Keeping yourself Honest - what have you encountered?

I've heard stories of guys fishing 20 miles offshore off of the West Coast Vancouver Island in their 22+ foot fiberglass or welded aluminum offshore style boats with dual big power motors, sometimes with a kicker, radar, VHF radio, back up VHF, a buddy boat, and all the safety gear should something happen, putting along trolling for salmon or Halibut and all of a sudden a guy or two guys will pop by in a 14 foot aluminum boat with a small motor. To say that guy in the 14 foot boat has balls would be an understatement. It's downright suicidal because if and when a storm comes up, it often comes up fast, and the next thing you know you're in 5 to 10 foot swells in a matter of minutes. I'm sure you've heard similar stories, perhaps you've even been there or done it yourself. And some of you may have run into a storm or two and you're reading this so you've lived to tell about it. I'd like you, if you have them, to share some stories of storms or nasty, rough seas you've been in and what happened? Tell us about your boat first, then the story, and perhaps what you've done or will no longer do, to ensure this never happens again.

I used to work with a guy who bragged about going 5-10 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico in a 16' bass boat, and he invited me to go along once or twice, I passed every time. Could not see doing that on either coast. Have read of guys from TX paddling out in kayaks to the oil rigs in the gulf of Mexico as well, not real sure how far out those oil rigs are but I would be willing to bet they are NOT within sight of land. LOL Hope there are some good stories posted.

We were trolling around diamond shoals light house off of cape hatteras it is 13 miles off shore. There were two guys in a 14 flat bottom Jon. Water was rather calm, but all they had was a 20hp tiller...... We didn't read about them in the paper the next day

My brother did that with me in a 14' fiberglass boat when I was a 14 YO teenager and didn't know better. We were supposed to be fishing in the inland water way of NC. Ended up somewhere out in the Atlantic Ocean fishing for black bass beside a commercial "party" boat.

Coming back in, we got back into the sound within a mile of the dock and his motor failed and wouldn't start back up, got hauled the rest of the way by the Coast Guard. I noticed when he had his motor off he hadn't been maintaining it. I was only 14, but I had been helping Dad do maintenance on the cars and realized my brother had just really risked my life.

From that day on, when my brother called my parents home and asked me to go fishing at the coast, my answer was always: "I'm sorry brother, but I've already got something going on I can't toss aside." I didn't want to die at sea, either through maintenance or being in too small a boat without safety gear and backups.

Even to this day, I really prefer to have a couple back up systems in a boat. Being without motorized propulsion on the water a good distance from shore, even if you have a paddle, is for the birds. Any boat bigger than a canoe or kayak is too big to paddle very far.

While running a small boat (36' Officers Motor Boat) in the Firth Of Clyde (Scotland), at night, I encountered some really rough seas.
Had to get out far enough in the main channel to clear Bouy 30, and stay clear of shallow water.
Well the further I went out, the rougher it got, and I had to angle out away from the bouy because the swells were huge and I had to angle into them.
When I had the bouy cleared, it was time to turn the boat and head for the ship.
I waited for a trough and turned the helm as fast as I could, and as soon as I was straight a large swell came from behind and just pushed us along. I thought the bow was going to go under water, because of the angle that we were riding it.
Was very glad to get past bouy 30 and back into Holy Loch, where the seas weren't near as heavy.
That was the only time that I was a little nervous while running small boats, and we ran them everyday.
I think they said it was Gale Force 8. I don't know what that is, but don't ever want to be out in anything like that that again!
OH WOW! That was 43 yrs. ago #-o

I've been as far out as 10 miles in a little 16 foot High Tide skiff with a 75 merc, on a calm day.

Farthest out from land I've been in an aluminum boat, is 3 miles offshore, in my jetboat, again, on a calm day. Storms can come up quick, so, I don't like to be offshore in a small boat. If I want to go offshore a little bit, I'll run the 19 foot Sea Hunt center console with the 150 Merc Optimax, it's big enough to be safe, and fast enough to get me back to the hill quickly, without beating myself and the boat to death in the process of doing so, if conditions get bad.

