So, 6 pages later and nobody came forward and answered Woody's original question. Why? Either nobody did it or they're all dead. Did anyone take THEIR bowrider to the Bahamas? So far I see the answer is, no. The reasons appear to be spelled out well.
BR to Bahamas
- Thread starter Woody
- Start date
Wrong:smt021
Last edited:
Woody
Well-Known Member
I'm sitting here thinking about this thread. I can picture myself after the crossing, on the beach, in my thong getting some sun while drinking a few cool ones. This is great... then I look out the window and see that it's cold outside and snowing like crazy. What a bummer. 7 months to go and the boat will be back in the water. I guess I'll just wear the thong around the house and drink the beer anyway.
- Mar 10, 2004
- 5,113
There just something wrong about a thread with a guy named "Woody" in a thong. Where is that vomit emoticon when I need it.
Found it
Found it
wish2fish
Active Member
only 5 months here....you are the biggest loser! :grin: j/k
Asureyez
New Member
- Apr 22, 2007
- 1,535
- Boat Info
- Sea Ray 460 Sundancer Hardtop 2001 - SOLD
- Engines
- Cummins 450 Diesels
I take the OP as being serious in the question, so I'll give a serious response with this backlight: Anytime you have to ask the question "Should I tell/ask/advise the Captain" the answer is yes! In this case of asking in uncertainty "Can I take my vessel there" the answer is no!
#1. There exceptions to every rule.
#2. The boat Mfg. told you where the boat was intended for use ie... Blue water cruiser, coastal cruiser, flats fish etc.runabout. (You can assume if If you have a coastal boat it was not designed to deal with blue water circumstance.)
#3. Under the right conditions you could cross the Gulf Stream in an inner tube and survive, (just as 100,000 Cubans and Haitians.) Note I said survive.
#4 A bow rider is not made to navigate in blue water, forget navigation and such, the boat is simply not built to go there and get its crew home safe and sound in any sea state other than glass flat. Can you make it safe and sound? Maybe ... sometimes if your blue water skills hold up, you have a running mate of larger size and are properly equiped for safety.
So it doesn't sould like I'm ganging up on smaller boat owners, I'll add this about Sea Ray boats. There are no true Blue Water boats in their line up, none. The entire Sea Ray Fleet is built for inland waters and coastal crusing. Why do I say this? The near fleet wide design of a down curved bow to add sex appeal actually limits by design the type of waters that can be safely transited (Look at a sea worthy bow in a Nordhaven). The declinging boyancy of the bow guarantees that even larger boats will bury their bow in waves more frequently with increased chance of broaching, or worse being pitch poled in steep seas. The design of the fleet is for use in inland and coastal waters where the skipper can run to safe port get out of harms way and not to be exposed to dangerous sea state. The Gulfstream is from 18-26 miles wide and in 8-12 foot choppy steep sided seas you can not make good more than 4-6 miles per hour. In such conditions a 18-25 foot boat would be exposed to 5 to 10 hours of dangerous seas and unimaginable terror at times. One mistake or rouge wave and all would be lost. And here is the rub, The GS can change from a idyllic 1 to 2 foot set to 8-to 12 ft malestrom inside an hour!
I have take Asureyez into open ocean frequently. In one occasion run from Harbor Town in the Abaccos to Chubb Cay in the Berry Islands I was in as much 10-13 foot rolling swell with 3-5 foot chop running on top and with skill and attention made my intended port, but I'll say this. I found the limits of the vessels sea worthiness and would not intentionally venture into that circumstance again in a Sea Ray. I love the boat, but respect it's limits.
If you intend to cross the GS, then the best advise is to be prepared, and do not make the crossing alone, but run with much larger boats that can pluck you form the sea and not risk their own vessel. Then restrict your crossing window to June 15th to August 15 on periods of no tropical activity and sea states that are near flat for at least 5 hours each morning. Cross only at first light going and coming. Be prepared to leave the boat in the Bahamas and fly back to work should your weather window close unexpectedly. You can fly back and bring hte boat back in safe seas a few days or weeks later.
Go Boating!
#1. There exceptions to every rule.
#2. The boat Mfg. told you where the boat was intended for use ie... Blue water cruiser, coastal cruiser, flats fish etc.runabout. (You can assume if If you have a coastal boat it was not designed to deal with blue water circumstance.)
#3. Under the right conditions you could cross the Gulf Stream in an inner tube and survive, (just as 100,000 Cubans and Haitians.) Note I said survive.
#4 A bow rider is not made to navigate in blue water, forget navigation and such, the boat is simply not built to go there and get its crew home safe and sound in any sea state other than glass flat. Can you make it safe and sound? Maybe ... sometimes if your blue water skills hold up, you have a running mate of larger size and are properly equiped for safety.
