Harrowing crossing to the Bahamas. [emoji23]

[Bigsfish]

This is either a spoof or the biggest lie I have heard. I never saw any whitecaps so the wind is probably less than 15 knts. Four foot seas is a generous number. I pray for days like that when crossing.

 

[Codger2]

I have to admit that the sea didn't look all that bad, however, videos do not show the actual heights of the sea. I think we should cut that family some slack as there's a lot we don't know about that crossing. I do agree that the galley, etc, should have been better prepared.

 

[dhays]

I have to admit that the sea didn't look all that bad, however, videos do not show the actual heights of the sea. I think we should cut that family some slack as there's a lot we don't know about that crossing. I do agree that the galley, etc, should have been better prepared.

Good points but... the crew was sitting on deck chairs on the fly bridge while complaining about the seas. I generally don't think conditions are "harrowing" until I am thrown from my captains chair ala James T. Kirk.

 

[Bigsfish]

Whitecaps usually start to appear at 15 knts, the captain said the swell was from behind so it wasn't from the north which could put a nasty top on the Gulf Stream, further the boat wasn't throwing much of a spray. I would judge the seas maximum of three feet. That beautiful. Have I seen it calmer? Yes but that is a day I would pray for.

 

[CDreamer]

Man, that is one boring video.

 

[cardude01]

But harrowing! [emoji30]

 

[ABfish]

Okay, I'll admit I watched several of the videos. The crossing video is not their best.

That's a young family living the life. Got to admire that.

 

[cardude01]

Yeah they are having fun. I don't mean to poke too much at them.

 

[Bigsfish]

What I don't understand is the guy piloting the trawler said he expected to cross at 7 knts but was down to 3 knts. He is going across the stream not into it and the wind was at his stern. Why would he lose 4 knts and not pulling the dingy?

 

[Ski in NC]

Probably waiting on Dad who was pulling the dink with the CC. Why he was towing with that boat, WTF. Trawler much better at towing, just tie it back up.

 

[CDreamer]

I was a little surprised at the damage(s) to that little Whaler. Used to wade fish the Chandeleur Islands out of Biloxi on a regular basis. Due South Charters. The "mother ship" was a converted crew boat...about 110'. Primo trip. We brought three pro guides for 3-4 days. Just daisy chained their 24'-26' CC's behind the big boat and towed 'em out there one behind the other. Used bridles - not the trailer eye - but definitely heavier boats and never broke anything.

 

[Steve]

Like they say, better to be stuck at the dock wishing to be out on the water than to be out on the water wishing to be back at the dock!

 

[roguewave]

As I watched the video I kept thinking that I was a newbie once.

and sometimes still are...

 

[menzies]

I agree that this was a great crossing - playing with the kids in the salon in rough seas?

So I think it was a bit tongue in cheek.

That said. It is very hard to get a good handle on the seas from video shot from above rather than at water level.

Here is a video I just created for this thread from a couple of phone videos I took from the pilothouse of a run we did from Cave Cay to Elizabeth Harbour through the Exuma Sound just two months ago.

I estimate the seas were consistently ~ six feet, with occasional eight to nines. We pounded through this head sea for six hours.

It doesn't look like much from the video - but it was draining. In fact the missus said if I did that to her again she was on the plane home! So I would say you can't get from an amateur video what it was really like.

 

[cardude01]

Damn your boat sure is quiet.

 

[BruceK]

The video reminds me of the satirical D Generation Late Show, which took to theme parks with sketches like this about the mythical "Pissweak World:

 

[Donna]

In "rough seas" you can't even reach for your phone or any other device to record whats happening.

 

[menzies]

In "rough seas" you can't even reach for your phone or any other device to record whats happening.

Sure you can, Google boats in stormy seas for hundreds of them.

Though how you are seated helps!

 

[menzies]

Damn your boat sure is quiet.