That said, I've run numerous inlets in johnboats, some had jetties and a deep channel, and others, like Hog Inlet at Cherry Grove, SC, where I grew up, were a crapshoot to cross shoals and breaking water, with the lower unit grinding across sandbars all the way through, and waves right on your stern.

To me, going OUT through the inlet/surf zone isn;t the scary part, it's coming back IN that scares me. All it takes is for the bow to dig into a trough and a wave to lift the stern, you pitch-pole, and it's all over, hope you've got on a vest and a kill switch.

Had a lot of close calls going in and out of Hog Inlet, as that was the only way you could go from Cherry Grove to Little River at low tide. On mid-to-high water, you could cut through Dunn Sound, but it was shallow then. In the 20 years that's passed since I moved from there, the passage through the sound has completely shoaled in, you can't even go through on high tide.



Same thing for another area I used to fish, Mad Inlet, between Little River and Sunset Beach. It filled in about 15 years ago, but even when it was an inlet, it was VERY shallow and difficult to navigate. Ran THAT one a few times with close calls as well.

So, while I'm not an ocean cowboy with my johnboats, I have definitely been in the ocean with every boat I've ever owned.

When I was younger and crazier, I can remember a few times I actually jumped waves in the surf with a johnboat. Looking back with a little wisdom on my side, I have to say "that weren't too smucking fart." [-X

I did take my two person kayak out past the breakwater at Dana Point in San Diego once. It wasn't too bad as far as chop goes but I did see a bass boat out there too. I trust my kayak more than the bass boat in those swells. I wouldn't take my tin out there as I think the motor is too small.

I recently took my new to me glass boat out on a fairly calm day of 10-15 knot winds and 2-3 foot swells to an oil rig about a mile or so off shore. The occasional 3+ foot swell made it hard to stand even in that ocean boat.

I'm guilty of being stupid and not watching the weather better. The worst part about fishing an extremely long and shallow lake is not paying attention to wind direction. If it's going away from you, you're golden. If it's coming at you (from the far side), you're in for trouble.

It doesn't take much to get a 12'er with a 15" transom in trouble, but when the wind whips up and chop starts rolling hard and fast with 2'ers and the rouge 3' and change I make for shore as fast as possible. That was much quicker before I put the deck in, but with the deck in now the best I can get in waves goes down considerably. Now I'm usually soaked and white knuckled by the time I get back. Not that before was much better but dang it I need more power (and a bigger boat)!

I've said it before and I still can't believe it - the previous owner of the boat used to take it out on Lake Michigan in 6-8'ers, and laughed that because the beam was so small on it, he could ride the crest/trough like a bobber. :shock: I'll stick to the port/just outside of the breakwall, thanks.

I have been off shore many times in my 15 foot Gregor Baja Special trolling for marlin , diving and what ever. Lots of people do it off the east cape of Baja California around Los Barriles all the timr. In this boat we have caught 10 bill fish. [9 marlin and 1 sailfish]

If it gets rough what I have always done is to go slow and angle into the waves and after many years and trips have never had a major problem. One time however in the northern gulf at San Luis Island I had a new girl friend and we were on the north side of the island having a good time. We had to go 14 miles south and when we came around the east side to head south the wind had came up and the waves looked like mountains. We went a short distance, a couple of miles or so and it was obvious that the GF was getting nervious. She wrapped a towel around her head covering her face completely and laid down in the bottom of the boat. I asked what was she doing and she said that if we were going to die she wasn't going to watch it or something like that. What ever I guess.

I am not trying to make fun of safety. Just keep a level head and a clear mind and that tin boat will take you on a lot more adventures safely than you think it will.

Regards, Keith

I believe the Coast Guard terms it as "threat assessment and risk management" when they have to operate under bad conditions, especially if they have to take an MLB into the surf zone and do a rescue. It's all in knowing your boat, your self and your skills, and the limitations of both, knowing when you can still operate safely and when you've crossed that threshold, and when you're taking an unnecessary risk of hazarding your vessel.

