when's the last time you turned your boat around?

I went out today with my brother to go crabbing. The wind picked up as we hit the end of the channel and the rolls got really rough. We went around the end of the jetty and headed to our normal spot. Usually the wind gets rougher as the day goes on, and it was really bad out there. I didn't want to anchor up in the cover of the jetty and then have things get worse and not be able to get back in. We are in a 12 ft aluminum boat. On our way back in, we almost flip. It's the first time I was actually "scared" riding in my boat. I came back through the channel and we were soaked from splashes and wind etc.. We docked up the boat and started talking to a guy who said he saw us heading out and was worried for us. As we're talking, the coast guard rolls up and says "you guys going out in that boat??" I said, "we were, but came back in." He said, "good call. I would advise you not to go out in this. " We said "good looking out, have a nice day" or something and pulled up my boat and left. We were so close to being where we needed to be and man did I want to get my brother some crab, but I wimped out and came back in. Some other guys were going out in a smaller boat and said "how did you do." I told them I chickened out and came back. They laughed and went out. 2 minutes later they were coming back and I felt better about not going, lol. Worst part, I look online about 15 minutes ago, and it's says "Bodega Bay. Wind: 0 MPH". How does it go from waves that almost roll my boat over to 0 mph after I drive the hour back home, clean by boat, and get it in the garage :facepalm:

Anyways...when is the last time you went out and things were too rough and you had to turn back?

Re: when's the last time you turned your boat around?

Back in mid August - Beautiful day but a little breezy - We were not planning on going out but my parents stopped by and asked if they could go on the boat. ( I told them we would take them out sometime but you know how that goes) I checked the marine report & it said 2' waves. I am about 25 minutes from the lake - Loaded up my kids and some snacks for the boat and headed to the launch ramp. Launched the boat and headed out the channel, I could see there were some pretty good waves but pressed on. Got out there and they were probably 3'-4' waves - Parents were not worried at all but I was nervous. I ended up just going around the breakwall and heading to the beach about a mile away. Anchored up there for a couple hours while the kids played. It was getting windier and I told them we should head in, The waves were a healthy 4' by this point and it was a slow process but we made it back, I don't go out in weather like that normally and should have turned around. Boat & passengers did fine but I was a little nervous when I was getting spray in the cockpit. I told them next year we will wait for a nicer day.

LK

This last summer was dead calm at the house on a Saturday. Got a sitter for the kids... and talked the wife into a date night on the water. Packed up and headed to the lake. Its a 20 min drive.

On the way I am watching the trees... I notice the leaves are rustling a little, and more as we get closer. Once we arrived, wind was blowing 30-35mph out of the worst direction possible for this lake. We pulled to the parking lot, which was almost completely full of trucks and trailers. And watched people launching boats in whitecaps!
Decided it looked like no fun. Sat at the ramp... drank a beer... people watched for 20 mins and headed back to the house. That's the only time I went out and didn't launch the boat.

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Re: when's the last time you turned your boat around?

Coupla' years ago on one of the smaller impound lakes here Middle TN, I was pulling off of one of the beaches and a storm cell came over one of the hill tops. In minutes I could see the dry-line of the rain ... and white caps were appearing on the other side of the lake. We wound up almost bashing my poor 15 footer into the rocks trying to get on the trailer (no kidding, probably 3' breakers at the boat ramp) and by the time we were in the car we had flat line gusts hitting probably into the 60MPH range.

Things deteriorated from there to a pretty impressive storm.

Re: when's the last time you turned your boat around?

I have definitely driven the 20 mins down to the ramp, saw white caps on the water and bouncing boats at the ramp dock and said "nuts to this" and gone home. The local lake get whipped up pretty easily so I pretty much know now that if the leaves are rustling at home, don't go.

Re: when's the last time you turned your boat around?

ezmobee said:

I have definitely driven the 20 mins down to the ramp, saw white caps on the water and bouncing boats at the ramp dock and said "nuts to this" and gone home. The local lake get whipped up pretty easily so I pretty much know now that is the leaves are rustling at home, don't go.

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Same. Last time was at a local reservoir that only allows electric motors. Sat there for an hour or so watching to see if the wind was going to die down and it didn't so I left. No way I had enough electric power to push into that wind.

Re: when's the last time you turned your boat around?

ezmobee said:

I have definitely driven the 20 mins down to the ramp, saw white caps on the water and bouncing boats at the ramp dock and said "nuts to this" and gone home. The local lake get whipped up pretty easily so I pretty much know now that if the leaves are rustling at home, don't go.

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Been there ... plus tornados.

Re: when's the last time you turned your boat around?

Nearly all of the lakes I enjoy here in Michigan are big, so a quality weather report is a must before I even bother hooking up the trailer. Even with a good report, it is no guarantee that it will be safe or fun. I have a few trips every season that require me to make my final decision after I arrive at the launch, and while it's tough to turn around at this point, I do. You just cant hit the replay button on a bad weather day on the water, and I read the stories every day about folks who don't realize just how dangerous the great lakes are, I don't ever have any regrets about turning around.

Re: when's the last time you turned your boat around?

Haven't turned back yet, but there's been a few times where I got to where Im going with a good knot in my stomach. 6ft lake waves in a wide flat houseboat is like driving your car into a brick wall for an hour....

Re: when's the last time you turned your boat around?

I had to go out two days ago to pull my traps off the river. i have a 16' lowe semi v and the wind was 30 mph with 40 to 45 mph gusts. when we got to the ramp i had serious reservations but decided that since most of my traps were in sloughs we would give it a try. we went against the river for the first mile or so and then the river turned and it calmed down. on the way back we were going with the wind which was equally horrible riding waves for a minute or two at a time. its disconcerting to be riding a wave bow up and look back and there is a 4 foot wave that you cant see over behind you.