Got stuck in some 4'-5's (some 6's)
09-16-2019, 01:33 PM
#1
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Got stuck in some 4'-5's (some 6's)
Took my 242 across Saginaw bay (lake Huron) to tawas. Had some dinner and headed home. It really started kicking up about 7 miles off shore (25 mile trip) I has my wife and another couple with us. Took me twice as long to get home but it was sure nice to be standing on the dock. Waves were not consistent at all. I had to stand the whole way so I could read the waves and run the throttle. No bolsters so my legs were killing me. My buddy said the prop cleared the water 30 times. (I don't think it was quite that many) anyways, you really realize how small you are when you can't see land and you are in 4-6' waves. Boat handled good but I was spent by the time we got back. I was really wishing I had another 10' on the ol' girl.
I'm hoping I don't run into that again anytime soon. I think I have to tighten up the grab rails on the port side as my buddy was hanging on pretty tight.
I'm hoping I don't run into that again anytime soon. I think I have to tighten up the grab rails on the port side as my buddy was hanging on pretty tight.
09-16-2019, 02:01 PM
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Its not so much the size but the frequency, but glad you made it back!
Ive had my 272 out in 3-4 chop and it was a miserable beating. I’ve been out with 18’ swells with 30+ seconds in between and the ocean just more or less rose and fell. That’s obviously highly situational but a tib bit on how to read the weather reports.
Ive had my 272 out in 3-4 chop and it was a miserable beating. I’ve been out with 18’ swells with 30+ seconds in between and the ocean just more or less rose and fell. That’s obviously highly situational but a tib bit on how to read the weather reports.
09-16-2019, 02:33 PM
#3
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not fun in a 24' er
09-16-2019, 02:40 PM
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Weather reported 2' and less. We didn't find that until we were a mile from our destination. They were very confused and frequent. By far the worst conditions I've been in since I started boating 12 years ago. All in lake Huron.
09-16-2019, 02:42 PM
#5
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Took my 242 across Saginaw bay (lake Huron) to tawas. Had some dinner and headed home. It really started kicking up about 7 miles off shore (25 mile trip) I has my wife and another couple with us. Took me twice as long to get home but it was sure nice to be standing on the dock. Waves were not consistent at all. I had to stand the whole way so I could read the waves and run the throttle. No bolsters so my legs were killing me. My buddy said the prop cleared the water 30 times. (I don't think it was quite that many) anyways, you really realize how small you are when you can't see land and you are in 4-6' waves. Boat handled good but I was spent by the time we got back. I was really wishing I had another 10' on the ol' girl.
I'm hoping I don't run into that again anytime soon. I think I have to tighten up the grab rails on the port side as my buddy was hanging on pretty tight.
I'm hoping I don't run into that again anytime soon. I think I have to tighten up the grab rails on the port side as my buddy was hanging on pretty tight.
The great lakes and even our little bay are so big and unpredictable many inland-lakers just cant fathom how fast it can change. 6-7' wakes from a 50 Sundancer are just plain fun to launch off of and are predictable, doing it every few minutes while covering 30 miles not being able to see the giant trough coming gets old FAST!
Last edited by Gimme Fuel; 09-16-2019 at 02:44 PM.
09-16-2019, 03:26 PM
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Good description Gimme, it was crazy but I didn't have to jog a whole lot but definately did not want to catch a confused wave broadside. I appreciated the freeboard on my boat a lot.
09-16-2019, 04:09 PM
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In the open ocean ground swells may be large but predictable but wind chop on closed water can get ugly fast. 2’ waves combine and bounce off one another and pretty soon you have a potato patch of 6’ slop bouncing in every direction. You are not alone in your feelings of misery. 
09-18-2019, 05:08 AM
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I was on the Saginaw Bay twice this year in my 380 Powerquest, had same things happen and we had a rough ride as well. We head out of our place at Eagle Bay Marina most times. Wave sizes and spacing are completely inconsistent on that water body that there is no good speed or rhythm to keep on top. Just would get the girl settled and back on top after launching it 100 yards before then BAM, airborne you go! We ran to Caseville with a 33ZX Donzi and 33AVS Scarab for the 2nd weekend of Cheeseburger fest and I caught air at least 2 dozen times heading there, solid 4-5' rollers with occasional 6'er. Donzi did the best and flew very level, me in the middle being a pad bottom still, and Scarab in the air more than in the water. Was a good run though and it laid down beautifully for the ride home. On 4th of July we had the opposite, calm going to Bay City, and had crap beat out of us coming home after it kicked up, worst part was it was a funky wind direction so there was no way to take the waves straight-on to go home.
The great lakes and even our little bay are so big and unpredictable many inland-lakers just cant fathom how fast it can change. 6-7' wakes from a 50 Sundancer are just plain fun to launch off of and are predictable, doing it every few minutes while covering 30 miles not being able to see the giant trough coming gets old FAST!
The great lakes and even our little bay are so big and unpredictable many inland-lakers just cant fathom how fast it can change. 6-7' wakes from a 50 Sundancer are just plain fun to launch off of and are predictable, doing it every few minutes while covering 30 miles not being able to see the giant trough coming gets old FAST!
