Is a 260DA enough boat? Then what is?

[skibum]

That makes me wish I owned a sailboat.

That makes me wish I owned a submarine... :grin:

 

[JV II]

From Saugatuck to Milwaukee was a 100 mile trip from slip to slip according to my GPS this Spring. at a 25mph cruise speed, that is almost three hours of steady boating without seeing land.

Math is a little off. That would be 4 hours. At 12.5 GPH, 50 gallons.

 

[Zorba]

I Know i was continuing to give you holy hell for it:grin:

All i am saying is that it can be done and comfort is based on your tolerance. Structurally the boat will be fine. Mechanically...Well that is up to the owner and how well he maintains the boat.

Actually, I said waves 1/2 the boat length, and I caught holy hell for it. Again, that was also in extreme circumstances, not every day use.

I've taken my boat across the lake, run the length of the lake in the middle, and so forth, with no worries. But I always take precautions, and exercise care. As a boy, my father took us from Charlevoix to Beaver Island on a beautiful day, calm winds, flat seas. We were in a 23 foot Slickcraft SS235. After enjoying Beaver Island for about an hour, we departed back to Charlevoix. Unfortunately, my father made the mistake of not noticing that the wind had picked up from the south, nor that it had been windy in the southern part of the lake all day. As we came around the inlet, we started taking 4 to 6 foot waves, but the boat handled them fine so my dad continued. (We had a 26 foot sea ray abeam us, he also made the same mistake we did)
After about 10 miles, the waves built to 10 to 12 foot waves and both us and the Sea Ray were taking water over the bow, and in peril. Fortunately, the coast guard cutter, Sundew, was in the area and met up with us. Both boats then trailed the Sundew close as it broke up the waves for us, and we made it back. Had they not been in the area, I might not be typing this right now.

So while 14-18 foot waves are extreme, 8-10 foot waves happen every month, sometimes several times each month.

Personally, though, I would take a second powerplant over length when crossing the lake, which was/is my main reasoning for suggesting a twin engined 280 instead of a 26' foot boat (which is typically single engined)

 

[charlieft]

... at a 25mph cruise speed, that is almost three hours of steady boating without seeing land.

I recommend crossing with someone if you have a smaller boat.

Math is a little off. That would be 4 hours. At 12.5 GPH, 50 gallons.

I doubt if you could maintain 25mph in 7 to 10 footers. You'd probably have to slow down to around 10mph and you'd still burn 12 GPH after climbing the backs of the waves and working the throttle ... that would put the trip at 10 hours and you'd be low on fuel ... not good.

 

[Redhook98]

Under typical conditions, safely maybe, comfortably no.

Under atypical conditions, two words: Edmund Fitzgerald.

That's what I was gonna say!!! LOL!!! :smt038 :thumbsup: