On 10/30/2017 10:15 PM, wrote:
On Mon, 30 Oct 2017 19:17:25 -0400, Alex wrote:

Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 10/29/2017 12:35 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 28 Oct 2017 23:18:12 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

This could also be titled "How Not to Run an Inlet in Heavy Weather."
Burying the bow into the back of the wave in front is not unusual but
this is a bit extreme and with the wrong boat.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BayTiEmneTm/

Some guys I know were going out of the inlet at St James City into
those standing waves in a 24' Carolina skiff. at night. They got
sideways to the sea and flipped it. Everyone got out OK but it was
scary. They were able to swim home, get another boat and go get the
skiff.



There's a video somewhere on YouTube of a 48 foot sportsfish capsizing
in the same manner leaving Jupiter Inlet. The boat's captain fell out
and drowned.

Here's a video of some guys on a 34' center console approaching
Jupiter inlet. It shows how it gets rougher as you get closer to the
inlet due to the shallow water. (and this wasn't a really *bad* day.
The guy sitting in front of the console gets soaked at about 2:18 into
the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8notH7LZnM

That takes some expert throttle control.


===

Best strategy in my experience is to run slower than the waves with
the bow trimmed well up. Once you crest a wave and drive down into
the next one in front, you never know what's going to happen. I've
been on 50 ft sailboats where we've taken solid green water all the
way back to the mast after surfing into the wave in front.


I remember heading for an inlet to the ICW after an offshore run with
some very large, short period and fast moving swells following right on
the stern.

The channel was narrow, so there really was no choice but to head
directly towards the inlet. Every time the stern would lift as one of
the swells passed under the boat, I could feel the rudders lose bite and
the bow would plant it's self off in a totally different heading. It
was nerve wracking.