I go offshore sometimes when its calm. Make sure you are well prepared by having lots I mean gallons of fresh water just in case. A vhf radio is a must and of course tools and all of the necessary safety equipment including whistles and flares as well as good quality life vests. Lots of things can go wrong real fast so be aware of your surroundings and location. Keep a close check on the weather. It can be calm and a squall can blow up from out of nowhere and you can find yourself in 6-10 foot seas. Bring a tonneau cover for the bow. It might cave in those conditions but at least it will offer some protection from the bow getting flooded. Lastly make sure everything is in good working order before you go out. There are other safety devices like an epirb that might be worth investing in if you make it a regular thing. Having said that I see some people take a flat bottom jon boat on nice days and usually they come back.

 

Great tips.

 

OK, Blaster ma have made you paranoide but don't be. Just use your common sense. Aside from all the safty gear and good working condition stuff, the most important thing for a smaller boat is the weather and sea conditions. Ifthe weather s good and the sea is relatively flat, you're gunna have fun. If you poke your nose out there and you have concerns abou the conditions, go back. There's no shame in being prudent. Before you even try, drive by the beach and check out the conditions but be aware that it will be a little different than how it looks from shore. Enjoy and be safe. Oh yes, don't go alone.

 

Appriciate the advice. Besides all the safty stuff, I think that picking the right day with reasonble certenty of calm winds should do it. I don't intent to venture out to far the coast line. Thanks again

 

Thanks for the advice. I just spoke to someone that has done this many times and his advice is to not venture out when waves are higher than 2 feet for this size boat.

 

Tavanot,

On the open water, it's not so much the wave height as it is the period, or how close together the waves are. I have had a 16' sea rayder out in the Gulf of Mexico when a hurricane was throwing off 8-10 foot swells, and the boat just went up and over the waves nice and easy. I have also had the crap pounded out of me in the 3' foot chop that is much more common where I live. There is no substitute for common sense.

A good set of eyes to avoid severe weather is always helpful, there is no substitute for good ground tackle when you really need it, and a VHF radio to get help should do it. I would also upgrade your life jackets to Type I's if you haven't already. Then go have fun!

 

I liked the part where Blaster says: " Having said that I see some people take a flat bottom jon boat on nice days and usually they come back." :smt001

 

We passed these three knuckleheads about 3 miles offshore, in the Atlantic Ocean, on the way back from AC.

Just clueless.

This is NOT a good idea.

 

I have been venturing out on the water, including offshore most of my life in craft from 12' to 60'. There is no substitute for making sensible cautious decisions based on knowledge and experience. I strongly recommend learning about the basics of weather and oceanography and talking to people who know the quirks and peculiarities of the areas you plan to go to regularly.

This isn't as onerous as it sounds. Look at charts to see where the sea floor is higher or lower. Look at weather charts and forecasts to gain an understanding of how certain conditions will affect the places you want to go. Find out about local weather patterns... are there any localized events that can occur under certain conditions that may catch you by surprise if unprepared.

Don't be scared to get experience. Pick some days that are outside your current experience and comfort zone, not too far beyond but enough for you to learn how your boat handles and to see and experience different conditions. Leave the family at home, nothing freaks them out more than the skipper being nervous and unsure, take someone you trust and preferably with experience but without bravado.

The law here (and common sense) says Type 1 PFDs must be carried offshore, along with VHF radio, flares and an EPIRB if more than 2nm out. Also make sure you have freshwater in bottles that be taken with you if you have to abandon ship. I cannot stress how important an EPIRB is. If you ever wind up in dire straights then this will get you help fast. The newest ones receive and broadcast GPS to the COSPAS/SARSAT system for a precise fix for rescuers to focus on.

You will be surprised how quickly you will learn and feel more comfortable with venturing offshore. When checking forecasts and making the 'go or no-go' decision my golden rule is 'if in doubt, don't go'. There have been plenty of days I have err'd on the side of caution and missed a great day. But that's tempered by days of going to the aid of others who went 'outside' and got beaten up by changing conditions that left them too sick to function or the boat damaged.

Most of all have fun while learning.

 

You'll be fine.

Always have all the equipment the guys above have mentioned on board, don't be afraid to turn back, or not go out.its not much fun in a heavy chop anyway.

It would also be prudent to take a GPS preferably loaded with charts for your area.


The boat will be more capable than you think, but always have in mind where you could go to get some shelter if the weather turns, look at the charts for the area to get familiar with any rocks etc.

I do all my boating on the open sea, along the coast, in my 200 select. Have been boating in all sorts of stuff from 10 foot inflatables with 8hp Outboards up to 40 foot sportsboats over the last 30 years, they're all fine in the right conditions.

 

I took my 180 sport about 5 miles out several times when I was down in Florida (Lake Worth inlet). Be aware of the tide schedule as it can make entering and exiting the inlet difficult. I would have a handheld VHF radio (in addition to a hard wired VHF) and good signal flares.

We were out in 4' rollers and actually enjoyed the ride!

A few weeks ago, we took our 220 SD out on Lake Michigan. Again, nice calm day, no issues!

 

If you plan on doing this a lot, a fixed mount VHF radio would be better than a hand held. Basic ones are so cheap now there is no reason not to have one. Simple to install too. If you're not going too far off, you could use a shorter antenna so it looks better. I boat on Georgin Bay and have come across stranded boaters many time that were bobbing around with no VHF and no way to communicate with other boaters that might be able to help them. I told one guy I towed in "you should have called me on my cell phone". He said that he didn't know me so how could he call my number. ...... Exactly the point.

 

A prepared boater also has the number to Tow Boat US pre-programmed in their cell phone (or at least has the sticker on their boat somewhere).