Marine weather forecast

[catbones]

Im not very educated yet about waves, weather and all that. Tomorrow I wanted to take the family out in my Starcraft and its 15 footer. They are saying that the weather is sunny with some wind but waves of 1-3 feed. Now is that bumpy for me or will we be good? Anyone

 

[Don S]

Re: Marine weather forecast

Stay home. Learning about 1'-3' waves for the first time in a 15' boat with the family on board is NOT a good idea.

 

[emoney]

Re: Marine weather forecast

What Don said. 1-3 feet doesn't "sound" like a lot, but that's some pretty good chop, so I'm expecting it's going to be windy. I'd imagine the remants of Isaac are affecting you guys in the form of a low pressure system. Also when you're listening to the marine weather, look for the words "light chop" or "light to moderate chop". That will give you a really good indication of how bumpy things will be. Any protected bays or rivers up by you? If so, might be a better place to take the family. It doesn't take much "weather" at all to make a 15' boat uncomfortable for two, let alone more. I went out in 2-3' seas on my 18' deep V boat and quickly turned around as the winds were hitting 25mph +. My boat starting porpoising like Flipper pretty quick. And you do NOT want to sour mamma and the kids on boating.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Marine weather forecast

The weather bureau is so vague.
1 foot might be rough but tolerable with experience.
3 footers are going to be suicide in a typical 15 footer.

If they aren't calling for "1 Foot or Less" leave the family home until you know better.

I am going to throw this out as a starting point...
Seas over 1/2 of your FreeBoard are going to be a good point to make the Go/No-Go call.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Marine weather forecast

They are saying that the weather is sunny with some wind but waves of 1-3 feet.

Where did you get that forecast?

The Marine Weather Forecast for your area is Light Wind, Minimal Waves and Isolated showers.

I would go!

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Marine weather forecast



Here are some photos of a 15 footer with plenty of power to outrun a storm. It tops out at 45 MPH. The first photos show it in calm water and in some --oh, about one foot chop-- on Barnegat Bay. I didn't like the look of the sky and in about the time it took me to pull the anchor, I was into the "fun" stuff, running for harbor. The rain was coming sideways and even the birds were walking. Unless you want to be really uncomfortable and never hear the end from your significant other, stay out of these conditions. 15 foot boats were just not made for this kind of water.

Last photo shows it at WOT on calm, protected water.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Marine weather forecast



And on a lighter note, here is the only accurate weather forcaster!

By the way: The boat will take way more pounding than you can. I have had the above boat out in waves that I could not see over while standing. ONCE!

 

[catbones]

Re: Marine weather forecast

Where did you get that forecast?

The Marine Weather Forecast for your area is Light Wind, Minimal Waves and Isolated showers.

I would go!

I was actually head to olcott, ny which has 1 - 3' on lake Ontario

 

[catbones]

Re: Marine weather forecast

Thanks everyone for your input, wife decided the kids would rather take the $0.25 rides then jump on a boat in lake Ontario. I will see myself hopefully on lake Erie on Tuesday morning for the whole day

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Marine weather forecast

as a teenager I took a 16' starcraft out in open water when I shouldn't have. 1-3' is not a good idea for family boating in that craft.

However it is important that you get experience in these things and see for yourself. Find some place where you can launch in protected water but go out to where it's rougher,(without complainers on board--leave the wife at home, bring the boys!) run around some, and come back. Look how different it is going into the wind and with the wind. learn how to trim your bow up, how to vary your speed, angles of approach, etc. Run the troughs. Practice on large wakes, too, whenever you can.

Someday you will go out when it's calm and have to come home in the slop. You have to know your boat. Almost any boat, with the right captain, can survive almost any condition. Not comfortably or dry, though.

Know what the reports mean for your waters. Wind direction can be more important than wind speed. here, tides running against the wind can almost double the wave height. WOuld be the same with large rivers I suppose. 3' swells are nothing for your boat but 3' chop would be a struggle.

On your boat be sure your bilge pump on the float switch is working. Our first starcraft you just pulled the plug!

I do a lot of open water boating now (in a little larger boat) so I have gone out in everything and now know when the WX says wind at A gusting to B from the CD direction, plus tides, exactly what I'm facing and decide from there how the conditions are for hearty fishermen, family fishing, family cruising, fair weather boating, etc.

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Marine weather forecast

... 3' swells are nothing for your boat but 3' chop would be a struggle...

The OP is headed for the great lakes. Erie/Ontario.
We never get to see SWELLS like you do on the ocean. I wish we did!
Three footers on the Great Lakes are usually beyond the Whitecap stage, they are breaking waves.
No place for any boat under 30 feet Plus.
The recreation boat crowd will be in harbor in three footers.

It has been said, "The Great lakes are just like being on the Ocean, Only Worse!"

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Marine weather forecast

I guess I didn't say it well but that was the point I was trying to make: conditions that sound similar are not at all similar in different boating environments. In this example, height is almost irrelevant; it's the type of wave. The distance between waves (swells) is another essential factor to know.

Weather reports, however, almost speak in shorthand, or clues, but not complete information. Here, wind speed without wind direction is useless information (except in extremes obviously). Even the depth of the body of water matters.

I'm glad to learn there are no swells on the great lakes; I had wondered if being so large, they might get them. Also are currents a factor there, or just at the mouths? On a large river, does wind against the current cause the waves to stand up like it does in tidal water?

 

[Lowe170]

Re: Marine weather forecast

Boating safety course?

 

[catbones]

Re: Marine weather forecast

Boating safety course?

Been there done that and nothing to prepare you for the real world stuff, passed with a 97%. I was just I guess asking to learn and from my own stupidity. It was pretty damn crazy choppy anyways seen a nice big cruiser out there having some fun making folks dance on it. I'll stick to my rivers and lakes down around here, like finger lakes nice and smooth.

Choppy on lake ontario but nice and smooth on lake erie that same day, very interesting. Btw, for anyone wondering this was to get as much info from you guys, experienced guys compare to me just taking it out, reading, studying, etc.. i do that normally anyways already.

Cheers!

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Marine weather forecast

I'm glad to learn there are no swells on the great lakes; I had wondered if being so large, they might get them. Also are currents a factor there, or just at the mouths? On a large river, does wind against the current cause the waves to stand up like it does in tidal water?

No currents to speak of. You could out swim them.
The Western Half of lake Erie is essentially a 100 mile pond. 20-30 ft is considered Deep Water.
The rivers are too Narrow and too Twisty to build anything. Never tried the Niagara!
The wind will make anything stand up.
We get about 1 foot per 10 mph. And anything much over a foot is a No Go in an 18 ft bow rider.
I am ticked to death if I ever get above 3000 rpm or 25 mph out in the open.
Almost never happens except right at sunset.

The direction is the overwhelming factor.
That is why the OP saw Ontario Choppy and Erie Flat with a North/East wind.
I am jealous, one lake will always be good when the other sucks!

Offshore winds are great for about 2 miles out.
Onshore wind are a Killer!
Wind along the shore allows hiding in the lee of land "Points."
That makes water skiing possible when the main lake is in 1 foot chop.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Marine weather forecast

If it's a tri hull, bring your dentist along.