6’ - 8’ seas @ 12-14 seconds in a 44’ DA?

Chief Ed

Chief Ed

Active Member
Jul 19, 2020
168
So Cal
Boat Info
2006 44 Sundancer
Engines
Cummins QSC500
Hi all,

Headed to Catalina tomorrow in our 44’ Sundancer. Planing to come back next Tuesday. Seas are supposed to be flat tomorrow for the crossing (70 NM). Monday and Tuesday however, are predicted at 6-8’ at 12 to 14 second intervals. Don’t really want to cut the trip short and come home Sunday. Work obligations won’t let me stay until it flattens back out Wednesday.

Haven’t had this boat out in those kind of seas. I don’t think it’s hazardous, but might make for a long, slow, uncomfortable run home with the Admiral. What would you do? Would consider leaving the boat there and taking the ferry back to work and head back next weekend to bring her home, but I’m not sure that’s OK with the Catalina Harbor Patrol…

Appreciate your advice…
 
6'-8' would be a lot no matter how far apart. I'd call the harbor and see if you can work it out. Maybe get 2 trips out of it!
 
dtfeld said:
6'-8' would be a lot no matter how far apart. I'd call the harbor and see if you can work it out. Maybe get 2 trips out of it!
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I like your logic there! I’ll get a hold of them and see…
 
I've been in 8' with my 34' and my 46', without an issue or even close to one. That said the times I have been in that mess has be happenstance and should not be done so knowing that's what it is ahead. Those kind of sea's can change very quickly and flatten out or get worse without notice. I would take @dtfeld advice and make it two trips.
 
Did it once in our 450 after almost stuffing the nose and having the dinghy come loose we turned around and stayed an extra day at the marina......never again!
 
Thanks, all! Looks like we’re not allowed to leave the boat unattended. Will keep an eye on the forecast over the weekend and head home Sunday if everything stays the same…

Hadn’t thought about the dinghy. We have one on a Hurley H30 on the swimstep. Definitely can’t trust that for 70 miles in those kind of conditions…

Thanks again!
 
Great Lakes said:
I’ve been on Erie that were similar conditions. I knew it was serious when my props came out of the water. Never again. I’ll stay on port for another day
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Yer not getting anything close to 14 second intervals on the Great Lakes. We're 3-5 seconds. 8' waves on the Great Lakes in a 40' boat? That's "call the coast guard" levels of awful...
 
On my current boat - I would stay in the slip. Yes I have been in bad water before, learned over and over that the boat will handle a lot more than the crew wants to deal with. This would be a butt glued to the seat, no moving around at all trip. Only stand if you have 1-2 hands on something to hang on to.

6-8 seas means some amount of waves will be over 8ft.

Would be very rough, with continual bow stuffing.

The boat could handle it - if its in good condition - will be a very rough ride for the crew.

You didn't mention wave/swell direction versus direction of travel - will make a difference.

No way I would take that on the beam in that boat, that would be a stay in the slip day.

At lower wave/swell heights doubling to compare to interval may be ok, direction of travel big factor. For example 1-3 with 6 sec interval. The numbers in your forecast the interval is below 2x's for the higher wave height. That is a no-go.

As those heights get larger, my tendency is the interval needs to go to 3x's or 4x's - at some point I would be ok with a long interval and following seas. Beam? Nah. Head on, maybe depending on boat and wave/swell direction.
 
Stee6043 said:
Yer not getting anything close to 14 second intervals on the Great Lakes. We're 3-5 seconds. 8' waves on the Great Lakes in a 40' boat? That's "call the coast guard" levels of awful...
Click to expand...
No I didn’t say anything about intervals. They were just monsters that were not anticipated. Brutal ride but I’m glad I experienced it.
 
Have dealt with some big waves out on Lk Huron. Last summer, leaving Mackinaw Island, I ran head first into 8' with the occasional 10'. That was a long day, we got down to Rogers City for the night and I was glad to step off the boat. Had to drop my speed down to about 10 - 11 knts in order to not slam down the backside of the waves.
 
I have been there and done it… never again. Will always opt on the side of safety for my wife, me and our boat. Not worth the risk.
 
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Not me brother. These aren't big water boats in my opinion.

Now a Viking, Hatteras or Bertram of the same size is a different story. Not fun, but safer by a wide margin.
 
The general rule is double the wave height in interval and you’re fine. However 6-8 is probably too large for a comfortable ride.
 
Been there when it was 6-8 in Avalon Harbor in my old 310 back in 2006... That was no fun.... Not worth the beating on the boat or the family. Pacific is like an elevator ride when there is no wind so 6-8 is nothing with 12-14 inters but it never worked out for me that there was no wind.... Always windy when I tried so the 12-14 inters never seemed to play out. But if they are right...big on the if your ride would be easy at 12-14 inters. Over here on the east coast we don't see those kind of intervals, usually 2-4 secs is what we get which is a mess with waves anything over 4 feet. Completely different boating as I can tell you from doing both.
 
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