I prefer to run from the fly bridge for good all around visibility plus the weather in Florida in conducive. If the weather starts to close in and I transfer to the PH it still surprises me how quiet it is down there! And we usually leave the rear salon doors open.

 

[High Wire]

Rough without white caps?
Dad towing the lost dinghy to the Bahamas AND fishing. Priceless.

 

[psneeld]

Rough seas are relative in many ways...as discussed many times.

A few degrees of direction, longer period, more chop on top, sized and shape of boat.....etc.... all make the ride memorable or not.

Granted most videos seem to lessen the actual experience....but I have sat next to enough captains that use the once every 10 minute set as their wave heights or just generally guess about 50 percent higher than they are to make me chuckle at sea state descriptions.

The other telltale is whitecaps as Irv was saying. When you have white caps of reasonable size, and they are all over the place and spaced not much more than the beam of the boat.....well as Donna said, not many videos of those as hanging on if the order of the day. When you see them out there occasionally, the wave is more swell than wind wave and unless on a few points of head can be made pretty manageable.

My boat though a 40 foot model, only has about a 34 foot waterline, not deeply immersed chines and maybe a little top heavy with the wooden mast and gear stowed on the flybridge.....so she is pretty tender and cork like. Doesnt take much to make for a miserable ride, but far from unsafe.

The only guess by captains usually more off than wave height is current strength.........

 

[menzies]

These cell phone cameras are handy things eh?

 

[psneeld]

Rough is relative......size of the waves is generally is only a small part of it.

Speed and direction of the boat can change the same, not so bad waves, where pitch and roll are less than 10 degrees, to pretty uncomfortable 20 degree pitch and roll real quick.

So whether you feel like filming, or hanging on is just personal preference. I have seen to many without good sea legs get injured when they should have stayed put and held on or wedged themselves in a safe spot.

 

[BandB]

Seas and wind grow like the size of the fish. I hear people regularly talk about conditions and check sources of data and find their numbers very exaggerated.

We've got another day of 2' at 9 seconds. Basically smooth. Perfect conditions.

 

[Steve]

Now this is harrowing:

 

[sunchaser]

Twenty years ago this would not have been a subject of discussion. Thanks to current technology and You tube we have a chat site topic. It is a different world. Now, back to your regular programming.

 

[cardude01]

That video with the guy fishing looks really bad to me. [emoji15]

 

[Donna]

These cell phone cameras are handy things eh?

Just NO!

 

[eyschulman]

The harrowing crossing video makes little sense when viewed by experienced boaters. Its like a bad magazine reporter writing a story about something they know little about for an audience that is entirely ignorant of the subject. The kids were wearing their PFDs so there may be some redeeming factor and the mess in the cabin might remind others to batten down before going anywhere. My many past years in the ICW regularly provided much rougher conditions due to wake in narrow thin water. It is like the expected standard was being tied to a dock in a well protected marina. I have no idea if the makers of the video are greenhorn ignorant or spoofing us either way there is not much to learn from the video in my opinion just a none reality TV stunt.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

I agree that this was a great crossing - playing with the kids in the salon in rough seas?

So I think it was a bit tongue in cheek.

That said. It is very hard to get a good handle on the seas from video shot from above rather than at water level.

Here is a video I just created for this thread from a couple of phone videos I took from the pilothouse of a run we did from Cave Cay to Elizabeth Harbour through the Exuma Sound just two months ago.

I estimate the seas were consistently ~ six feet, with occasional eight to nines. We pounded through this head sea for six hours.

It doesn't look like much from the video - but it was draining. In fact the missus said if I did that to her again she was on the plane home! So I would say you can't get from an amateur video what it was really like.

"It is very hard to get a good handle on the seas from video shot from above rather than at water level."

Just site along the horizon using your bow tail and/or flag staff as a reference as they move above and below the horizon should give you a pretty good idea of the size of the seas.

Personally I don't see any 8-9' in that video.

Looks more like 4-6'.