Be Prepared
Last Sunday afternoon as I left the relatively protected area at the harbor’s end, I noted fairly mild conditions with a slight breeze and short chop. Shortly afterwards, as I cleared the no-wake buoys, I noticed a fresh breeze at our backs and a building chop-nothing to be concerned with, but something to be aware of none-the-less. After cruising towards the islands for a short while, I pointed the boat in the opposite direction and was met with aggressive, sloppy chop/swell conditions which frequently lifted the heavy, deep-V powerboat almost completely out of the water, and caused drenching spray to continuously fly over everyone. And as we pushed further down the coast, conditions become even more challenging requiring focus and patience to navigate safely thru.
Some thoughts stimulated by the experience were: listen to an accurate marine weather forecast on your VHF before leaving the dock to avoid surprises; make sure you always have enough fuel to give you options when at sea; check your anchor and life jackets to make sure everything is accessible quickly; and know the capabilities of your boat to avoid overextending it.
I was fortunate in that I had a very seaworthy boat and some piloting experience, as without the two, things might have gotten a bit dicey. Boating is a great sport, but things can change from mild to wild quickly and it’s best to be prepared.
