Bowrider to Catalina?

BobGinCO

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
539
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

I'm pretty sure with some adjustments I can make it across safely in an 18ft boat if I've got the right equipment...

Absolutely. The right equipment would include a different boat.
 

OrangeTJ

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Aug 16, 2012
Messages
95
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

Oh, yeah "self bailing" is not the same thing as installing a scupper valve.
 

smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

Ted, you ARE NOT LISTENING.... The ONLY thing you can do to your boat is buy a good life raft, good lifejackets/survival suits, and epirbs for all passengers.

Don't worry tho.... hundreds of people who think like you end up dead every year so you aren't alone.


LOL @ SBL
 

Utahboatnut

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 15, 2009
Messages
785
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

Well you stated you boat at Mead often, I boat at Powell often and have been caught in some NASTY storms. Perfect skies relatively calm water to heavy winds, 3-5 footers, rain, etc. Had to pull into a cove on numerous occasions to weather a storm. I know mead is the same way have you experienced storms in your boat while there? i consider myself a pretty good skipper and would never dream of taking my 20 open bow to Catalina. No where to run, no where to hide, when it turns off bad. Please take the advise that has been given and dont chance it, or at least dont put others lives in jeopardy if you must make the trip as planned.
 

Pez Vela

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Messages
504
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

Walter Mitty style daydreaming is a pleasant way to spend our conscious hours. We all do it, even making preparations to carry out those dreams. Somewhere along the line though, common sense stabs us in the gut, and the daydreams of daring do are replaced by abject fear. So enjoy the dream and follow it through to the point where an alternate plan becomes the obvious choice. Make the road trip and enjoy the bay, venturing out to the channel entrance where you can look out to sea and assess your chances. The boat may be ready, but are you?
 

Chris N

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
36
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

you are FOOLING yourself... you CAN NOT MAKE THAT BOAT SAFE for the open sea short of putting it in a container on a cargo ship.

If you want to safely make such trips stop now, sell that boat, and buy one that will bring your friends and family home alive.
I agree withsmokeonthewater,,,I wouldn't go ANY distance off shore in a Bayliner. Bayliners are excellent fair weather boats and represent awesome value for fair weather boaters. The only way you will be assured of coming back alive is if there is some sort of guarantee that the weather isn't going to change for the worse. The problem is that once you're off shore, it doesn't matter how much respect you have for the ocean. There will simply NOT be enough time for you to out run certain types of unpredictable weather patterns, and a "fair weather" boat is not the type of vessel to be trying to outrun weather. When you're caught in a surprise storm every microsecond of your time will be spent keeping the boat afloat and underway and you can not rely on people with no off shore experience to step up to the plate in these circumstances and start running extra bilge pumps and making mayday calls. Most of them will probably be peeing their pants and barfing all over the floor,,, hence another good reason for self bailing cockpits. If you do go,, go with a crew who has off shore experience and in a boat that won't come apart at the seams at the hands of mother nature.
 

QC

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
22,783
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

This is not about brand ;) It is about design. Bayliner has many boats suitable for offshore use.
 

Chris N

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
36
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

Sorry,,, one more quick note. We met some new residents from Saskatchewan who went out and purchased their first boat, a 24 ft Four Winns bow rider. They asked my wife and I for a few boating lessons so they could gain some experience for storms and emergencies. We took them out into very windy conditions and purposely buried the bow a few times to give them a feel of what large waves can do and how to recover. Believe me please,,,, you DO NOT want these waves coming over the bow of an 18 footer in an uncontrollable situation. You will all drown,,,, it's as simple as that.
 

Chris N

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
36
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

This is not about brand ;) It is about design. Bayliner has many boats suitable for offshore use.
Not in 18 foot bow riders they don't!!!
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

we've commented on the boat, and occasionally touched on something just as, or more, important: the skill (including experience) of the captain in conditions that challenge his particular boat. The daredevils who know their stuff--perhaps those kayakers included--can make it in a too-small boat. But many a seaworthy boat has been lost at the hands of a novice.

The OP's all-lake experience, ill-informed belief that his boat is capable, and focus on devices used after disaster strikes, all point to a dangerous lack of ability to handle even mildly adverse conditions.
 

tednv

Seaman
Joined
Aug 6, 2012
Messages
60
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

I've been out on the lake a few times when waves were pretty bad, and once did get some water over the bow but it wasn't much. I absolutely get the point that open bow + big water = TERRIBLE idea. I also get the point that there are boats engineered for big water, and that you can sink an open bow boat feet away from shore in 3 foot waves. That said, the same model/length boat I have comes in cuddy/closed bow version, the only difference being the bow being closed

I plan on making a hardwood plywood cover that makes this boat a closed bow boat (strong enough for me to jump up and down on), adding a second bilge pump, and 2 scupper drains to make washing the deck easier :) Also will add a solid cover/door that closes off the bow from rear in case a big one comes up behind me (most bigger cuddy boats I've seen use a thin plexiglass panel as the engineered solution for that)

There are several threads of people doing the same thing and I would do plenty of testing before going out too far. I looked into getting a cuddy before buying my boat but since most of the time the boat is used in calm waters, it would have been a real pain getting off the bow at the beach with a cuddy. If I have a solid bow cover, drains that would drain water from deck without going into bilge, and an oversized extra bilge pump, that should be enough to handle plowing through a few waves

these two are great too:
The Submarine - YouTube
Caught on Video: People tossed around after boat hits large wake (9-02-12) - YouTube
 

foodfisher

Captain
Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Messages
3,756
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

You are not listening. I once was smarter than the old farts. Now I am one. Not a good idea. Edit: How many strands of kelp would it take to foul your one prop and leave you at the mercy of an ocean that has none?
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

while you're at it, add a ring of inflatable tubes like on a RIB, and a mast like a day sailer so if you run out of gas you can sail home.

sheesh.
 

smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

Hard headed... a cuddy built on the same hull as your boat STILL has no business on the ocean... it's not the top of the boat that will sink you it's the bottom.... there is a very big chance that you will go UNDER the wave instead of over and a few tons of water will smash your windshield and frame, break your nose and knock you out as it washes you overboard.
 

spoilsofwar

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Messages
1,124
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

Whatever happens, please come back and post your results after (if?) you get back from Catalina :)
 

JASinIL2006

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,524
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

**sniff** ***sniff**

Smells like troll in here....
 

Dawg'sLife93

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 4, 2013
Messages
245
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

Do your kids 2 favors, Leave them at home and leave them a fat insurance policy! Dumbass!
 

smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Re: Bowrider to Catalina?

also don't get me wrong... You very well may make it... Whether your chances are better than putting a single bullet in a revolver, spinning the cylinder, slamming it shut, putting it to your head and pulling the trigger are debatable tho.
 
Top