Waterfoul

Hey, I have a degree in US History for cripes sake!! Good for something I guess. LOL!!!!

JUSTONCE

I agree except you can throttle in this short chop but you gotto be quick. and your right in our water you don't sail and land, your either launching vert. off a wave or banging into the next I love it.
BTW: I like beating a dead horse , it won't kick back.

Ms PatriYacht

I agree, if we don't stop "bragging" about the rough stuff no one will want to come to our poker run.

Some days I have been out on Lake MI and the sky and water were so blue you would think you were in the Caribbean, so have those days to. The last two SOTW's were pretty calm.

Regardless of the water condition when we are out in out boats we are still offshore, that's is the point I wanted to make. Thanks for helping prove me right, you know us woman how we love to be right

t500hps

If your wearing the suit in your avatar, no one will every disagree with you!!

Airpacker

Anyone who doubts what the Big lakes can throw at you should try the eastern end of Lake Erie with a 20 mph westerly wind. Can you say 15 foot tall vertical walls of water breaking at the top? Maybe try Lake Huron when a strong Northern blows or Lake superior when the wind comes from any direction. The Great Lakes are meaqn and nasty and I wouldn't want to try running them hard when mother nature descides to blow on them.

t500hps

BTW, I agree with the board here, I've been caught in 6 footers in the mouth of the James river. The lakes look like they can get nasty. (I also thought about the Edmund Fitzgerald)

Ms PatriYacht

Everyone would agree that suit should never leave my closet

Miller

I grew up on Lake Erie and it is a tough body of water. I remember seeing on the Discovery, History or something channel that Lake Erie has more shipwrecks lying beneath its waters than any other of the Great Lakes because of the shallowness. I can personally attest that I have seen the lake go from perfectly calm and sunny to 70+ mph winds, driving rain and 8-10 foot waves in less than 20 minutes. On one day in particular, the weather changed so severley that 50+ boats were damaged in 12+ seas, while a few people were killed and a hospital near the shore had a 5 ton a/c unit blown ripped off the roof by the winds. The weather had been 85 and sunny with 1-2 foot chop about 15 minutes before the storm hit.

Lakes Michigan, Huron, Ontario and Superior are all brutal. I've got nothing against the oceans as they can all get nasty. But, unless you've seen the power of mother nature wreaking havoc on one of the Great Lakes, you just can't understand what it is like.

So - use the term OFFSHORE and forget anyone who is ignorant enough to question its invocation.

Reckless32

First off there aren't no real "rollers" on the mid-Atlantic coast with the exception of a very nice day. The southern Chesapeake is similar to the lakes in that it's relatively shallow except in the channels. The main difference for us would be the fact that the tides collide with the many tributaries we have such as the James River; Elizabeth River; York River; and on and on. Couple that with the winds and you have the infamous "confused waters". When it's rough in the mid-Atlantic there are no rolling waves like one would find a lot on the west coast. The crests are very far apart and vertically steep (hence nothing beats length to run thru them), bone crushing and keel busting if the boat is not made to take it (i.e. lake boat meaning small lakes/rivers). Yet sometimes you get trapped on the other side and have to make a run for it to make it home. Down south in the Gulf stream things aren't so crazy and usually fair seas, but can turn to perfect storm conditions quick.

With that being said, I agree the big lakes such as Michigan are famous for their sea states and their ability to put super-tankers on the bottom. Anyone who watches the Discovery channel can tell ya that. If there's a difference between the ocean guys and the "big" lake guys it would be in their inclination or average need to run on it more often when it's snotty for a larger number of reasons during a much longer boating season (durability). Otherwise all things being equal I would think the "big" lakes are just as treacherous or onery as the Eastern Lake Grande...Just an opinion...

pullmytrigger

oh yeah you can throttle but I agree they are very short bursts and you never seem to do more than 2 or 3 at a time.........doug