So it doesn't sould like I'm ganging up on smaller boat owners, I'll add this about Sea Ray boats. There are no true Blue Water boats in their line up, none. The entire Sea Ray Fleet is built for inland waters and coastal crusing. Why do I say this? The near fleet wide design of a down curved bow to add sex appeal actually limits by design the type of waters that can be safely transited (Look at a sea worthy bow in a Nordhaven). The declinging boyancy of the bow guarantees that even larger boats will bury their bow in waves more frequently with increased chance of broaching, or worse being pitch poled in steep seas. The design of the fleet is for use in inland and coastal waters where the skipper can run to safe port get out of harms way and not to be exposed to dangerous sea state. The Gulfstream is from 18-26 miles wide and in 8-12 foot choppy steep sided seas you can not make good more than 4-6 miles per hour. In such conditions a 18-25 foot boat would be exposed to 5 to 10 hours of dangerous seas and unimaginable terror at times. One mistake or rouge wave and all would be lost. And here is the rub, The GS can change from a idyllic 1 to 2 foot set to 8-to 12 ft malestrom inside an hour!
I have take Asureyez into open ocean frequently. In one occasion run from Harbor Town in the Abaccos to Chubb Cay in the Berry Islands I was in as much 10-13 foot rolling swell with 3-5 foot chop running on top and with skill and attention made my intended port, but I'll say this. I found the limits of the vessels sea worthiness and would not intentionally venture into that circumstance again in a Sea Ray. I love the boat, but respect it's limits.
If you intend to cross the GS, then the best advise is to be prepared, and do not make the crossing alone, but run with much larger boats that can pluck you form the sea and not risk their own vessel. Then restrict your crossing window to June 15th to August 15 on periods of no tropical activity and sea states that are near flat for at least 5 hours each morning. Cross only at first light going and coming. Be prepared to leave the boat in the Bahamas and fly back to work should your weather window close unexpectedly. You can fly back and bring hte boat back in safe seas a few days or weeks later.
Go Boating!
islandhopper00
Active Member
Chad, that is written perfectly. I agree with each and every statement you made. Mike
Yeah... what Chad said...
I think there was someone on this board that said their bow rider could easily handle 8 foot waves in the ocean.. I know when I got caught in some 8 footers on the ocean this last summer for a few hours, it started to disassemble my boat... but I guess that doesn't happen to bow riders...
I think there was someone on this board that said their bow rider could easily handle 8 foot waves in the ocean.. I know when I got caught in some 8 footers on the ocean this last summer for a few hours, it started to disassemble my boat... but I guess that doesn't happen to bow riders...
All great points Chad. I really like.
Safe Seas being a major point. As it has been said before you can run into problems anywhere if you do not respect the seas. I understand totally about the weather coming up. That is one of the reason I would only do the Miami/Bimini (50+-) trip. That is a two hour run for me.
Safe Seas being a major point. As it has been said before you can run into problems anywhere if you do not respect the seas. I understand totally about the weather coming up. That is one of the reason I would only do the Miami/Bimini (50+-) trip. That is a two hour run for me.
What were you doing out in 8 footers???
Poke
Poke
Poke
I thought the weather report was wrong... It wasn't.
:lol::smt043:lol::smt043:lol:
That thinking thing again. It will get you ever time.:smt100
:lol::smt043:lol::smt043:lol:
highslice
Well-Known Member
- Mar 28, 2008
- 6,070
- Boat Info
- 270 SLX
2013 Sea Doo 155 Wake
- Engines
- 496 Mag
Bravo III
Corsa
My bow rider will easily handle an 8 foot wave...it's not until the second one hits that we would have a problem:grin:.
Woody
Well-Known Member
After my wild ride I found some screws on the floor. So I crawled all over the boat checking. Windshield, batterys and water tank were loose. The screws for the crappy water tank mount were pulled out. A couple dash guages were rotated like from 12 to 1. Bimni top mounts were loose but didn't find anything major like engine mount problems.
unlvrebel
New Member
Took a large wake over (inconsiderate larger boat throttled up right in front of me all because the "No Wake" sign was passed) the bow of my 220 SD as I noted in an earlier post. When it was all said and done I had about 8 inches of standing water on the deck.
I quickly opened the engine hatch to monitor the bilge. As the bilge was filling faster than my pump could handle I plugged the stern drain hole to keep the water on the deck (except for the forward drain) in order to give the pump a chance to catch up and not get salt water up to the engine.
That was enough for me. I used to have visions of granduer about trailering over to Miami and launching to the Bahamas at 5 or 6 AM to beat any weather. Not anymore. Sure there are plenty of precautions to be taken but it only takes one error to ruin a whole trip.