I know you guys are talking about being on the oceans in a small boat. The same thing can happen on inland waters too. Last year we went on a camping trip to a good size lake. At the time all I had was a 14ft jon. I figured if we fished in the coves and no wake zones we would be alright and stay away from the main part of the lake unless we had to go there and you did to get to the boat ramp. One time my son and I was out fishing and there must have been a tournament or something because we was back in this cove fishing. This big 18 foot boat came screaming around the corner wide open and done a loop. I seen the first wake coming and was trying to get the boat turned with the bow into the wake but didnt make it slammed us in the side I thought we was goners. But I got it turned for the second one. So sometimes weather plays does play a factor and sometimes you cant fix stupid. You have to watch out for other boaters as you watch out for yourself. The other boater did slow down for us and were friendly a couple even stopped and asked if were catching anything. But it takes one person to ruin your day or even your life. This same weekend we got caught in a storm heading to the boat ramp to load the boat the motor just died and like to never got it started!

Steve

acwd,
In my experience lakes are more dangerous than the open sea. The waves in lakes are closer together and more steep and much more challenging than the sea. I live in windy Wyoming near the Flaming Gorge and that body of water puts the fear in me.

Regards, Keith

several years ago i got caught out on harrison lake with a buddy in a canoe ,doing some winter camping when a massive storm blew in from nowhere. it hit so fast we barely made it to an island.the swells were at least 5 ft.we came very close to dying that day.on another occasion,me and 2 other buddies got caught on pitt lake,(which is one of the biggest tidal lakes in north america,) during whats known around here as the 3 'o clock chop,its dead calm,and all of a sudden the chop hits hard,the swells get up to 4 feet or more out of nowhere.we knew it was coming but it hit us right in the middle of the lake. :shock: we bailed like mad,and barely made shore.speyfitter,being from coquitlam,you know exactly what i'm talking about.

Inland lakes can indeed be dangerous. As can coastal bays and sounds. I had a close call about 10 years ago when I was running commercial crab pots in Winyah Bay.

For those who don't know, Winyah Bay is comprised of the confluence of 5 rivers, the Waccamaw, the Little PeeDee, the Great PeeDee, the Sampit, and the Black River. This body of water is about 5 miles wide at its widest point, and roughly 20 miles from the head of the Waccamaw and PeeDee Rivers to the mouth of the jetties. If you catch the wind and tide just right, it can be smooth as glass. But in as little as 1/2 hour, when the tide or wind shifts, it turns into a washing machine.

Anyhow, I was coming back in, aboard an 18 foot Alindale skiff with a 50 merc, I had 25 traps stacked on the bow (first mistake) It was rough, choppy, and generally, snotty. As I got into the Rabbit Island channel, one of the traps looked like it was going to bounce off the stack and fall back onto the console. So, I backed it off for just a second, forgetting that the low bow on that boat had a tendency to nose dive when you back off, not to mention the weight of 25 traps on the bow, and 3 foot rollers.

Needless to say, within just one or two of those rollers, I was knee deep on water, and the gas tank was floating around, about to bob over the transom. Fortunately, I had cleaned all the grass, etc off the deck and out of the deck drain scuppers, so, it was flowing out, but it felt like it took forever for it to drain.

The whole time, I was looking at one of the channel buoys, wondering if I could swim to it, grab hold, climb on and scream for help if the boat sank. Well, the boat didn't sink, but that was one of my last trips into Winyah Bay as far as crabbing. I go there sometimes to shrimp bait, but I really hate that big water, and how nasty it can get.

My scaryest moment was being on the lake when they had a small craft warning out, forgot I left the livewell pump on untill we went to take off and the boat stood straight up going maybe .5mph at wot with water poaring out of the deck. I pointed the boat at a rock shoreline and hoped for the best. Maybe 50' before the rocks i recon the bilge had pumped enough water out for the motor to start to build some rpm. Turned it into the waves, said a quick prayer and it finially planes out after several minutes. We got the crap beat out of us on the way back to the ramp but i wasn't about to let off the throttle.

