Too Small for Ocean?

[dbleagledave]

Hello all,
I own a 1968 18ft glasspar with a v-hull. I am relocating to Eureka Ca. and was hoping to get some experienced opinions on whether or not this boat would be safe to take out into the open water of the Pacific ocean. What do ya think? All advice appreciated

It has a rebuilt 4 cylinder(very reliable so far) and I put a johnson 9.9 kicker motor on it. Also it has the Vhf marine radio, I also installed an extra bilge pump

DW

 

[dbleagledave]

is this safe?

is this safe?

Hello all,
I own a 1968 18ft glasspar with a v-hull. I am relocating to Eureka Ca. and was hoping to get some opinions on whether or not this boat would be safe to take out into the open water of the Pacific ocean. What do ya think?
I have never operated a boat in the ocean so any and all advice is very much appreciated

It has a rebuilt 4 cylinder(very reliable so far) and I put a johnson 9.9 kicker motor on it. Also it has the Vhf marine radio, I also installed an extra bilge pump

DW

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: is this safe?

Re: is this safe?

some days yes, some days not. as in any other water. totally dependent on conditions.

 

[QC]

Re: is this safe?

Re: is this safe?

With good weather reports, good seamanship, good understanding of the local water, smarts and some luck. Probably. But You could get in huge trouble very fast. Hang around down by the marinas and shoreline, piers etc without your boat for a whole year, see what others are doing, how others are prepared etc. This will help you a lot. The VHF and kicker are very important.

BTW, welcome aboard iboats!!!

 

[KurtG]

Re: is this safe?

Re: is this safe?

I don't know what big water experience you've had, but I agree with the others and suggest you try to connect with other experienced locals to go out in the area to gain some experience with the local conditions before even thinking about your own boat.

Big water gets nasty fast.

When I was young, our family went on a sailboat trip. We left port in 3' rollers and got caught in a bad storm. The waves went to 10' inside a few hours and eventually rose to 30' breakers pretty quickly. It wasn't any fun,we were stuck at sea for 2 days in the mess.

In grad school it was a standing joke that I would go out to sample in my canoe (on the bay) when the captain said it was too rough to take out the school's 65' r/v, but I haven't had too many thoughts about venturing back offshore.

 

[dingbat]

Re: is this safe?

Re: is this safe?

For a trained and experianced seaman a row boat may not too small. For the untrained Wilber Weekender, the Queen Mary may not be big enough to keep himself out of trouble.

BTW: More boats are lost offshore from structural and mechanical failures in the hull and acts of stupidity than from weather.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

Double post huh??

 

[kaferhaus]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

Guess he didn't like the answers he was getting in the other one!

If you have to ask this question then yes the boat is too small for YOU to take out on the ocean. Sounds like you need a lot more experience before venturing offshore.

Take the advice that was given in the other thread you started with the same topic.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

I do not know the Eureka area but do boat in the Pacific Ocean mostly out of Bodega Bay 30 miles North of San Francisco. It depends on a lot of thing as to weather it is safe or not but your boat is ok for a lot of days.

Down here in the Bodega Area I see boats as small a 10 foot open aluminum boats out on the Ocean. Other days the 65 foot by 24 wide party boats do not go out. My boat is 21 feet aluminum runabout and I do not launch for the open ocean if the seas are larger than 8 foot or closer together than 8 seconds. Have been out in 9 foot swells every 6 seconds but not much fun so we came in real early.
Most important is you have to be willing to say it too rough today. In General the late spring and early summer are the roughest times. At Bodega in spring and early summer the sea average about 5 foot every 9 seconds. In fall is by far the best time. Winter can be great with flat seas or it can be 30 foot swells. It just depends on if there are storms out to sea or pounding the shore. Between storms can be great. Winter is also the time when most likely to get a confused sea which I feel is the most dangerous. With big swells heading one way and the surface wave and breaker heading another way.

