Horrible conditions

[codprawn]

Went out for a blast yesterday in my nice much faster RIB. We never normally have easterly winds - the windspeed was about 30mph and the sea didn't look very rough - waves about 3 or 4 feet high and about the same apart.

Give me a westerly with 15' waves any day - it was horrible out there. Got soaked for the first time in my RIB - good fun though. Took 2 mates who are in the forces out for a spin - they had never been on anything smaller than a ferry before but they loved every minute of it.

Never seen such confused seas - how do you drive them when they are like that? It was really hard work and very tiring. Bit like the infamous solent chop I suppose?

Had great fun when we came back in - racing the jetskis and keeping up with them - bet we would have left them further out though!!!

[Johnwin]

I was out yesterday in the severn, went out from cardiff bay and had a spin around flatholm.
It was my first trip out in the ribtec and to say it was rougher than I expected would be an understatement. As we came out of the barrage we had to head into wind the first few waves were big and steep, on one the wind was keeping the hull up and I flashed back to that RNLI video of the rib flipping

When we were out in the estuary it was rough confused and wet, a real white knuckle ride -- great fun had by all

[codprawn]

At least you can have a good play inside the bay - no speed limits thank God!!! If you find yourself in a situation where you need more weight up front just use mobile ballast - your passengers!!!

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by codprawn

Went out for a blast yesterday in my nice much faster RIB. We never normally have easterly winds - the windspeed was about 30mph and the sea didn't look very rough - waves about 3 or 4 feet high and about the same apart.

Give me a westerly with 15' waves any day - it was horrible out there. Got soaked for the first time in my RIB - good fun though. Took 2 mates who are in the forces out for a spin - they had never been on anything smaller than a ferry before but they loved every minute of it.

Never seen such confused seas - how do you drive them when they are like that? It was really hard work and very tiring. Bit like the infamous solent chop I suppose?

Had great fun when we came back in - racing the jetskis and keeping up with them - bet we would have left them further out though!!!

Yep sounds just like the Solent!

[Rodan]

yes, like the solent yesterday...

[ollyit]

Originally Posted by Johnwin

I was out yesterday in the severn, went out from cardiff bay and had a spin around flatholm.
It was my first trip out in the ribtec and to say it was rougher than I expected would be an understatement. As we came out of the barrage we had to head into wind the first few waves were big and steep, on one the wind was keeping the hull up and I flashed back to that RNLI video of the rib flipping

When we were out in the estuary it was rough confused and wet, a real white knuckle ride -- great fun had by all

yeah that video is well bad! - serious respect, I hate seas like that with the wind under the hull specially in a 4metre!!

[Johnwin]

"specially in a 4metre!! "

Dread to think what it would have been like in my searider, its got sit down seating and the waves would seem twice as big.

[ollyit]

corr yeah, sitting down would be even more mental !!

[Nos4r2]

Let me at it

[Biggles]

Down Matt, you'll only get wet

[Nos4r2]

I'll tie the flask and camera in this time

Besides, I always get wet

[Ezgoing]

We too were out and travelled from Dun Laoghaire to Malahide and return. Whilst in Malahide we heard the small craft warning on the radio and got the full force of the weather on the way home. Thankfully the redbay is brilliant in these conditions and the children and Mrs Ezgoing enjoyed it all.

"how do you drive them when they are like that? It was really hard work and very tiring."

On leaving Malahide we noticed a Gemini 6 metre and their story is a salutory lesson in what not to do. The gemini had a driver in a centre console and two couples sitting on the tubes. At this time of year I always havethe boat well ballasted to give comfort to the ride. Yesterday we had approx 230 litres of fuel plus two anchors.

Alas the gemini was very badly ballasted. When we reached the end of Malahide channell the entrance bar was breaking. I slowed down and had a quick chat with the family and made sure all lines were secure before starting into the surf. I had my engine fully trimmed in. By now the gemmini was in front and we could see he had the boat trimmed very high and she appeared very light in the water. In the surf at the bar the Gemmini got an awful hammering. Every time the driver tried to put the power on the boat purpoised and was thrown skyward by the waves. We ran alongside them and by now the four passengers were on their knees on the floor, very badly freightened, and getting very cold in their light weather gear. We drove on past them in comfort and decided to wait for them to get through.

Sure enough the next time I looked around they were lying broad side to the waves and in danger of getting capsised. We went back into the surf to help and suggested they drop anchor to keep the boat head to sea whilst we got a tow line ready. They did. When we came around again to take on the tow they had managed to restart their engine and with some difficulty they got through.

we stayed company on their jorney home which for them was wet and miserable and very bouncy.

Lessons learnt, I hope:
Ballast your boat for the vonditions.
Have anchor ready
Keep engine trimmed in into head sea.

Rgds

[codprawn]

My boat is also good in the rough - couldn't trim the engine in for a head sea as it was coming from all over the place!!!

Good on you for sticking with the smaller boat. Sounds like they should have put some passengers up front to keep the bow down.

Know what you mean about a heavy boat though - I had 500 litres of fuel on board - boat never felt remotely dangerous.

