Full Force

iTrader: (5)

I have been told many times we were nuts once we got to the Island... there really isnt a whole lot of water that kept us from going, we pulled out years ago out of Sandusky Bay in my buddys 311 with 10-12's rollin hard... was a Friday guys night out, bewz cruise was turning around back to bay, buddy looked at me and said.. " dude go down and get the jackets, we will be fine" we made it and had a hell of a night!!!! that was intese ride in that 311!!!!

NEVERSATISFIED

NOAA is saying an occasional 28' on lake Michigan. That would be awsome to see.

Full Force

iTrader: (5)

Surewould be!!

dodsonartic1

At Kelleys now headed out in the morning should be a good ride

phragle

iTrader: (3)

I made a short run from monroe to toledo in a storm with a big north wind. Not sure how big the waves were but I stopped to take a leak and thanding up in the boat in the troughs the tops were over my head., I was running downhill doing about 35~40 just fast enough to stand the boat on the drives comming down the wave. Soaking wet, half frozen, when I got to the dock the money in my wallet was wet I was so soaked. one of the absolute funnest rides I have been on.


***DISCLAIMER***

Blow boat incident, you may stop reading now.

I was doing the Mills race a few years ago, blowing 25~35 fairly steady out of the west. We we just of the west side of south bass a little after dark and saw lightening back over Toledo, didnt think much about it because it was a ways away. got hit by two raindrops on the forehead and all hell broke loose for about 25 minutes. winds clocked at the airport on SBI a mile away from us were sustained for a brief period over 85. The only thing you can do on a blowboat when that happens is hang on and try and figure out in the dark while the boat is at a 75 degree angle, is try and figure out which way to swim if the thing sinks.

THRILLSEEKER

I can't count the number of times that I've gotten the " you were out in THAT?!" look from people. One year the East Side poker run separated the men from the boys when they had to call the event becase of big seas. 5 boats ran the entire run, the rest trailered to LYC and ran inside the breakwall down to Shooters.

The absolute worst was a trip back to Catawba from Detroit with Team Baja and XT Innovator, my 28 Cig, Dave's 29 Outlaw, and Ernie's 25 Outlaw. I filled up with fuel before leaving the Detroit River MISTAKE! We followed a freighter out into the lake and as soon as we split off in a different direction we found ourselves running in solid 8's. I could barely run on plane loaded with fuel and my cleavers kept blowing out, and the boat kept falling into DEEP holes.

About 40 min. into what ended up being a 3 hour trip I get a tap on the shoulder from my GF. Her best friend who had never been in an offshore boat was crumpled on the floor in the passenger bolster and there was blood all over the cockpit. She whacked her face on the passenger grab rail, split her lip wide open, and bled like a stuck pig for about 20 minutes. Needless to say it was a looong miserable ride home that involved a trip to the ER for one of my passengers.

I've fished offshore in the Keys for 10 years and boated On Erie for a little over that. I'll take rough ocean over rough great lake any day of the week. Anymore when NOAA calles for big water on the big pond my boat stays on the trailer or tied up to the dock. My passenger's safety is more important to me than sitting at the bar and comparing dick size over who can run in bigger seas.

Full Force

iTrader: (5)

Our Lake....

s022mag

Ditto on that.

As far as my Lake Erie horror story not nearly as bad as some people's storys but was pretty scary for me. I've been out several times in the washing machine scenero where water is come at you from every direction and trying to read it is impossible, but this story starts a few days before the 4th of July, I believe it was a Monday evening my gf and I decided to go to PIB over cumberland for a few days since she's never been. I always pay attention to the flags in peoples yards cause that is a good indication of how hard the wind is blowing and sure enough they were straight out. I was a tad nervous getting up there (we left from Delaware which is about 30-40 mins north of columbus) because it was a late start and I didn't want to be rushed. I was pulling my 23' Rinker Captiva cuddy so I was pretty cautious plus it was only my 4th trip to Erie.

When we got to Catawba State Park it was around 6pm and the waves were crashing into the break wall and water was getting up on the concrete and you could see it was prob 3-5's rolling in fast, I decided to hold off for a few hours so we went and ate dinner in Port Clinton and then came back to the same conditions. At this point I was like lets just stay the night here at the launch sometimes the mornings are calm, btw there wasn't any other boats out. Morning came and not much better maybe a tad but didn't fell comfortable so I told her we'll just take the ferry over and rent a golf cart for the day. About that time I saw what looked like a 19' foot fishing boat come out of the north to the launch and I asked the couple where they came from he said PIB and that he didn't spill his coffee either, I looked at the gf and said let's do it.

Most of the trip started out as the typical slop with the occasion 3-5 roller coming at you but enough time to change your direction to avoid it or prepare for it. I didn't run on plane much until I got closer to the SBI where the wind wasn't nearly as bad. What was bad was when we got to the opening of PIB on the north side of the island and that's where came into play. They were the biggest waves I'd seen, they were prob only 6-8's but they were coming from Canada and I told the gf there's no turning around we are closer to PIB then Catawba, luckly they were going the same way we were as we headed to the docks but they picked us up and laid us back down as gently as they could, no water over the bow and none over the transom, there were times when we were at the top of the wave and I'd look down and think and then when we were at the bottom with water all around us, it was so crazy my gf was on the floor of the boat with a life jacket on, the only boating she had ever done was cumberland, alum, and buckye. We made to A dock and spent 3 nights there. Had a great time the bay is real nice and quiet in the middle of the week compared to weekends.

Also when we got to the docks I asked the dockmaster if he saw a 19' fishing boat leave here this morning he said "yep, we were scratching are heads wondering what that guy was thinking going out there in that boat"

The pic of the waves was what it looked like when we first showed up to the launch.

RT930turbo

Only time i have EVER been sea sick in my 28 years. Mills race 2011.... what a ride!

snopro13

Full Force, I remember that day. My wife and I went to the Casino and then to the Marblehead Marina for a stop before going back to MDI. A friend of mine was on the Goodtime when she turned around to go back to port. He said a lot of people were scared and screaming becouse they thought the boat was going to roll when they turnd around!! I still had the 26 PowerQuest on that trip.