Was I reckless in running an inlet with a bowrider

  • Thread starter Thread starter blouderback
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I have a old I/O bowrider and have gone in and out of Northport Bay LI into Huntington Bay and LI Sound. The inlet from Huntington Bay into Northport Bay can be particularly challenging at certain times. During those times, I sometimes wished I was in a self bailing boat, preferably completely foam filled! When I rebuilt the floor in this boat, some people advised me not to replace the foam, because of rot concerns, but as far as I am concerned I will take the incremental increase in safety that the foam provides. In fact I would have added more if it would not have involved restructuring much of the rest of the interior.
Basic floatation is not the same as what Whalers and McKee Crafts have, I have seen boats with basic flotation sink and basically there is the first few feet of the bow to hang onto. Better than nothing, but full floation in a small boat is much safer.

I have seen boats smaller, and less seaworthy navigate the inlets in my area, but only you can decide what risk is acceptable, based on the conditions, your skill level and your boat.
 
Bob, drive up to the top of Mt. Washington and jump off. You'll find that you are sliding down the mountain, at an angle, getting further from the summit, both vertically and horizontally. That is caused by gravity, the same force that is pulling your boat down the wave.

The other effect you'll find in inlets is the equivalent of the Doppler effect on sound. An ebbing current will create steeper waves that are closer together, like a compressed sound wave. If you turn off your engine in the middle of an inlet during an ebbing tide, you will find yourself being pushed back out the inlet, regardless of the wave direction.

I suspect that you experienced two or three foot waves during your inlet trip. Try it, alone, in 6 to 8s or better and you may have a better understanding of what we are talking about.
 
"Come on, do you all believe that waves just go up and down? Look at the picture from the wikipedia link and tell me that those water particles are NOT moving forward. Common sense here, fellas. I like how you all ignored the part that says the travel thousands of miles and concentrate on the other (contradictory) statement. I suggest that we are both right."

put a cork or something small in the water and see what happens to it as waves pass under it... it's not going to move. the water is not moving, it's not a current. it's only a vertical motion.

now, a boat will be moved by a wave but only because it will momentarily slip down the face of the wave... unlike a cork or piece of seaweed.
 
Bob, you have been given many explanations, demonstrations, and advice, all of which you continue to ignore. You claim to have "hundreds of hours" at the helm" however it seems as you have learned nothing!! As I said in a previous post ... we are goind to read about you one day!!
 
"Cast not pearls before swine," Jesus Christ.

And for His sake, Bob, no, I'm not calling you a pig!
 
Pete, I only have 30 minutes experience in the ocean. This is why I'm asking these questions. I have learned quite a lot in the last couple of days!
 
papillon, perhaps a better quote:

"you can't fix stupid" Larry the Cable Guy
 
Or..
"Better to be quiet and thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt," Mark Twain.
 
When you're laying on the ground and somebody's compressing your chest after drowning, is the water flying out of your mouth really moving?

Bob, this post is educational. What have you learned?
 
quote:
Originally posted by charlie826

Bob, this post is educational. What have you learned?

Click to expand...

Waves only move up and down, they don't have any forward motion.
I need a bigger boat.
I will probably be in the news if I try the inlet again.

Just kidding, I learned a lot of good stuff, and I hope others have gleened info from this post.

Thank you, and have a good evening, I'm outta here!
 
quote:
Originally posted by charlie826

Bob, this post is educational. What have you learned?

Click to expand...


Stay with your boat after it swamps...
 
Les,
Thanks for the education, I never thought about it before but if anyone asked I would say waves move. Your analogy about the ball park was a good one. Also what Pascal said really hit home: "now, a boat will be moved by a wave but only because it will momentarily slip down the face of the wave... unlike a cork or piece of seaweed." The seaweed part of your statement was something I have always seen but never thought about it, a light bulb turned on when you mentioned that.

Most of the time I enjoy post's like Bob's purely as entertainment, this one really educated me on something that might have never of come up.

Thanks,
 
Take more baths instead of showers Walter...it's incredible what you can learn by watching tub waves slop around all over the place. I especially like the displacement dynamics when lowering my tired old body into the tub. ;)
 
"Bob, this post is educational. What have you learned?"

since we established that many boats will swamp, sink and barely stay afloat by the bow if they get in trouble in an inlet, the lesson is clear. Add a bow thruster to your boat so you have something to grab on until help arrives. If you can salvage a piece of line you could even tie your kids up high on the trhuster prop.
 
walter, that's the only reason I kept posting - same with the others I suspect. This stuff is important for a boater to understand and many other people besides Bob read it. But he's so stubborn that we have to explain everything ten ways from Sunday.
 
Bob,
Was fishing today out of Shinnecock Inlet...went out at the start of incoming to 2-3 footers. Traversing the Inlet was lumpy but not impassable. Seas outside built to 3-5 as we fished. We came back in during the outgoing tide...with the wind and the ocean waves there were standing 8 footers inside the inlet. Not for the squeamish or time to second guess. You must have a plan and the experience to carry it out. Coming down off the face of a wave and getting spun sideways is very easy to do.
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.
Perry
 
Bob, seriously, what does it take to get the cotton out of your ears? If you don't want to hear anything, why do you keep asking?
 
Les,

The ballpark description was excellent...thanks.
 
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