Was I reckless in running an inlet with a bowrider

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blouderback

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OK, in all seriousness, I would like to have your opinions on this subject. I am in no way trying to stir the pot. I really want to know your opinions, and since your answers will be annonymous, I hope you will all be honest.

Here's the background:

  • 20' bowrider, 5.0L Mercruiser w/Bravo III.
  • The boat recently passed CG Aux Safety inspection.
  • I have taken the PA State Fish and Game Commision safety boater class and passed the test.
  • I have obtained and studied nav charts and tide charts of the area, and chose 3 hours before high tide to navigate the inlet, pannin g to re-enter after 30 minutes.
  • I waited for a day where the weather and seas were predicted to be calm
  • I performed 2 recon missions to view the conditions and the activity of other boats and how they did it.
  • I had on board 1 GPS, 1 VHF, 2 cell phones, all other required CG equipment, and one 45 year old friend.
  • I had the engine cutoff lanyard attached to my person
  • We were NOT wearing life vests, although they were stowed in a handy area.
  • Our wives were both aware of our plans, and knew we were planing to return at a specified time (approximately 2 hours after we left)
The poll question is: Was I reckless in trying to negotiate this inlet given the above information?
 
i dont think so based on the above conditions although i think waiting for slack tide, or within 30-60 minutes of slack would have been better. 3 hours before is when you have the maximum current.
 
I don't think so Bob. I've seen many people run an inlet, safely, in boats much smaller and less sea worthy. As the captain, you need to weigh the conditions, your ability, the safety of your passengers, and the capability of your vessel to make the right call. It's very hard to armchair quarterback after the situation.

Of course, you have to be sure you're well trained enough to make the right call in the first place.
 
Bob I'm with Steve and Pascal. I think you did it all "correct". Fact is, anytime you venture into the inlet (especially here on the Island), there could be something that's going to happen. In any case, I think you were more than cautious.
 
Hummmm....you sure need a lot of attention....but anyway I voted.
 
Bob,

I don't think it was reckless, but I think that there are things that you could have done to make it safer. I would prefer a backup VHF instead of a back up cell phone. Another thing that might not make a huge difference, but would help some is to have a snap on cover to go over the open bow. It won't prevent a huge wave from swamping the boat, but might aid in getting some of the water to run off the sides.

I think one of the best things you could do is join a fishing club and try to ride with some experienced fishermen as a hitch hiker on a fishing trips. They routinely run the inlets and their boats are better designed for it by being self bailing. If you pay attention and ask questions, you could learn a lot in a relatively safe manner. Out here, we have the Coastside Fishing Club where it is common for members to hitchhike on others boats even if they have their own.
 
you you sure do need a lot of attention. There is no certainty of unchanging conditions but you made it so it was not your day to meet a sneaker wave on the tide change. Few folks run the QE2 so enjoy but be alert.
 
First of all, check with seasoned boaters with condition for best passage.

We run out of the Golden Gate Bridge which can get pretty bad. The best days are little/no wind and small swells but always OUTGOING tide, even when the wind and swells don't cooperate(but use common sense). Your area /inlet may be different so that's why you check with other boaters. Actually, fishermen are usually going in and out in many different conditions so are aware of the differences.
 
I do not recall seeing a bowrider, ever, outside the Fire Island Inlet.

Some NYorkers are quite sane.

I recall a lot of advice not to use that boat in the ocean, last year.

When running dangerous rapids in a canoe, standard practice is to place air bags in the bow to keep from submarining. What is right for canoes is right for bowriders. Bowriders sans air bags and a sturdy hard cover over the bow space, should not go outside inlets that act like rapids IMO.
 
um,

I must be stupid... Please tell me why this is such a big deal in a 20' bowrider. What am I missing ??

Mark
 
BTW,

welcome back Chris.. I thought you left.

Mark
 
I am not at all familiar with inlets so I did not vote. If you were at all concerned about your safety you should have had your PFD on (with your captains hat of course).
 
Going through that inlet in a bowrider you should have been wearing lifejackets. The boat could swamp and sink in a very short time and you would have no chance to get the stowed jackets. I would not like your chances in the water in that inlet without a PFD.
At high tide when you might think it would be slack water the tide tables for Ocean City show a diffence in tide height of one foot between the inside and outside. That means that when you might have thought there would be slack water there is still a considerable current. With inlets you need a current predictor not just tide tables. Without the current tables you need the tide tables for stations inside and outside to assess what the conditions might be.
Here are the tide graphs for the stations outside and inside the OC inlet. You can see that at some tide states there is nearly 1.5 feet difference between the 2 sides at high tide when you might expect slack water. The only time there is no major diffenece is at low tide. That is the best time to passage that inlet.
2379518_4_65997.JPG
 
Thanks Mark. Merely had to point out trimming out the drive in an inlet to hold the bow up is the wrong thing to do. Also, taking a bowrider out an inlet or using one in the NE ocean at all, is the wrong thing to do IMO. Going back to my batcave.
 
I've run a 12 ft Whaler through the Fire Island Inlet.

There are too many factors to this question to give a definitive 'yes' or 'no' answer.
 
Had an old 18 ft 76 bayliner bowrider w 65 evinrude and a 17 foot lazer w 150 merc and used to run through jones inlet (to the JI bouy) and the fire island inlet
 
Agree w/ Pascal, probably best to time the current better. Consult a current table instead of tide table, and do it at slack rather than max flood.
 
Joe, I never heard of a "current table". Anyone have a link to one?
 
Charlie: ebb tide is OK except at the end when the flood starts at the bar and suddenly you find sneaker waves rising up from what was flat water seconds ago.

Mark; bowriders can take on a lot of water suddenly when the bow is stuffed into a wave. It can be like a big scoop.
 
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