Wave height - how high have you been?

[Paul Akers]

Huge Swells

A few years ago while heading down (SW) Buzzard's Bay there was a hurricane far off shore in the Atlantic that was generating pretty sizable swells. The seas were calm, so we were motoring, and as we approached Schyler Reef, east of Sakonnet Point, Rhode Island, the swells were building on the submerged reef. There is usually safe passage by this reef which is about 17 feet at MLW. As we passed the reef, a swell rose and my depth sounder read 47' at the top of the swell. When we dropped into the trough, it read 17'. Quite a roller coaster ride.

 

[Rick D]

Big Better; Little Meaner?

sorta like some dogs;^ The biggest stuff I've been in is 15 foot swells, once in 5 knots (post-storm) and another in 25 knots. We are deep water in SoCal, so big often is low frequency stuff that's no big deal. Often the really miserable stuff is short steep chop of the 6' variety in 20-30 knots that makes you pound, get wet, get guests sick and tests your rigging. Rick D.

 

[todd alt]

Give me a break Long...Feller

This "Captain" Longfellow must be a real treat to be around. I own an O'day 28 and enjoy my boat and feel that it is a fair craft. I have never owned or even sailed a Macgregor, but I see no reason to be hostile towards anybody or any boat. I agree with the one comment that there is a boat for every occasion. I must admit that I have never been fond of the lines on any Macgregor that I have seen, especially the ones that look like some kind of hybrid power/sail boat. I always assumed that they would probably hold up well enough if sailed by someone who knew how to sail.

 

[Rick Horner]

Surely you can sail much better than I can, Longfellow!

I'm a relative novice. Sailing 2 years. Last Labor day weekend, steady 20 mph, gusts to 30 mph. 2 people drowned on the beach pulled out to sea just standing in 4' of water -reportedly very good swimmers. Small craft advisory. The vast majority of larger yachts stayed in the harbor. Waves 4.5 to 5' steady - not much probably by your standards. Enough for me to know the Mac 26 will handle much more - more than I'd want to. She handled great! No she won't handle the perfect storm, but I'll race you to cover, ahead of a storm, any day of the week. And, I can even trailer my boat to your waters with my car to do it! And if I'm really concerned for myself more than the boat, I can land her on the beach and walk to shore in a foot of water. Oh, and there's a lot more I could mention. But even then, I doubt that you'd get it!A large part of the art of sailing, it seems to me is in knowing your boat. The joy and love of sailing is in your soul, however, not in your boat. And after all, Captain Bligh sailed an overloaded dinghy over 2000 miles in the open ocean. He could do that because he truely loved sailing, not the boat itself.

 

[Tom Monroe]

let's quit ...

...giving this guy a forum!

 

[Bob M]

Still in production

If the macs are so bad why are they still making them? And what happened to the o-day? You do not see any of them at the boat shows. And yes I have owned 3 odays and a Kells,same as the mac

 

[Phil Herring]

I agree with Tom Monroe

Let's leave this nonsense behind and get back to the topic. Thanks!

 

[Mark]

You get my vote Tom

Perhaps the old captain?? should retire or find another forum!Stii I think we should let him show his credentials.

 

[PAUL M]

LONG WALKED THE PLANK

I,D JUST LIKE TO SAY ITS SO NICE TO SEE SO MANY LEVEL HEADED SAILORS ON AN EVEN KEEL, TELLING OF THEIR ADVENTURES OVER WATER. AS FOR LONGFELLOW I THINK HIS FORESTAY IS A LITTLE TO TIGHT. SAILORS ARE ONE OF KIND, SAIL ON WHAT EVER, JUST SAIL AND WAVE. I,VE ONLY HAD THE CHANCE TO SAIL IN 3 TO 4 FOOT SEAS, I WAS IN HEAVEN AND LOVED THE THRILL

 

[Dennis Bdney]

I know nothing

You know, I just started sailing this year on an Iowa lake. Big deal, Huh? I can tell you that in the first few weeks of learning there were times that I thought I was going to flip this boat and that I had made a huge mistake in junping into this sailing thing. But, I learned that I was not going to die and that I could think and sail my way out of difficulties - even in an Iowa lake where, by the way, some serious winds come up. No waves to tell you about just fear and learning to just keep at it. I only hope to find myself in some future time in situations such as you folks have described. This is what I strive for. Will Lake Superior next summer show me the next level? I will find out. Keep telling your stories and your learnings. You can't know how valuable they are to people like me - or maybe you do as you were once people like me.