Load on the boat can make a big difference and how you load the boat also makes a big difference.

Best to start out only going out on the really nice days and as you gain experience you will know what safe for your vessel. Always remember shallow water equals breakers and even on a nice day every so many swells you will get on double the size.

Find the nearest weather Buoy for your area. It may be point Arena but not sure. Down here all summer long the Swells are out of 320 degrees and very only 5 degrees or so all summer. Winds usually lighest in the early AM and strongest in the late afternoon. Also if it foggy and you see the sun coming out to the NNW you can bet it going to get windy fast with winds often over 37 Knots and higher gust. This means wind blown breaker on the tops of many swells.

Be cauious and error on the side of saftey. You must respect the Sea.
When it gets real rough Slow down.

With a following sea take the trim all the way off and ride the back of the swell but close enough to the top of the swell you can see over so you do not hit another boat coming out. Always keep one hand on the throttle and do not go over the swell.

Have fun and come in early so you can enjoy another day.

 

[QC]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

I merged the two threads . . .

 

[AGENT 37]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

The Humboldt Bay area is notorious for its fog, as well as most of the Oregon and Washington coast. That gets people into trouble faster than anything there. It is a relatively narrow entrance to a small port on a huge coast of surf and rocks. Boats have been flipped over out in the surf trying to poke their way into the bay through the fog and people have been killed.

Situational awareness is of the utmost importance. To have that you need to be intimately familiar with everything; your boat, electronics, the area, and the conditions, and most importantly your ability. There are so many uncontrollable variables, you must take control of what you can.

Do not venture out into the Pacific without a means of navigation and a backup (ie compass, mounted GPS, and a back-up hand-held GPS. It is good to have a VHF radio, but it is better to have a battery powered waterproof hand-held back-up as well in the event that your electrical system on the boat fails or the boat departs for the bottom.... leaving you floating in 50 degree water. A small 406 MHZ epirb is also great life insurance, such as a ACR aquafix PLB.

I am a coast guardsman who has been broken-hearted flying back more than one body recovery for someone who thought that the un-thinkable would not happen to them. I personally have run 50 miles off of the Oregon Coast in my old 18' boat on several occasions, but I was better prepared and equipped to survive than most commercial fishing crews that are routinely hundreds of miles out.

I always wear my life jacket on the water and require my passengers to do the same.... regardless of conditions. I expect you to do the same. Eureka is a wonderful place. Have fun. But remember even the nicest of days can and do turn deadly. Please take it slow and learn while you go.

 

[dbleagledave]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

thank you for the great advice-

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

i have a 18' boat that I use on the flats and rarely go in deeper water and this is in the Gulf of Mexico..Ive seen it go from calm to 4'ers quickly..Ive never felt for my life but it wasn't comfortable. so no I would not take your 18'er in the pacific..You are inexperienced and I have no knowledge of the pacific other than what I see on TV.

 

[AGENT 37]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

Inside of Humbolt Bay there is good fishing for california halibut. But there are a lot of shallow mud flats to get stuck on as well. A detailed chart is a must. Even boating inside of the bay can get risky, there is an extremely fast and dangerous ebb current near the mouth of the bay when the tide is dropping that pulls things (disabled boats) out towards the Pacific and also stacks up the waves coming in from the ocean. Learn the tide cycles and know what they mean. Big outflows (going from high-high tide to low-low tide) turn the bar treacherous on the calmest of days.

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

DB, there is some good advice given above, particurlay as regards getting to know your local waters and weather patterns. I have a 16' 6" deep V boat that I take into the Gulf of Mexico. There is a good fishing ground about 30 miles out that I like to hit. However, I pick my days carefully.

- I know the local waters and approaches from the Gulf.

- Weather is obviously important. I make sure that I have at least a good 48 hour weather forecast. Yes, things can change and the forecast can be wrong, but I won't even consider it unless I have a good forecast to start with. Check the forecast again on the weather band before you go ropes-off.

