As Mike said, it was ROUGH! That was not exactly the water I wanted to learn driving this boat in but ask Mike, I think I did okay, but definitely lesson learned about keeping the nose tank full on those stupid rough days to help keep the nose down so she will fly straighter for towards the end of our run, the front kept coming way up on me and I was a little nervous but I made SURE I was throttling my azz off to not break anything in the drives or over rev the engines. Im getting the feel for it when the drives come out of the water (which was just about every time we hit a wave and went over it) I was too busy concentrating on not breaking anything or blowing anything up to look over to see the pitfalls we were flying over but ill tell you going straight out the inlet, and the waves progressively getting bigger, a 10 foot wave looks like well a mountain that you have to crash through the first one to get up on top, Once you are on top just hope you dont fall into the trough or the "hole" and do your best to keep top to top, but as far as what you see, Watch "The Deadliest catch" and you will know. All you say to yourself in a new boat and the first time being in those conditions, well only thing that comes to mind is "OH CHIT!!!! HOLD ON!" My arm still hurts from throttling that long last week! Just very surprised how much abuse this boat can take and keep on running without any problems. Something im not used to coming from my old boat.
I can tell you though I need to some how make some small platform with plenty of padding to stand on for your legs and feet take some major abuse pounding the waves for that length of time.
Something Im going to have to come up with and get some 3-4 inches of foam under some carpet to stand on.
Great ride, I have NO complaints about this boat at all.
Docking is becoming easier as well, I just about fit this 41 inside a tuna can when I picked up my wife that morning at the local restaruant, Mike thought I was going to crack up the boat, Nope, I could fit that thing in a tuna can if I had to!
Mike said he would buy me a bottle of whiskey after I pulled a 180 in a narrow canal and side stepped the boat into a 45 foot spot, picked up the wife and shoved off never touching anything or any body or other boats or anything, Just perfect.
J

KILLER!

HUGH thank you for that awesome description. You made me be able to "see". I got a RUSH just reading.

Congrats again JAYL13!

Here is what the waves in question look like!

Looks kind of cold for Florida!

Sound like a heck of a lot of fun! Congrats!

Yeah !

Very nice--
now get a video camera mounted on that boat!! I would love to see that action!

I didnt see you out there what time were you there? p.s........do not love anything that cant love you back...........also drop your tabs and keep the boat LEVEL.it works for me........mark..............

Had a run like that the first time out this year, it was Northeast winds at 15-25. Once we turned the hook and ran to the ocean it got interesting..... What a way to break the new drives in.

The Apache didn't shudder, twist or make any noises the whole time. My 36' thinks she's a 40 ft'er.... Then again, that's why we get Apache's right?

Nice to hear...............

That kind of water is what a 41 is all about. They are built for the rough water, not ICW cruising ala Top Guns!

(That ought to bring out some response)

As for looking dated, they look about as dated as a Gull Wing Mercedes!

You definetly found the right boat, it's unusual to buy a boat, take it out in that kind of water and not find some major issues.

Come on up to Daytona this afternoon, they are calling for 10 to 12 footers Debbie told me.