[pathalla]

Ah the confused sea.... this is where a little mass can help you at times Cod, a HEAVIER boat can smash the waves instead of being smashed, this of course, depends upon the size of the wave sets. For instance, my boat is almost always ballasted with 250 gallons U.S. of fuel (I like full tanks) and being robustly built, it is an awesome wave smasher! It cruises nicely in waves up to five feet, beyond that we start getting bounced around. The only drawback is less speed due to weight, this I can live with as I prefer a nice ride over a high top speed. Ezgoing's point about ballast shows his experience, seasoned I'd say...

[ollyit]

Originally Posted by Ezgoing

We too were out and travelled from Dun Laoghaire to Malahide and return. Whilst in Malahide we heard the small craft warning on the radio and got the full force of the weather on the way home. Thankfully the redbay is brilliant in these conditions and the children and Mrs Ezgoing enjoyed it all.

"how do you drive them when they are like that? It was really hard work and very tiring."

On leaving Malahide we noticed a Gemini 6 metre and their story is a salutory lesson in what not to do. The gemini had a driver in a centre console and two couples sitting on the tubes. At this time of year I always havethe boat well ballasted to give comfort to the ride. Yesterday we had approx 230 litres of fuel plus two anchors.

Alas the gemini was very badly ballasted. When we reached the end of Malahide channell the entrance bar was breaking. I slowed down and had a quick chat with the family and made sure all lines were secure before starting into the surf. I had my engine fully trimmed in. By now the gemmini was in front and we could see he had the boat trimmed very high and she appeared very light in the water. In the surf at the bar the Gemmini got an awful hammering. Every time the driver tried to put the power on the boat purpoised and was thrown skyward by the waves. We ran alongside them and by now the four passengers were on their knees on the floor, very badly freightened, and getting very cold in their light weather gear. We drove on past them in comfort and decided to wait for them to get through.

Sure enough the next time I looked around they were lying broad side to the waves and in danger of getting capsised. We went back into the surf to help and suggested they drop anchor to keep the boat head to sea whilst we got a tow line ready. They did. When we came around again to take on the tow they had managed to restart their engine and with some difficulty they got through.

we stayed company on their jorney home which for them was wet and miserable and very bouncy.

Lessons learnt, I hope:
Ballast your boat for the vonditions.
Have anchor ready
Keep engine trimmed in into head sea.

Rgds

some good tips there mate

[Lostboy]

Originally Posted by Rodan

yes, like the solent yesterday...

You must have been out in the afternoon, in the morning it was very smooth. As tide turned it got mucky around Cowes (12 - 12.30ish). We were rounding Prince Consort at that time and it was just starting to get the jelly on.

[Rodan]

Originally Posted by Lostboy

You must have been out in the afternoon, in the morning it was very smooth. As tide turned it got mucky around Cowes (12 - 12.30ish). We were rounding Prince Consort at that time and it was just starting to get the jelly on.

yeah, about 12.30 (not too bad then) out and returned 17.30 when it was very lumpy mid solent for a few minutes. good fun!

[Nos4r2]

Total change from Friday morning then?

I was coming along the M27 in an artic and could see Portsmouth harbour over the fences. It was so calm at 7.30am that you could see the reflections of the ships in the harbour. Hell of a sight.

[Stormchild]

A couple of weeks back i went out single crewed on a saturady afternoon and launched at slack water (Low). The intention was to do a spot of fishing, the result was a rough weather handling exercise.
I gave the Cg a shout to let them know who I was, what i was doing, where i'd be going and when I'd be back etc. All the usual safety stuff. With full tanks, extra weight in the anchor locker, I made my way out with following seas to about a mile SSE of flamborough head, where the day tripper fishing fleet was anchored off. Once out, the full force of the wind became evident and it was blowing a constant 5 gusting 7, but the sea's werent massive. Got on scene, dropped the hook, baited up and the tide turned. It was springs and within about 25 - 30 minutes the sea's became intolerable with wind against tide, - steep, high waves, almost like standing waves, the anchor dragged into deeper water, and wouldnt hold and i made a decision to run for the cover of the headland to shelter from the wind - still intent on a spot of fishing... By now the spring flood was screaming round the head and the surf was up. i decided enough was enough and I wasnt going to get ay fishing done, so headed home. To get their I had to go through the bd stuff.
With the engine trimmed right in and making 6.5 knots, it was very slow going and then I went up a wave, the wind caught the bows and she didnt drop into the other side. I reckon the boat went 65 - 70 degree's, almost vertical and momentarily my backside gripped tighter than lester piggots accountant. I honestly thought the boat was going to come over backwards. I got dropped backwards into the trough with a hell of a lot more water coming over the transom than i was comfortable with. fortunatley my bilge pump died last month nd has been upgraded to an 800gph model which did its job. Despite all of the weight, i wasnt heavy enough for the conditions and made my way into the shallows where the waves were smaller....I got out to tell the tale, but have set my sights on a bigger boat.

[codprawn]

Sounds well dodgy - maybe smaller RIBs should come with bow ballast tanks as standard???