- I make sure that I have a prevailing onshore breeze (as opposed to an offshore breeze). No exceptions.

- Engine Maintenance. I keep my engine in as near-to-perfect condition as I can. I will not venture out if anything is even slightly sketchy. This costs money.

- The fuel system (tank, filter and lines) is critical. It needs to be perfect, which means no old hoses, no bad o-rings, and absolutely positively no water in the fuel.

- The electrical system needs to be in top shape. Not just good enough - but really good. If something is showing signs of corrosion or intermittent operation, then repalce it. The batteries and charging system needs to be reliable. Silicon grease can prevent a lot of worries in salt water.

- Safety gear. Everyone wears life jackets all of the time. No exceptions. I have two PLBs (with GPS) on board. Two lucky contestants get them attached to their life jackets. Fire extinguishers, flares, etc., all of the usual stuff. Compass, GPS, VHF, and all the electrickery you need....

- At least a case of water on board before heading out past the jetties.

Just ease into it gradually and keep challenging yourself to be more prepared each time that you go out. Exercise good judgement, be really anal retentive out maintenance on your rig, and you'll gradually gain the expreience that you need. Easy does it.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

Perhaps a trip or two with a local experienced boater...See if he will give you the wheel for a bit when the rollers get a bit dicy....One last thing On big open water you cannot go to Wot and get out of harms way's... a mile off shore can turn into a nightmare...

Live and learn...but learn well. Good luck

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

I take my 17 footer out often. The big thing is start out in well shelter waters and work into larger waters. Learn the water ways as you would on a lake and be prepared. Its like anything you get more comfortable with experience. Play it safe as others have said things can go wrong in a hurry.

Have fun as the ocean is a cool place to boat.

 

[Dovekie]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

Great comments all & I agree with advice. I think that you are wise to ask. A reason, for me, that this forum is v. worthwhile. Good luck.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

I take my 17 footer out often. The big thing is start out in well shelter waters and work into larger waters. Learn the water ways as you would on a lake and be prepared. Its like anything you get more comfortable with experience. Play it safe as others have said things can go wrong in a hurry.

Have fun as the ocean is a cool place to boat.

Welcome to the Pacific Ocean. I agree, "well shelter waters and work into larger waters", but outside of Humboldt Bay, there is not any sheltered waters. Fog, currents, waves, sleeper waves, and no emergency landing beaches make the coast pretty dangerous.

I bought my Whaler to do what you want to do, but I live in Sonoma County so I have Lake Mendocino, Lake Berryessa, Clear lake and Lake Sonoma to play in before I head out of Bodega Bay. I also used a Whaler in the SF Bay before I bought the boat. A bilge pump doesn't count when you in a trough of a wave that makes you appreciate the magnitude of a small ten foot wave. Boats like the Whaler are foam filled, that gives you a hull to hang on if something happens.

So my advice to you is:
1) to stay in the bay for the first couple of trips
2) talk to the locals
3) watch the radar maps before you go out
4) listen to the radio for tides, wave and surge warnings
5) fog is big up there
6) follow the coast guard safety regulations for flotation and flares
7) monitor the weather reports while out
8) tell someone where you are at and stay to the plan, cell phones don't work
9) write back to let us know if the boat was a good fit ....... or whether you are going to trade it in for a Whaler

 

[QC]

Re: Too Small for Ocean?

Much further south, but ebry's "sleeper wave" reminded me of a Rogue wave that we hit in a 70' charter boat coming out Cisco Landing (Oxnard). I am not going to guess at size, as I suck at that, but we just cleared the breakwater so no way to run and she was too slow anyway. We went straight up this face in a 70 footer to the point where we were all sort of weightless as she went over. BIG wave.

Check out this pic of a Pacific Rogue as it was breaking in front of Morro Bay, the boat is George C. Scott's Mojo, also a 70 footer. No photo shopping all real and well documented.