Roughest Seas You’ve Endured - Seafarer 228?

alan campbell · Oct 23, 2021

I don’t think that most of these folks following this site really have an idea of what the sea can do.

magicalbill · Oct 24, 2021

And then there's Lake Michigan.

During my ownership of my 1992 Seafarer, I misjudged the passage of a strong cold front as we motored down to Michigan City IN from New Buffalo MI for just a standard day on the water. These ports are in the SE corner of the Big Lake.

Rain let up, skies cleared once we arrived at Michigan City. Had I gave more than a passing glance at the National Surface Map from NOAA prior to launching, I would have seen the timing & intensity of the passing front.

Post-passage, these fronts that traverse the Mid and Upper Midwest have strong Northerlies behind them as Hi Pressure builds in, filling the "hole" in the Troposphere that the departing Low leaves behind..

This particular front was a Bad MammaJamma.

While eating at the dockside restaurant on the river at Michigan City, I noticed the temps dropping and the wind starting to gust. What the heck, let's order dessert...

By the time we cast off hours later and motored out to the channel entrance, the NW seas were breaking over the North Breakwall and spilling into the channel.

Oh boy.....

Well, let's give it a go...it's only 7 miles North to New Buffalo.

Bad idea.

We cleared the North breakwall and got hit on the port quarter with cresting, steep seas, 4'-6', I would guess; (Maybe bigger, but so many over-estimate wave height and I never get into that Camp. They get exaggerated in the re-telling and it's like the "fish that got away.") I've had people tell me stories of wave heights that can scarcely be in accordance with Reality. I just smile and go "wow."

Anyway, whatever their size, they were waaay too big for a 22 ft boat and they were as close together as Soldiers on the Battlefield; No "long-period ocean swell" here-You couldn't recover from one before the next one hits you.

We battled our way North for what seemed like an Eternity. I turned and looked aft and noticed we were no more than a few hundred feet off the pierhead. Yikes...we were not making any forward progress; the seas were too steep and they were splashing over the windshield, reducing visibility, to say nothing of the 70 degree water temp and screaming NW 25 kt winds.

This sucks..let's come about and figure something else out.

I spun the wheel to port as opposed to a stbd turn downsea; I was afraid of pitchpoling the Seafarer as she headed into the following seas. As I began the turn to port, a Rogue hit us dead-bow-on, cresting at the top. It was bigger than the rest, a little higher than head level. Best estimate would be a 7 footer: this was not a rounded offshore swell, but a steep Wall Of Water. I gunned the Yamaha so as not to bury the bow, but half that sucka still came pouring into the boat. It cascaded into the cockpit via the walkaround passages and sloshed back-and-forth until the scuppers drained it out.

It takes a bit to scare me, but that did. We surfed downsea for the short distance back to the safety of the pierheads and went the heck back in, docked at the Port Authority, took a taxi and got our trucks and trailer from New Buffalo and pulled the boat out there. Enough!!

For those familiar with Lake Michigan, it is a well-known fact that when Northerlies sweep the length of the Lake, it can cause seas of such proportions that you stare at them in disbelief. You really have to see it to understand.

I have never misjudged a cold front again.

Ryhlick · Oct 24, 2021

alan campbell said:
I don’t think that most of these folks following this site really have an idea of what the sea can do.

That’s a pretty big generalization. I’m guessing many have including myself have been in comparable or worse. Never fun especially in a small boat but always great full to be back at port safely.

Mustang65fbk · Oct 24, 2021

Ryhlick said:
That’s a pretty big generalization. I’m guessing many have including myself have been in comparable or worse. Never fun especially in a small boat but always great full to be back at port safely.

