Boat did great! We saw a Whale.

[2000SR380]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JodKD8JyXjs Trip Down to Monterey 5/15/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf9i4Q2g-AM On plane in 4-5 foot sea with 15-18 knot winds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnVx50QXMqU great trip! Emeryville to Monterey in 5.5 hours, and not on flat water either! Saw some Dolphins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIHhbM8ZZ0A Saw some whales.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfTb1K8lP9Q :thumbsup: We are new to the 'Dark Side' acquiring our 2000 Sea Ray 380DA in October. This was our first real offshore trip and I was very impressed with how the Sea Ray handled. As a sailor I have always referred to these boats as cocktail boats. People usually seem to sit at the dock in them and have a cocktail. I was sure I would have to slow down at the first sign of a real ocean wave, but the boat ran true and happy at 3400RPM. There was no pounding, and no significant spray, while running down wind in conditions I would have expected to force us to a much slower speed. We did burn some fuel, but my wife will be difficult to move back onto a sailboat! Seems like there is a lot written about what broke and what did not go right. Lots of books have stories about the myriad of things that can go badly offshore in any kind of boat. Nobody ever writes a book about 'the boat did great, we saw a whale'. This is my first post with Video Links. Hope I did it right!!

 

[ziekman@cox.net]

Great video, and yes the boat did great!

 

[2000SR380]

Thanks 'Ziekman' :smt001 We are having less trouble adjusting to power than I thought. The Emeryville to Monterey Trip is just over 100nm and took around 18 hours in our 43 foot Cutter. 5.5 hours?? I could not wipe the smile off my face for days. So far we are loving our 'new' Sea Ray:grin:

 

[Billfletcher]

That is a nice trip. I used to be a blow boater as well, and feel the same way now about our power boat and the places you can go. You will also find anchor time is a bit more comfortable than sail with the wider beam, etc. You are offshore, in mid 50's temp water. Just curious, in addition to life jackets what type of gear do you bring in case you need to hit the water in an emergency? I carry wet suits (not survival suits but 3 mm, full lenght wet suits). I am also thinking about an EPIRB.

 

[2000SR380]

I am afraid we were slacking a little in the safety department. We do have a Zodiac inflatable which we normally strap to the front deck but, as we were harbor hopping this time and there are LOTS of crab traps off-shore this time of year, we opted for better visibility. I have not found a swim step mount that I am happy with yet. We did have all the required safety gear plus an extra fully charged handheld VHF, a Spot messenger, good Stern off-shore life jackets for the three of us plus about eight extra life jackets. Three good cell phones, and an iPad. The boat has awesome radar, a pretty good chart plotter, and working alarms for the bilge pumps and engine management. If I was making recommendations an inflatable boat, and an EPIRB are big on my 'list'. I like the idea of wet suits, but I think a Zodiac is easier to get into in a panic? Great to know we are not the only "blow Boaters" enjoying the dark side!

 

[2000SR380]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TDvXnX75a8 One more Video from my wife's iPad. This was just before it got to rough to video without falling on your ear. Not long after it was all about monitoring trim tabs and watching for crab traps:smt001

 

[AKBASSKING]

So very cool! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Billfletcher]

If I was making recommendations an inflatable boat, and an EPIRB are big on my 'list'. I like the idea of wet suits, but I think a Zodiac is easier to get into in a panic? Great to know we are not the only "blow Boaters" enjoying the dark side!

Agreed, a rib is a good idea when offshore. We don't have one, so I figured the wetsuits would help a lot in the cold CA water if floating with a life jacket. Our water down here gets pretty chilly and can be low to mid 50's in the winter.

 

[2000SR380]

billfletcher :0) I agree that if we ended up treading water (in life jackets) wet suits would extend our life expectancy considerably. Also, if you put them on when you first saw the weather going south, you would probably stay much warmer to start with. It is way easier to stay warm than to get warm. A wet suit could mitigate some of the fatigue, and you could also argue you would be going into the water in better shape, and not already half hypothermic. I can tell you I have watched our dingy lashed to the bow of our (now sold) Slocum 43 sailboat in 14ft sea's that looked like a washing machine. The thought of hoping into a 9ft Zodiac... well, lets just say Plan-A is to keep the 'big boat' on top of the water!!