This is something that kinda haunts me to this day and it happened back in the early to mid 80's. We used to fish lake Mich all the time and on this day we were a South Haven perch fishing. I had a 21 foot boat and the lake was calm at the time. There were suppose to be rain showers in the afternoon but I wasn't to worried about it. At this port we perched fish about 2 or 3 miles South west of the channel and 1/2 mile from shore. I always leave the radio on and after a coule hours reports were they were gettin salmon about 2 or 3 miles out so we went out there and trolled for a few hours. Coast Guard issued a small craft warning so we keep an eye on the weather. You could see the squall line coming so everyone in the area headed in. The lake was still calm yet. Half way in the waves kicked up to 3 foot breakers still no problem for us.Half mile from shore we seen something in the water that looked like a boat in trouble. We went over to check it out and what we found sends chills up my spine yet today. There were 2 men and a boy that looks to be 7 or 8 years old trolling out from shore and the guy in front is baling water with a pail, they were in a flat bottom boat about 12 foot long and maybe 3 foot wide. I told them about the storm coming and asked them if they wanted to get in the boat with us. They said they were fine and go and leave them alone. By the time I got the boat loaded it was rainning so hard you could not see anything and the wind was really bad. I always wonder what happened to that small boat and the people in it. On the way home about 12 miles north of there the coast guard had a bout in the water and chopper over head removing bodies off a captised baot which looked about 17 or 18 foot. Really makes a person think what could happen in a short period of time

Interesting stories...

Would any of you be kind enough to share your tips for handling a tinnny in rough water? I am looking to take on some bigger water...the Vermillion bay and Calcasieu lake soon.

This was the closest post I could find to ask the question.

I was coming out of Palmyra Chute at sunset one evening in mid-November, crossing the Mississippi from West to East on my way back to the boat ramp. Halfway across I met two boats tied together making their way across from East to West. The first was a 15' flat bottom jon with a 15 horse Johnson. In it were 4 adult men and a teenage boy. They were pulling a 14' jon loaded with gear, ice chests, decoys, and a dog.

I thought for sure I'd read about them in the paper.

Also, last Memorial Day my wife begged me to take the grandkids out in the boat (I mean why not, everyone else in the world is out on the lake). After 4 hours of joyriding and tubing we headed back to the ramp. When we got there we met a crew just putting in (@6:00pm) in a 16' aluminum side console with a 50 Yamaha. In it were 4 women, two kids, a baby being held by one of the women, two dogs, and a shirtless man (standing on the front deck finishing his beer while installing his 8' tall flagpole and flag in the front seat base.

The most dangerous boating incidents aren't always in the water. I followed a pontoon up Hwy 465 one day at 55+mph while 7 women and kids rode in the boat.

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=287118#p287118 said:

wihil » 20 Oct 2012, 21:21[/url]"]I'm guilty of being stupid and not watching the weather better. The worst part about fishing an extremely long and shallow lake is not paying attention to wind direction. If it's going away from you, you're golden. If it's coming at you (from the far side), you're in for trouble.

It doesn't take much to get a 12'er with a 15" transom in trouble, but when the wind whips up and chop starts rolling hard and fast with 2'ers and the rouge 3' and change I make for shore as fast as possible. That was much quicker before I put the deck in, but with the deck in now the best I can get in waves goes down considerably. Now I'm usually soaked and white knuckled by the time I get back. Not that before was much better but dang it I need more power (and a bigger boat)!

I've said it before and I still can't believe it - the previous owner of the boat used to take it out on Lake Michigan in 6-8'ers, and laughed that because the beam was so small on it, he could ride the crest/trough like a bobber. :shock: I'll stick to the port/just outside of the breakwall, thanks.

Click to expand...

I fish this same body of water and I have been out on this lake when it went from calm and sunny to "I wish I were someplace else" in a matter of minutes. The waves can get pretty large, but they are close together so you have no place to hide in a smaller boat. This lake demands respect at all times. Even in the winter while ice fishing you can drive out 5 miles and have nothing but ice like a sheet of glass. On the way back you can run into ice heaves 6 to 10 feet high or open cracks that you need a bridge to cross.