough weather forecasts and BEWARE OF "get home itus". Get home itus has killed a lot of people.
I guarantee you and the Admiral would prefer to get home later than expected in calmer weather than getting home on time in hair raising weather.
5.) Don't be afraid to 'call it'. If you have good weather forecasts, you have your back-up systems, you have calculated your fuel and added a reserve, etc. but you arrive and the seas don't look good....call it or adjust your plans to negate the rougher weather.
I learned this lesson flying airplanes years ago. My flight instructor was former Secret Service, had acrobatics experience, had thousands of hours of flight time including turbine engines, etc. I had complete confidence in his abilities. (Soon after I got my license he went to work for Continental). During my Private Pilot training (even before my first solo) he took me up in "Moderate Winds with risk of low level wind shear". The airport was on a large bluff so the affects of strong wind were really pronounced. Long story short, we were getting tossed hard in our single engine Beechcraft. The instructor wanted me to do touch and go's. One instant we are pinned to our seatbelts, the next instant dropping down. I could barely spell my name let alone run through my checklists as we went from downwind, base, and final approach. We were on final approach and it was just silly...at 300' I finally said...I don't think I can safely land this plane in these conditions. He looked over and said "YES! You learned the point of today's instruction". He demonstrated a few touch and go's but it was not at all fun. Finally on the ground - and I was happy to be there - he said the most important lesson is to know your limits and to be capable of deciding to call it if something does not look good.
6.) Fair seas never made for good mariners.
If you only ever cruise in calm seas, you will be less equipped to deal with rough weather. Don't do anything crazy - but make a point to get some exposure to stronger winds, rain, larger seas, etc. Do so in as controlled and safe a circumstance as possible. Don't go into open ocean during the next storm but incrementally get a feel for how everything works/feels on the water. Take a more experience skipper with you and leave a float plan with someone reliable (i.e. Will be in X Bay from 2-4 - you should hear from me by 4 to let you know all is OK, etc.,)
7.) OK - life happens and you end up in rough weather. "Rough" will be very relative to the skipper. What I find rough may be considered a 'slight chop' to Dr. Bob for example. A few things are common denominators though.
a. Make sure everything is secured on your deck/cabin/etc. It's just bad nautical karma if you let anything flop around. If waves toss your vessel you DON'T want things like coolers, passengers, etc. shifting around and causing damage, injury, or adding weight in a potential capsize event. A classic problem is large heavy coolers - if a wave heels your boat hard to port you don't want an added weight sliding to that side for example.
b. Close your windows - fresh air is good - fresh sea water is bad.
c. Maneuver your vessel to minimize the affect of wind and sea state. DO NOT let waves hit you abeam as this presents the greatest risk for a capsize. It is better to hit waves head on and under power but at an angle. The degree of angle depends a bit upon how steep they are but try to think of maneuvering such that your forward quarter rises up first and your opposite aft quarter rises last. Don't have too much power though as this can cause you to accelerate down the back side of a wave and go bow first into the next one causing a broach. Use just enough power to maintain directional control. A broach can add several hundred pounds of water in a flash and cause damage or worse.
d. If you need to turn do so quickly. In some cases, it is better to have seas hit you from astern with only enough power to maintain directional control. This really depends on the shape of the waves. If they are really steep a wave over the stern can immediately flood your vessel. In some cases it can allow them to safely pass under you. I employed this technique when I was stuck in rough seas last year on Napoleon. In that instance getting to safety for us meant traveling in a direction that would not allow sufficient time for me to turn to take waves head on and I had to take them from astern. Just keep in mind you NEVER want to take seas abeam.
e. Maneuver your vessel to the lee side of an island if possible. This means the island is taking the hit of waves/sea resulting in a calmer footprint behind it.
There is so much more to write based on the particular circumstances... and I hope others will chime in with their wisdom.