Over the years! I have been caught off shore several times. With the weather forecast... good!
And yep, I have been out there in a 17'er! Got caught coming in... nope I will never do that again... PERIOD! I start getting nervous about 5 miles off the beach, with that size of boat!
Yep, been out there in a 20'er! Got caught coming in... would have to think twice about doing it again! Guess what, I start getting nervous about 5 miles off the beach with this size of boat, with a kicker! It takes a long time to cover 5 miles when the main engine won't start and you come in on your kicker against an outgoing tide!
Yep, been out there in a 27'er I/O brand new, with kicker! And, can honestly say being towed 29 nautical miles by a sail boat traveling 4 knots is not a fun thaught! Thankfully, a friend came to my rescue!
No more trips off shore without twins! [:0]
Yep, was out there yesterday and got caught coming in... with my wife... she thought it was "a little choppy" in our 30' Boston Whaler! And, I was sitting there saying where did this s**t come from! This was NOT small craft warnings! Coming in the marina my wife tries to hand me her cell phone to get directions to our slip and I tell her to, "Just write the slip number down... I have my hands full right at the moment!" I was suddenly fighting 4/6 foot wind waves and 40/45 knot cross winds. It was a little interesting docking with white caps in the marina!
But you know even in this boat, I still get nervous when I am 15/20 miles off shore even in a boat designed for it! I quess it's because I have been caught and beat up so much!
I have been running up and down the West Coast just shy of 20 years! And, in nut shell... there is NO WAY I would go out that far in less than a 21/22', but seriously wouldn't feel comfortable without twins and I don't mean a kicker. The buddy system is a very good thing to have in any size boat. It happens more than "once in a blue moon"! And I wouldn't take a 18/20 foot boat out there in any weather! It's just asking for trouble.
Just my 2 cents!
Charlie
quote:Originally posted by juandesooka
"That sudden storm like yesterday is what I keep telling people about who say it's safe to fish swiftsure in an 18 ft boat. If the storm is local enough to get missed by the forecast you 're f*&^&ed if you're out that far. It only happens once in a blue moon but once would be enough..."