The only person in this thread I've seen seriously suggest a fun run in the rough to shake 'em all down owns a 46' Skater. Haven't seen anyone show any interest in throwing their hat in that ring, either.

Hmmm...

Are we talking the slop here ( LOTO ) or real wave action?
Next Summer pick a date to go north for a run.
Id love it and would go:crazy: boat choice is 41 Apache or my 40 Skater!!!

I miss the big pond Lake Michigan, waves coming over the bow of our 370 Sea Ray.

This sounds like a good idea for a new thread! Thumper, you mind if I start it?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you can probably name the location as far as water conditions are concerned. :)

But I don't want to speak entirely for this Skater and infringe on his freedoms. ;)

Have at it I'm in:boat:
Nothing like taking a set across 5 - 6 or 7's at speed :evilb:

I think given the nature of the beast, be it ocean or big pond, it would have to depend on the driver/owner.

The subjectivity of being hammered in rough water is dependent upon the driver willing to be beat upon, and how much. Equally important is the owner of the boat. While some may just beat the boat and themselves to death, others may not want to do this.

I suppose you could get into water rough enough where the boat is simply not capable of doing it. But I think it's the owner/driver that gives up first.

How would you rate such a challenge?

What are you trying to say LOL!

"FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK" :helmet:

[How would you rate such a challenge?[/QUOTE]

Smiles :lolhit:

Back to work for me :signs069:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt5jjNXMILI

In this video up to the 1:30 minuite mark we have only been running 30-40 mph and you can see the beating we are taking in the 46 skater. Needless to say it was really choppy. Then when the green flag went up us and almost 100 other boats took off, in the field there were 50' canopied Mystic race boats with turbines, outerlimits with canopies, apache's, big nortechs, ect. plus all of the worlds fastest pleasure boats. At the 3:05 minuite mark we let off and you can see the line of boats that are most of the fastest boats in the world way behind us. The closest boats to us were the canopied race boats with turbines and they were still 1/4 mile back. Keep in mind this was not just a fun run where people were going to go boating. At the dock for the last two hours before the run everyone was saying how they were going to out run everyone, people from there said they run in the rough water there everyday and that they would be in the lead, ect. we did not need to say anyting, we knew there was nothing there that would run with a 14 year old 46 skater that can run 140 in that water. (we went out for a test run and knew how rough it was). We were running in the 130 range for most of that run. We know that if the water had been smoother there were probably 15 boats there that would have beaten us but not in that water. After the first card stop it was rough enough that only 5 or 6 of us went on to the second card stop. We went to all of them. Video is Jim Lee in his 46 skater Freedom US1.

Well, that is certainly a good way to rate that challenge :lolhit:

cool video , also look's like some bobble head's rolling around :)

Tyson,
About 7 years ago I was considering purchasing a cat.
I had followed some of Jim's History in the 46.
Jim and I spoke on the phone in regards to the 46. He pretty much summed it up by stating " there is going to be faster cats out there However, when its rough you will be all by yourself"

We love running offshore up here...Island
hopping most of the time. Its just a great rough water ride.
Maybe someday Freedom and Knot Right could fly Wing to
Wing. Tell Skater brother Jim i was asking for him:drink:

Come to Miami or Key West this year. We will be running around down there!! Glad you still have your 46!! Mines for sale if anybody wants it. Its in the best shape ever!! :) Totaly refurbished.

All the people that talk about big waves on here saying there running in 6-8's and 10-12's and 300' to quater mile high waves, ect. When they show a video of it on here proves they were not in 8' waves just by the fact that they still have the camera. Any time we were in anything bigger then 5' the gopro cameras would decided to become scuba divers. What they dont realize is that your eye position in the seat of a 46 skater is about 5' above the water when your running and if you are in 6-8' you are looking up at waves that are right next to you. When there is another boat out there with you they will disappear for minuites at a time till you both end up on top of a wave at the same time. When we ran to the Bahamas in the make a wish poker run there were only 3 boats that made it more then 1 mile before turning around. Jim in the 46 skater, kenny in his 40 skater, and a 50 nortech v. Once we made it out 10 miles we were in big enough water that the other skater would be 1/4 mile sideways to us and we would loose site of him for 5 min then all the sudden we would be on top of a wave and he would be on top of a wave and see them for a few seconds then they would disappear again. In the end Jim in the 46 skater made it to the Bahamas first but the other two boats did make it. We all ended up going through 10-14' seas right outside bahamas. In those waves as you start going up the wave you are having to give it more gas then more gas then more gas just to make it up then you slow down over the top as you crash through the top and a 1-2' tall wall of water comes down the deck and soaks you. You know its getting rough when your camera bag floats by you in the cockpit. I will find the noaa report for the water between miami and bahamas that day and post it on here.

How big is this water? Serious question.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ5CT...4&feature=plcp

Where is that chopper pic of Jim and 1 or 2 other boats heading out while all the other boats are turning around?

This sounds like so much fun....great post.

I agree on the wave exaggeration.
How do you load VHS video on this site, (o crap my age) maybe some of my old friends that ran with us can verify the wave action we ran in real NOAA 5 - 7 's

if you notice how everything in the horizon disappears when the wave gets next the the boat and as it goes away from boat I would say they are a little bigger then the height of the camera. I would say the camera was around 5' above the water so the waves were probably 4'-6'

I took that video.... i was holding the camera about shoulder height. I always thought they were 6 footers. Sounds right.