seaworthy searays?

Skill and experience trump electronics. I'm curious what your speed was coming across the Gulfstream last week?

For most of the crossing I ran about 3800-3900 rpm which equates to about 21-25 mph. But the seas were nearly flat, small rollers. I was limited by rpm range only. My cousin in a bigger faster boat 30ft Regal was running about 32mph. He would run till he was just about out of sight, drop off plane and wait for me to catch up. It's not as bad as it sounds, it gives his crew a chance to use the bathroom or get a drink...and I seem to close the distance pretty quickly.

Then the storm started moving in, and the wind kicked up the seas, so I slowed down. As the seas picked up I slowed down. At the pinnacle of sea height I was running 5-10 mph and giving the throttle, and my eye balls a good work out. lol.

When the seas pick up, I start to deviate off course so that I'm not bucking a head sea. I try to compromise between pounding and distance to waypoint deviation. Also if you think like a sail boat, when you get so far off course and need to turn to come back, you can run in a beam sea at a better speed and get away from the pounding. Kinda zig zag. It's all alittle tricky, but if you go with your gut, it'll tell you when you should be making a decision. Most just need to learn how to listen to your inner voice. lol.

Whoops, didn't mean to turn this into a lesson. Mike
 
Good advice though Mike. I agree. By the way, your boat is slow!

Ha,ha,ha.

Yea it is! BUT...it's because I have a special set of under pitched props I use when I make that trip. I had a set of 20in repitched to 18.5in. Why you ask!? Well, my boat with the 5.0 260hp motor is "underpowered" to carry a full load of stuff to the islands, through heavy seas. The repitched props give me the ability to power over and thru waves without losing momentum.

This is one of the secrets of how I take a small boat across the gulfstream, SAFELY!

If you run a 240da w/5.0 260hp on a "lake" you might not understand what I'm saying.

My boat with the standard 20in pitch props will run 42mph wot, but if you have more than a couple of people aboard, and try to get on plane, I have to send someone to the bow.

Ok...everyone with 240's tell me how wrong I am, and how yours doesn't have that trouble, yada, yada, yada...
 
Ha,ha,ha.

Yea it is! BUT...it's because I have a special set of under pitched props I use when I make that trip. I had a set of 20in repitched to 18.5in. Why you ask!? Well, my boat with the 5.0 260hp motor is "underpowered" to carry a full load of stuff to the islands, through heavy seas. The repitched props give me the ability to power over and thru waves without losing momentum.

This is one of the secrets of how I take a small boat across the gulfstream, SAFELY!

If you run a 240da w/5.0 260hp on a "lake" you might not understand what I'm saying.

My boat with the standard 20in pitch props will run 42mph wot, but if you have more than a couple of people aboard, and try to get on plane, I have to send someone to the bow.

Ok...everyone with 240's tell me how wrong I am, and how yours doesn't have that trouble, yada, yada, yada...
Makes since, Your propping for pulling power. I would have concern of cruising with the engine at that high of RPM though.
 
Boy Tail, you really like to go on those long trips! I usually don't go that far from home, and when I do I just don't go out if it's gonna be that bad. I have been caught 100 miles from home in bad weather and made the trip anyways once, it was no fun.
I'm usually out for three days. And all the good fishing grounds are far away. Thats if we have good fishing grounds anymore :huh: The Cortez bank is 100 miles offshore in one direction. Thats a spot that is not crowded or fished out :grin: Every island trip comes in at 100+ miles. :smt101
I choose the 8.1 Mag for a repower to maximize the fun factor running the boat for distance and reliability.
 

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