Very much agreed

Kennybuck · Oct 25, 2021

Mgaul1 said:
I feel you, but unfortunately here with our usual summertime trades the conditions are almost always rough. Just the nature of the bEast side, as we call it. Not much we can do about that, of course 10ft @ 8 seconds is an extreme for me and not something I’m likely to go out in unless I’m doing a canoe race escort. That said, I’d say the average summertime condition is 6-7ft at 8-10seconds, which guys here fish in much smaller boats without issues. Most here fish to put food on the

Kennybuck · Oct 25, 2021

Always better to do the safe thing when boating. That often means don’t go out in questionable weather. If small craft warnings then heed that warning and stay put. No boat is unsinkable. When I was younger I would take chances. Not now. Wife and family depend on me.

tuckmart · Oct 28, 2021

When I bought my 226 from marina near Boston I asked if I was crazy to try and run it the 200 miles South to NYC in late October. The marina owner who has been selling Gradys for 30 years joked, "you'll break long before that boat does". Completely true. My experience has always been its only a matter of comfort, not safety (within reason...)

nuclear · Oct 28, 2021

tuckmart said:
When I bought my 226 from marina near Boston I asked if I was crazy to try and run it the 200 miles South to NYC in late October. The marina owner who has been selling Gradys for 30 years joked, "you'll break long before that boat does". Completely true. My experience has always been its only a matter of comfort, not safety (within reason...)

October can me a mixed bag in NY. Some days it's horrible, windy and cold (even snow), others not so much. We were out on Sunday and my wife didn't want to come back in. Then a couple days later and we have a nor'easter.

Mustang65fbk · Oct 28, 2021

Same here in the Puget Sound. We went out fishing two weeks ago and it was about 50 degrees with a lot of wind, rain, 4-5' swells and not very much fun. A day or two later it was 70 degrees, sunny and flat as glass out on the water. Was a bit annoyed but still very much happy to have a boat once again and be fishing after a year drought.

JerseySure · Oct 31, 2021

Just curious. Does anyone know how the 216 Fisherman would handle compared to a closely sized Seafarer? I avoid going out of the inlet into anything over a four foot SE rapid snotty chop here in coastal NJ.

HMBJack · Nov 1, 2021

Years ago, I know of a 228 Owner who "almost" endured some big ass swells off Half Moon Bay, California.

It was Crab Season (this time of year) and I recall the swells were in the 12-15 foot range. The boat was entering our Harbor and rolled turtle with these large swells parallel to the boat. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The two guys on the 228 both drowned. They had their life jackets on but had the rear curtain zipped down. Then the boat rolled upside down - they were trapped.

I owned a 228 and remember it has a beam less than 8'6". Not that it matters but it's a narrow boat and if parallel to a set of large waves, it can and will roll. Many larger boats will roll as well so it's not unique to the 228's design. If the guys didn't have that rear curtain zipped down, they would have likely wiggled out.

Lesson learned - when in doubt, don't go out. And don't get overconfident in any boat if the weather sucks.

magicalbill · Nov 1, 2021

HMBJack said:
Years ago, I know of a 228 Owner who "almost" endured some big ass swells off Half Moon Bay, California.

It was Crab Season (this time of year) and I recall the swells were in the 12-15 foot range. The boat was entering our Harbor and rolled turtle with these large swells parallel to the boat. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The two guys on the 228 both drowned. They had their life jackets on but had the rear curtain zipped down. Then the boat rolled upside down - they were trapped.

I owned a 228 and remember it has a beam less than 8'6". Not that it matters but it's a narrow boat and if parallel to a set of large waves, it can and will roll. Many larger boats will roll as well so it's not unique to the 228's design. If the guys didn't have that rear curtain zipped down, they would have likely wiggled out.

Lesson learned - when in doubt, don't go out. And don't get overconfident in any boat if the weather sucks.

DingDing- We have a Winner here folks....

luckydude · Nov 4, 2021

efx said:
Honestly i would be very concerned about falling out of the boat with that swell and period if the boat went to a beam sea. I prefer no more than 3-5 and no less than 12 sec and wind less than 15 knots. Thats for a 228. Anything more than that and you really are working the boat to manage the sea.

I've got a 2020 228. I'm on the Pacific, northern California. 3-5 @ 12 is a glassy flat ocean in my opinion, it's rare that we see that.
I will go out in 6@9 but that's about where it starts to shift from fun to work. The 228 is a pretty small boat when you are in rougher
seas, she will handle much more than I want to handle.

