rough weather handeling

antiqueboy · 29 August 2006, 20:03

looking for sea dogs who can advice us newbies in our first season on experiences with weather ie
out on monday coming back from cowes to chichester harbour with a following wind (f5/6) and sea. not terrible for the 6-8 meter ribs but as bad as i would like to be out in in a sub 5 meter rib with the wife.
i turned in towards chichester and the wind was blowing out of the harbour, must race around langstone and back out to sea.

the combination of the swell from the beam seas and the head wind vertually bought us to a stop, and the boat sat motionless on the back of a wave giving the impression we were going down by the stern, the engine was just slightly trimed out for the ride back from cowes so as not to stuff it, and after a few seconds i realised i needed to trim back in... and we were off again. lesson learn't.

i guess we will always learn something new and have to by expeirence, but is there a thread on this i can swot up on or can others let us know there experiences that may teach/help us newbies.

Rogue Wave · 29 August 2006, 20:35

Most instructors would advise PB2 stoodents to be very wary about going out in stiff conditions which that was for your boat.

Also it was a bit of a bad day on Monday because the metoffice didn't quite get the forecast right and the wind was a bit stronger than anticipated and the waves were quite proper. We took the tug out of Langstone at about 14:00 and for the next 6 hours wished we hadn't bothered. So I think you are right those kind of conditions are on the limit of comfort and safety for a shorter boat

Did this happen at the Bar to Chichester harbour?

A good book is rough weather handling by Dag pyke

my advice to get good rough weather experience is to get out there and get it gradually building up from a 3 to a five. swap the missus for a more experienced person ( I am talking about boating not your marriage) so that you don't have to be overly concerned for your passenger during the learning process and then take the missus out and show her how clever you are.

Also try and fins somebody to buddy up with you with a slightly bigger boat but not much bigger

Hit this page and type in Dag Pike in the seach box
http://www.alibris.com/search/search.cfm

also there are two Aarticles by Paul glatzel in this section of the forum which might quench you thirst fo knowledge this evening

http://rib.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=39

Rich L · 29 August 2006, 21:03

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9592
http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9591

Oh... Ok been done already...

Rogue Wave · 29 August 2006, 21:05

I think i might have been editing while you were posting

Rich L · 29 August 2006, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

I think i might have been editing while you were posting

Oh... I think i might have been editing while you were posting

antiqueboy · 29 August 2006, 21:51

yes this was coming in at the bar, wifey and i have both done the pb2 but i dont suppose either of us would make the best swimmers these days

rich i did find and read these articles, but thank you, i beleive the more experienced ribsters will all have a small tale to tell that my help us new folk, good or bad, im not after making any one looking foolish just good old fashioned experience and advice,but will they tell it.....

jyasaki · 29 August 2006, 23:06

Seems to be an echo in this thread...

jky

Jimbob · 30 August 2006, 07:43

The chichester bar is an interesting place and the type of conditions are not uncommon there.

when we go out/come in we oftern see hard boats rolling and pushing their nose into water, as it often passed them i used to think this is why i got a rib.

When i was coming in on a beam sea, i found that it was a test of my skill sometimes especially if the waves were coming over the bar to the west of the entrance. If you look at the URLs the chaps have provided then it will give you the best approach

I always took extra care here

AndyB007 · 30 August 2006, 08:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

....Also it was a bit of a bad day on Monday because the metoffice didn't quite get the forecast right and the wind was a bit stronger than anticipated and the waves were quite proper.

You can say that again! We returned to Southampton from Portsmouth Monday afternoon and the waves were BIG, even for a 6m+.

Yesterday afternoon was quite interesting as well, 40kt squalls reported in the East Solent! We were heading back from Poole and could see these vertical columns of rain in the distance, thankfully cleared away by the time we got there.

I still can't get over how different the various weather forecasts can be, and how wrong they can be (Met Office included!), even in the short term.

Andy

AndyB007 · 30 August 2006, 08:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

A good book is rough weather handling by Dag pyke

Do you mean 'Power Boats in Rough Seas' (1974) or 'Fast Boats and Rough Seas' (1989)?

Andy