BoatBanter.com - Listen to VHF prior to departu

Cruised up to Port Townsend this weekend. Spent Saturday night at Port
Hudson Marina (built eons ago as a quarantine station for steamship
passengers). Woke up this morning to 20-25kt southerlies, and the
prospect of a 4-hour beating through head seas all the way back to
Seattle. Ratz.

Weather radio forecast moderating winds by early afternoon. We set out
about 11 AM, figuring that by the time we cleared the Port Townsend
canal and Oak Bay and met the fetch from Hood Canal off Foulweather
Bluff the wind might be down a bit, (or not), but as long as winds were
not exceeding our standard "stay put" number of 25 kts we were willing
to splash and thrash our way back to Seattle.

There was an owners' rendezvous group at Port Hudson, and I knew
several of that group would be also want to head back to Seattle.

Two thirds of the way down Port Townsend waterway, we came across a
large log that was completely awash and extremely difficult to see in
the chop and spray. (Not technically a deadhead, as a deadhead floats
vertically and this bad actor was still floating horizontally). There
was once a time when people would drive spikes with red flags into
these hazards, but I hadn't any spikes or flags aboard and conditions
were rough enough that I would be hesitant to get close enough to the
log to spike it. (Boat could lift and slam down on top of the log). I
broadcast a "Securite" on 16, giving the coordinates of the log. One
boater responded and asked me to repeat the coordinates.

Meanwhile, back at the marina a couple of miles up the bay, some of the
rendezvous crowd apparently decided to make a group "run" back to
Seattle. They should have been listening to the radio prior to
departure.

By the time we cleared the S. end of the Port Townsend Canal, (where a
4-kt flood current collided with 25 kt southerlies across a shoal to
set up some *very* interesting whirpools and standing waves), we heard
one of the rendevous boats calling to alert others in his group that he
had just hit a log. (Same log, almost without a doubt, based on
location).

Moral of the story; it wouldn't hurt to listen to the VHF for 10-15
minutes prior to departure- just in case there are any hazards or
emergencies to deal with in the vicinity.

The wind did finally die down south of Point No Point, but not before
we got the crap kicked out of us rounding that point.
On a day when 25-knots was generating 3-4 footers with mares'tails
and a lot of spray, we got into that messy rip off of No Point
at the same time one really powerful rogue gust blew up. We had
confused, steep seas with at least 6's, if not 7's. One poor guy in
about a 25-foot C-Dory type boat had started west from the point just
before we got there, and he was forced to turn around and beat it back
to the lee side of the point. For a minute, I thought he wasn't going
to make it- but he did. (IMO, he barely had any business being out
there at all). To make things really interesting, we met a north bound
trawler on a directly opposite heading and the pilot was apparently
reluctant to change course in (what for him were) severe following
seas. Our boat got beam to, briefly, doing all the steering required to
make a port-to-port passing. Then to make create consitions that were
truly memorable, a monster container ship was rounding the point at the
same time and before we got free of the breaking 6's we had the steep
rollers of his wake thrown into the mix. As the wipers went into
hyperdirve and sal****er began leaking through the cabintop, I was
reminded that I have a couple of places up there that need to be
caulked every fall. It was one heck of a "yee-haw!" ride. (For a split
second I wondered if we would make it, but we did). My wife knows the
rules, no screaming underway, and as she was shortly thereafter running
around the boat and picking up all the stuff we only *thought* we had
stowed adequately I commended her on her self control. She said, "I
can't scream when I'm holding my breath!" Four hours of just slightly
exciting, 5 minutes of borderline scary- a typical shoulder season day
on the boat. :-)

Not too far south of Point No Point, the wind finally relented. We had
mostly 2-3 footers, with the rare 4, from there to Seattle. I sure hope
that guy who hit the log made it back OK, but as he was cruising with a
group he had plenty of help nearby if he needed it.