 

[R.W.Landau]

The Night

I think the biggest was 6'-8'on a run from Ft.Lauderdale to Miami.The ones that seemed the biggest were 4'-6' on a night race in Lake Erie. The darkness seems to add two feet.r.w.landau

 

[ed j rowe]

capt lonfellow or crunch

capt longfellow or capt crunch?where do you sail and what do you sail?maybe not everyone can afford a moody. the point is macgregor is there and people buy them let them be.

 

[Dave]

No more than 5 feet but it seemed like more

I was out with my friend in his Precision 23 on Lake Michigan sailing north from Milwaukee to Port Washington when a front moved in from the north. The wind probably kicked up to 15-25, so instead of bashing through it, we turned around and had an amazing downwind run back to Milwaukee. Note we had rolled up the jib, and shortened sail before the wind really kicked up. After the front passed through, we were surfing down waves that were 4-5 feet and the GPS had us doing 10-11 mph surfing down the waves. It was a little disconcerting at first, but once you got into sync with the wave patterns, it was great.

 

[MArk]

Up to the window

Once when making a trip to the islands the waves were so high I had to roll up my windows(related link)MArk

 

[Mark]

Interesting story

A few years ago a crew of us decided to take the ferry back to mainland Australia from Tasmania. Easy hey? Not so.Left in perfect conditions. Cracked a tinnie while standing on the stern of this magnificent ferry and admired the view and how easy this motoring thing can be. Expecting to have a few more beers along with dinner and retire to the on board casino sounded great. Not so lucky.The Bass straight? Well you never know what weather and waves might spring up.By 2300 hrs we had her rocking from side to side. The semi trailers and cars down below were sure moving about. Up staires every one was moving, but in the wrong direction.I guess this boat would have been about four stories high and the waves were slamming into us about half way up. The whole ship would shudder under the impact. Naturally anyone who had retired to the casino managed to bring up their dinner. What a mess. Being the smart thinker I am I carefully negotiated with one of the other guys to let him have my upstairs deluxe cabin and I would use his bunk down below with three other blokes in a four bunk room.At about 2.30 things were getting out of hand. Going up stairs I noticed the slamming of the waves had increased dramaticaly. Huh. No one left in the bar. Must have sold out of beer. Back to bed. 3.30 things are "BLOODY" worse. She's rocking like a broncho so decided to step out of my cabin. Stepped out all right. Into six inches of water. Bugger, one of the hull doors must have sprung open. Mad panic looking for the emergency button while trying to wake up my drunken crew (very seasick but mostly asleep)A quick sprint down the corridor and faced with a wall of water coming down the stairs. Bloody hell we are going to sink but, no, I thought stay calm and check out this leak. Up the stairs I go while being drenched with water. Yuk. Hang on a minute this water has chlorine in it. You guessed it the heated pool was just about empty by this time sloshing from side to side. Back to my bunk to listen to the woes of the crew. Sailing into Port Phillip bay later on. Not a wave in sight, dead calm and fantastic.Oh did I mention the waves. I guess they must have been at their peak 30-40 foot.Cheers

 

[Dennis]

Macphobia

Macphobia is a word I use to define the people always downing Macs. Someone needs to circumnavgate the planet with one and then maybe the Macphobia will vanish!

 

[Dennis]

Adios

Several years ago, yachting mag had a story entitled Twice around in Adios. During one transit around the planet, the author, Whos name I cant remember said his 30 foot Tahiti ketch entered a storm with waves 60 feet above his vessel! His boat was damaged, but he made it back. It was great reading for any armchair adventurer!

 

[Rick Webb]

Thanks MArk

I moved from biloxi last summer ir was fun to look at those pictures. But what about the Blow Fly or the Sugar Mill?

 

[Chip Giles]

10-12' swells scared us to death

Two years ago we were taking our 25' MacGregor to Bimini. A tropical wave had settled in across the Bahamas, causing much weather disturbance (and skipper disturbance). We went through five thunderstorms that night crossing from Key Largo to Bimini. The swells were a good 10'-12' on the Gulf Stream. This was our first bluewater adventure and it was somewhat frightening, when coupled with lightning and rain. The problem was the wind shifted to the north, compressing the swells and reducing the distance from one to the next. You would sail down one and crash into a wall of water. Very exciting.

 

[Steve Dion]

How High is high?

Hard to really judge, these where in at 15 - 20' or so. The picture here does not really do it justice. Of course we where on a 52' Santa Cruz.