I've been out in 7@11 in a Canyon 271, we had a 53 mile run home, the captain put it on auto pilot, ran it up to 24 knots, and touched
the throttle twice, both times to pee. That's why I'm thinking about buying a Marlin, yeah, more money, but it can go fast where the 228
can not go fast. If I had been coming home in 7@11 in the 228, I would have had to back off the throttle on every swell or I'd launch off
the top of the swell (which is fun, the landing is not).

The 228 is a great boat, I love mine, you need to pick your days. I agree with efx about a beam sea, it can rock and roll you, but put a drift
sock out so you are facing into the wind, you'll be fine. 5@10 is pleasant, 3-5@12 is amazing in my ocean, don't see that often.

glacierbaze · Nov 4, 2021

I sure would love to see some video of you guys running in 6-8 at 8-10, in your Seafarers. We might all learn something.

luckydude · Nov 4, 2021

glacierbaze said:
I sure would love to see some video of you guys running in 6-8 at 8-10, in your Seafarers. We might all learn something.

I'm a little confused because I'm about 1.5 years into running my 228, my first boat (that worked). Running in 6@9 is not that hard, in my experience, I have that responsive digital throttle and my hand is on the throttle 100% of the time, my eyes are on the swells 100% of the time, the ride is not that bad when I'm adjusting, when I started I could not predict which swell would launch us, I'm still not great, I get it right about 50% of the time, getting it right makes the ride better.

I feel like 6@9 is not horrible, it's sort of at the edge of OK to not fun. 5@10 is fine, we're fishing. I've been out, not on my boat, on my
buddies Triumph 20 foot boat, 10@12. That was nasty, we came home but we had waves crashing over the splash well and into the cock pit, I was up to my ankles in water, that sucked really hard, I do not want to repeat that. But we came home.

I'll try and get you some video but I can tell you that the throttle and eyes on the ocean are key. The second I take my eyes off the ocean it pounds the crap out of me. So I'm watching the swells and going as fast as I can and slow down towards the top of each swell. The 228 is not that big and heavy, it wants to launch, so if you want to go fast and stay on plane, you are backing off at the top of each swell, it is what it is.

blindmullet · Nov 5, 2021

glacierbaze said:
I sure would love to see some video of you guys running in 6-8 at 8-10, in your Seafarers. We might all learn something.

Thats so spaced out it's not that crazy. 6 footers in the Gulf and there is a new Grady reef.

Ryhlick · Nov 5, 2021

" 6@9 is not horrible, it's sort of at the edge of OK to not fun. 5@10 is fine, we're fishing." These are very realistic conditions to fish here in the PNW, as long as the wind is less than 10ish knots. Once you get a wind chop on a 6@9, the fun factor goes way down. Another big factor are the tides, it will dictate if and when you can cross the bar. There are may factors to consider other than how rough of water your boat will handle. Do your homework so poor judgement does not jeopardize your safety or your crews safety.

magicalbill · Nov 5, 2021

blindmullet said:
Thats so spaced out it's not that crazy. 6 footers in the Gulf and there is a new Grady reef.

True enough....

luckydude · Nov 7, 2021

Ryhlick said:
" 6@9 is not horrible, it's sort of at the edge of OK to not fun. 5@10 is fine, we're fishing." These are very realistic conditions to fish here in the PNW, as long as the wind is less than 10ish knots. Once you get a wind chop on a 6@9, the fun factor goes way down. Another big factor are the tides, it will dictate if and when you can cross the bar. There are may factors to consider other than how rough of water your boat will handle. Do your homework so poor judgement does not jeopardize your safety or your crews safety.

I look at windy.com and I look at waves. All of my friends who boat look at wind so you are right, the wind matters as well.
And for the record, 6@9 is where my son and I look at each other and we are like "we can do this, we'll be fine but this is border line not fun". I'm sort of a wimp, I run the boat to have fun, I want to enjoy the trip. 6@9 is right on the edge of not that fun.

PointedRose · Nov 8, 2021

When we talk 6-10’ are you saying from the lowest point to the highest point? My understanding is that 3’ swells go up 3’ AND down 3’ (so a total of 6’ up and down).

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