However, good luck to those who try and please post many, many pictures of your crossing so that I may live vicariously through your adventures!
I quickly opened the engine hatch to monitor the bilge. As the bilge was filling faster than my pump could handle I plugged the stern drain hole to keep the water on the deck (except for the forward drain) in order to give the pump a chance to catch up and not get salt water up to the engine.
That was enough for me. I used to have visions of granduer about trailering over to Miami and launching to the Bahamas at 5 or 6 AM to beat any weather. Not anymore. Sure there are plenty of precautions to be taken but it only takes one error to ruin a whole trip.
However, good luck to those who try and please post many, many pictures of your crossing so that I may live vicariously through your adventures!
Woody
Well-Known Member
I've seen the Coast Guard practice on the lake just outside the waterway entrance. It's something to see, they get the snot beat out of themselves but I think they like it.
I decided if it was good for them I would practice too. I hang around within about a quarter of a mile of the lighthouse as the waves build. When I felt I had enough I could easily escape into the protected water. Sounds stupid maybe, but I had no clue how the BR would handle in the rougher water, I never was exposed to this kind of stuff before, no skills. Gradually I worked up to a mix of 6-8'.
Anyone else do stuff like this? For example, your a GA boater and you decide to do the Bahamas. Your running with your buddies and someone has a problem during some suprise conditions. You want to go back to help, maybe even pick them up. Do you know how to turn that thing around in some nice steep 8 footers? Once you've made your turn are you comfortable with your ability to turn back into those seas(I don't like that part). Have you actually practiced making a rescue in less than ideal conditions(I haven't).
Thats the kind of questions my noggin generated when I started boating on a large body of water that can be unpredictable. Lots of what if, how do I, what should I, what will it be like, what can the boat do questions. To practice was in my eyes a great way to get "the feel" for things.
My slip neighbor thought I was nuts. I felt practice wasn't reserved just for putting your boat in it's slip. This all came in real handy the time Lake Superior took me for that wild ride.
You can get alot of good instruction and guidance from books but how do you use it to add to your skills and develope that "feel" for your boat. So the question is does anyone else practice like I've tried to describe?
I decided if it was good for them I would practice too. I hang around within about a quarter of a mile of the lighthouse as the waves build. When I felt I had enough I could easily escape into the protected water. Sounds stupid maybe, but I had no clue how the BR would handle in the rougher water, I never was exposed to this kind of stuff before, no skills. Gradually I worked up to a mix of 6-8'.
Anyone else do stuff like this? For example, your a GA boater and you decide to do the Bahamas. Your running with your buddies and someone has a problem during some suprise conditions. You want to go back to help, maybe even pick them up. Do you know how to turn that thing around in some nice steep 8 footers? Once you've made your turn are you comfortable with your ability to turn back into those seas(I don't like that part). Have you actually practiced making a rescue in less than ideal conditions(I haven't).
Thats the kind of questions my noggin generated when I started boating on a large body of water that can be unpredictable. Lots of what if, how do I, what should I, what will it be like, what can the boat do questions. To practice was in my eyes a great way to get "the feel" for things.
My slip neighbor thought I was nuts. I felt practice wasn't reserved just for putting your boat in it's slip. This all came in real handy the time Lake Superior took me for that wild ride.
You can get alot of good instruction and guidance from books but how do you use it to add to your skills and develope that "feel" for your boat. So the question is does anyone else practice like I've tried to describe?
Woody,
Personally I would not be in the 8 foot seas with my current boat. IMHO I think any body that would take a BR into them would be pushing their luck. What are those famous last words. "I think I can beat that weather":smt009
Some good points, but don't assume because somebody lives in GA they have not had experience in other areas. Personally I grow up in Miami and have had years of experience in rough seas. Do I practice it on a daily base, no. Would I personally be able to handle my boat in rough seas, yes. Would I like to handle the boat in rough seas, no. That is the whole point of planning, don't go when the seas are going to be rough.
As far as surprises goes. Planning does not stop when you leave the dock. It is an ongoing process. When you clear the inlet - Seas/weather holding (yes-continue, no-turn back for another day) 1/2 hour out - Seas/weather holding (yes-continue, no-turn back for another day). This process has to be going on all the time.
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Woody
Well-Known Member
I shouln't have used the term...GA boater...I meant things in a more general way than that. Perhaps inland boater, lake boater, inexperienced boater, new boat boater, WI boater or something else would have been better. I need to study up on the Atlantic and east coast boating. I have it in my head that the ocean can be unpredictable at times and the best laid plans can get screwed up.
