Dock in a thunderstorm or wait it out on the water?

Looks to me like the OP has radar...one thing I have found (dockside, not yet in practice, but I'm sure it will happen) is that I can see the storm cells and their track if I zoom out to maximum distance. Great info to help with the decision - if the cell is crossing the marina, I figure wait it out. If there is a dense group or large storm - battle in rather than waiting for things to get worse :thumbsup:
 
Drop hook in the lee, tie the waverunner up to the boat, put everyone down below and stay low.

+1, short and simple :grin:

Doug,
I've done both and as you had experianced, docking in these conditions is NOT what you had enjoyed, same goes for riding back to the slip. So, dropping a hook in a sheltered spot and waiting for 30min or so would be prefered. There were too many occasions when we we got cought last season. It's interesting to see how 90% of people just take off when the storm hits. Each area is different, but most storms in our area come fast/hard and leave shortly after. I have all the confidance in my anchor and it served me well in these conditions as well :thumbsup:. There were times when the wind was so strong that anchor line was shaking pretty badly. Also, there's something to be ready for is when it's time to pull the anchor when you ready to head back you'll need some extra time b/c it'll be set too deep.
 
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Doug, where were you when you started to head back yesterday?

Hey Scott,

We were anchored at Sand Pit.

I did see another 280 Sundancer to our east. I went past it 2 x on the waverunner. Was that you?

edit: Could not have been you. That 280 dancer had a single. I remember noticing how much higher the swim platform was then ours.
 
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We are on the same lake as Doug. This was right before we headed back to the marina, about 5 miles. The lake gets rough fast and this was before the wind picked up.
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Please feel free to hail us, Holiday too, or if you see us, stop by anytime.
 
It would have to depend on how long the storm was expected and how bad it was going to get. I think I would chose to go to the dock in most cases though.
 
Doug,
we were at Streich's. What a race of boats heading back to the river and the railroad bridge was closed. Glad you made it back OK. Atleast you were at the Sand Pit. Fairly close to home port for you.
 
Please feel free to hail us, Holiday too, or if you see us, stop by anytime.
Will do Doug. We don't normally make it up past 41 much. If you happen by Streich's look for our raft up. I am usually the small boat, then a 32 Montery(black canvas also), a 33 Cruiser and a 33 Larson(both with tan canvas).
 
Drop hook in the lee, tie the waverunner up to the boat, put everyone down below and stay low.

That's what we do, except we're normally anchored with the stern to the island in the shallows. The important part is to stay put and go down below. If you stay in the cockpit and watch the storm from the cozy camper, the dozens of people in the can-botes with telephone numbers expect you to give them shelter.

Better off cooking some popcorn and mixing up a hot toddy and watching a movie with the frau. I hate turning away large families of overweight, sand-coated, salt-water soaked people from the back woods toating screaming infants under each arm. It's sooooo sad.

PS - They're no safer in my boat than they are on the beach - just more comfy - that's not my job.
 
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Will do Doug. We don't normally make it up past 41 much. If you happen by Streich's look for our raft up. I am usually the small boat, then a 32 Montery(black canvas also), a 33 Cruiser and a 33 Larson(both with tan canvas).

Now that it’s finally warming up I think you will see us at Streches’ (notice how I’m following the local tradition of no matter how the other person spells it you need to spell it different)
 
We had the same thing. Absolute monsoon yesterday for about an hour and we all waited it out on the hook rafted up. Felt bad for a bunch of familys in their bowriders getting pounded and it brought me back to my previous boat and reminded me why we traded out to a cruiser.

What gets me is the people trying to bust back to the ramp just below planning speed through the no wake cove where we were tied up!!! ARGH!!!1 They were the ones knocking us around.

You didn't tell me about the Monsoon! Now I'm glad we didn't make it out....

Cincy ...that was us yesterday in our bow rider and we had the Seadoo ...still drying the boat out today from the monsoon. The storm came up pretty sudden and I thought I had enough time to get back to the dock.... Did we ever get wet !!

I saw the same thing...seems no wake zones only apply when it's sunny...must be an Indiana thing

Sweet, another Brookville boater.

We've only been on the water once during a really bad storm. We opted to keep the anchor set and hangout in the cabin until it passed. Not worth the trouble trying to tie up to the dock during the storm.
 
In general, I would agree with everyone else - I always like to ride out the storm.

But the answer isn't as simple as most make it seem unless you are on a small lake or you have radar or Sirius weather and can know how long it will last.

Keep in mind, I'm on the Gulf, not on a small lake - if the wind is coming from the right direction, it can be completely unblocked and can kick up to 30 or 40 knots or more. These kind of unpredictable afternoon tropical storms are not uncommon. In strong winds & rain, it becomes hard to see. The biggest problem is knowing how long the storm will last. I've seen them last minutes to hours. Also, if it's late in the day, you're running low on light - especially if it's a dark storm. Also, there are more likely to be people on the dock at the start of the storm - but not an hour later (if it hasn't let up). Finally, if I have some "nervous" folks on the boat (i.e. parents, children, etc), they are easily frightened being on the water in a storm.
 
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Keep the weather channel on and follow and tracking the storm. I have been caught in far more than I would want. Usually anchor in a protective cove and ready at the helm if the line drags.

If I feel I can make it back I will do so and always have a contingency plan, usually a few gas docks that I pass before heading down the fairway to dock my boat. For in good winds my boat acts like a sailboat with all of the freeboard space. So a quick parallel park with lots of fenders out at the gas dock is usually the key. Though have made it into the harbor and seen that all of the gas docks were taken, and the winds were really whipping up, so I tied off of the channel marker (which I knew had plenty of depth all around her). I did ask the USCG auxiliary via radio (as well as cell # which I keep handy) if it would be acceptable and the said in this circumstance it would. Was there for 7 minutes and then back into my slip.
 

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