is the bayliner 175 a safe boat in rough sea conditions?

[This_lil_fishy]

Re: is the bayliner 175 a safe boat in rough sea conditions?

Got caught on Lake Ontario one time when the wind shifted comming in off the lake. Eventually the waves made it to about 2', with small white caps. I was in a very narrow 14' closed bow fiberglass with a 50hp merc. Now the bow was shaped very much like Gary's Chris Craft, so going into the waves was a no brainer, and no stress at all, not a drop of water over the bow. However, I had to get to the dock which put the waves either at the stern or crossing me on the port side. Stern was fine, I just varied my speed to stay on the upslope of the waves as much as possible to prevent the waves from flooding over the transom, but the cross waves were super scary. By the time I made it to the dock I was mentally and physically exhausted. I never panicked, but had a few scary moments, but just the physical and mental excersion from keeping the boat safe sapped every ounce of strength from me. Another half hour, and I would have had to beach her, cause I wouldn't have lasted longer...

...so short answer...I don't even bother going out if the conditions are poor, and my new bowrider is almost 22' long with the swim platform.

Ian

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: is the bayliner 175 a safe boat in rough sea conditions?

if you have to ask ..the awnser would be NO!
i hope you enjoy your boat but know what you are getting into.

 

[180shabah]

Re: is the bayliner 175 a safe boat in rough sea conditions?

Quick answer.......NO.

Long answer..........NO WAY!

Can't make it any clearer.

 

[Philster]

Re: is the bayliner 175 a safe boat in rough sea conditions?

Since a fair number of people are reading this thread, I just wanted to add something relevant to bow riders and rough seas. Should you find the need to navigate rough seas because of a turn of events, keep this in mind. It might save your life.

I am 42. I grew up operating bow riders, from 17 to 21'. I did it all around Cape May, NJ. That is the intercoastal waterway, the Delaware Bay, the inlets and the ever-so-challenging Cape May Point (rip tide central). Of course, the Atlantic Ocean taught me more than I ever thought I'd need to know.

The inlets alone will school you on a few things. An ocean inlet with massive rollers coming in and heavy fishing boat traffic can make you understand how to handle 20' waves. It was not uncommon to watch 60' vessels disappear behind a roller... one that was yours next.

There is a certain set of rules about V-bottom boats (most bow riders are indeed V bottom hulls) that often don't apply. The traditional method of using a V to slice through waves is really not the absolute preferred method if the bow is open. The nose of a closed-bow, deep V can take a head-on strike and make use of buoyancy. Do that more than once with a bow rider and all bets are off. Your life now hangs on a bilge pump.

You need to watch every wave that can come over the bow. You need to trim so that the bow is up, but not so much that it works to be unsafe in-and-of itself. You need to do some riding over waves. You need to take waves at a slight angle -- not so much as to be broadsided, but so that the nose is not wanting to split the wave, dive and take on some water.

In short, you need to get to know your boat well. How well does the bow rise when power is applied? How can you adjust your angle of attack so that waves are mostly deflected? Can you sense the rhythm and timing needed for the wave frequency? Is the engine responsive and strong enough to work it over waves.... even breakers? Can you play the engine and steering like a musical instrument with the seas?

And breakers?! Well, they are just hell staring at you and laughing at you.

I was a punk when I was a kid: Cocky, gutsy, and just lucky. But I was smart with my feel for a boat... and had good instincts. I could never learn those lessons as an adult, because I am more careful now. I ran my 18' Chappy behind fishing vessels coming out of inlets... only to watch those 60 - 80 foot boats roll over waves that took them out of my sight for 1-2 seconds. Then I would come back home via a different inlet, with breakers to jump, just to get back into a natural inlet that would save me ten minutes.

I've been on other folks' 28-foot Whalers, and they put me at risks in much lesser conditions. They had no instincts. I won't boat with them again. They don't understand squat about rough seas. They were probably safe and smart kids. I was the dummy who made all the mistakes. No education like mistakes, provided you live.

I probably got lucky a few times. A couple of times, I thought I was as good as dead.

Bow riders are fun in the back bays and lakes. Keep a cover on hand to close the bow up for rough weather/seas/traffic that surprise you. Have the bilge and backup bilge and batteries done right....And pay attention. If you can't get the boat, engine and steering to work in some sort of dance, you might not be a good dancer. Some aren't and never will be.

.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: is the bayliner 175 a safe boat in rough sea conditions?

I have a 195 br...... was out in 4 -6 foot waves a few times last season..the key is either to take it head on with the trim as far up as possible or if the wave is just really too big - go nose into it and at the last second cut to the left or right and have it go under you when you're parallel to the wave.

Had to do that a few times when the yachts come in and out at full power.

When we were looking at bayliners, the salesman would not let me even look at a 17 foot due to the fact that he knew we were taking it out in the sound.