How will she take 5ft seas and 35-40mph winds?

[stormchaser]

I'm the chase boat for the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race this year. the start is this Thursday off Annapolis at 13:00. The forecast does not look good...looks like we're in for the first Nor'easter of the season to be starting up just in time for the race. Expected winds in the sustained 25-30 with gusts 35-40 (gale force possible) and seas will be building to 5ft or so overnight Thursday night, hitting me on the stern or stern quarter. I've been in conditions like that many time and MANY times far worse...but never on my Hatt...it's always been on a sailboat or full displacement trawler.

So...how will she do in those conditions? What should I expect? Safe but rough, I assume?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

What speed will you be running? Do you have stabilizers?

 

[stormchaser]

No stabilizers. I plan on running around 9-10 knots, but will speed up or reduce speed as needed to make it safer or more comfortable. The trip will be about 120 miles, non-stop starting just off Annapolis, MD and engine in Portsmouth, VA.

 

[spartonboat1]

Well, if the winds are sustained 25-30, then I would be surprised if seas were no higher than 3-5's. My guess would be 5-7's, with some 9's thrown in. If there are gusts of 35-40, and the sustained wind builds for 10-20 minutes to that level, then you might see 13 footers. If you can turn into the seas, then I would think you could ride in that. But to take it on the stern or stern quartering or broaching, then that is uncomfortable and less stable.

I just notice you have been in much worse. I have seen cross-sections of Hatt hulls and there is no tougher boat, IMHO. Frankly, to be safe, I would pull the safety cages off the engine drive belts and ensure your belts are in good condition and tight (reinstall of course). Do you have good wipers? Fuel full? Also, do you have stabs? That will be of great help.

Secure all loose items...tables, chairs, etc. Have everyone take some seasickness medicine beforehand, if they are prone.

You describe Beaufort 6, 7, and maybe 8. Here are a couple Beaufort Scale sites:
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/beaufort.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

 

[stormchaser]

We almost NEVER get anything bigger on the bay than 5-6ft, even if the winds would normally support it. The hugest I've ever seen here was 8ft and that was with sustained 50mph winds.

 

[stormchaser]

Oh, full fuel, engines were just checked out and are running great. Hull was just cleaned.

 

[stormchaser]

Looks like I over estimated the winds:

SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE TONIGHT WILL GIVE WAY TO LOW PRES THAT WILL MOVE AND

DEVELOP UP THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. THAT LOW WILL MOVE AWAY TO THE
NE DURING THE LATE WEEK. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY
THROUGH FRI. GALES ARE POSSIBLE ON THE BAY LATE THU INTO THU
NIGHT.


Upper Chesapeake Bay:
THU
NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 25 KT. WAVES 2 FT. RAIN.

THU NIGHT

N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. WAVES 4 FT.
RAIN LIKELY.

FRI
N WINDS 20 KT...BECOMING NE 10 TO 15 KT. WAVES 3 FT...
SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT. RAIN LIKELY.


Lower Chesapeake Bay:
THU
NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. WAVES 3 FT. RAIN.

THU NIGHT

N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. WAVES 5 FT. RAIN LIKELY.

FRI
N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. WAVES 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 FT. RAIN.

 

[spartonboat1]

Looks like I over estimated the winds:

SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE TONIGHT WILL GIVE WAY TO LOW PRES THAT WILL MOVE AND

DEVELOP UP THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. THAT LOW WILL MOVE AWAY TO THE
NE DURING THE LATE WEEK. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY
THROUGH FRI. GALES ARE POSSIBLE ON THE BAY LATE THU INTO THU
NIGHT.


Upper Chesapeake Bay:
THU
NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 25 KT. WAVES 2 FT. RAIN.

THU NIGHT

N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. WAVES 4 FT.
RAIN LIKELY.

FRI
N WINDS 20 KT...BECOMING NE 10 TO 15 KT. WAVES 3 FT...
SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT. RAIN LIKELY.


Lower Chesapeake Bay:
THU
NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT. WAVES 3 FT. RAIN.

THU NIGHT

N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. WAVES 5 FT. RAIN LIKELY.

FRI
N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. WAVES 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 FT. RAIN.

My immediate reaction is that the seas on the Ocean areas certainly do not build to the levels that the same winds would create on the Great Lakes. We have much higher seas for a given wind level. This is confirmed in the GL forecasts and from the weather buoy's reports!

 

[Pascal]

waves dont' get as bad on the Ches. as they get in the great lakes. with Northerlies, you shoudlnt' be rolling too much heading south but you will probably get a workout at the helm! make sure you secure everything that can move, shoudl be fine.

i was on the ches last year with about 25kts on the bow heading north, the waves weren't too bad.

weather sucks up north.. i'm about to head out of Nantucket, it's 25kts up here but easing up and from the North / NW so the waves shoudln't be too bad in RI and Block island sounds. It's supposed to get even worst on friday...

i wished i had a Hatteras hull udner my feet though!

 

[Maynard Rupp]

That has always been true about the Great Lakes. I guess salt water doesn't pile up as much as fresh water. The oceans also have a much longer fetch which seperates the waves. I have seen crests that were 15 sec. apart on the Atlantic. That makes the ride kinda like going up and down hills. The big waves in the lakes want to tear you apart.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Oh, full fuel, engines were just checked out and are running great. Hull was just cleaned.

If there is any question whatsoever of the quality/cleanliness of your fuel tanks, take a BUNCH of extra No.1 & 2 fuel filters along. Thats been an issue on my boat all along and one job this winter is to cut the tanks open for a wash and wax LOL... Seriously, 1500 river miles was OK, but 10 miles on the lake with 2-3s fouled the filters almost instantly!! ws

 

[stormchaser]

Can anyone confirm the rumor that DD's are self bleeding/priming? Just crank?

 

[yachtsmanbill]

NEGATIVE. At the very least, youll need to prime both No1 & 2 filters. After that youve got a decent chance of a restart. Do you have primers on yours?
I fill my No2s about 90 percent and then pump the rest.
After a stroll like this your tanks should be pretty clean! ws

 

[REBrueckner]

"Can anyone confirm the rumor that DD's are self bleeding/priming? Just crank?"

Unsure what this means...but when you drain crud from your filters you should refill them from a spare container of diesel fuel.....if you crank they WILL start but it's a bit irregular...

I have run out of fuel twice (1972 8V71TI's) and in both cases my engine started after refueling within maybe five or ten seconds of cranking...I never checked the filter levels...but the engine will run rough and may stall for the first 30 seconds or so until air is elimanated..

Waves: It's not the vertical height of the waves but the frequency and steepness...I've been out in over 20 ft waves off Maine on my way back from Nova Scotia...it was due to an offshore storm and they were big rollers perhaps 150 or 200 feet apart....you would hardly even notice them at ten knots except the horizon kept disappearing....if current opposes wind during your trip beware!!!

 

[Genesis]

It is, as noted, steepness and period, not size.

My view would be "rough and uncomfortable but with a well-found Hatt in good mechanical condition and a sound crew, safe."

I've intentionally left port in 5s many times and have been caught in 8-10s more than once. It wasn't fun but was safe.

The big risk would be of getting broached/pooped if you lose power. THAT is dangerous and is to be avoided.

 

[Pascal]

they are self bleeding meaning that air in the line will not stop the engine from running (poorly) while the air is eliminated. some diesels do not tolerate much air before it stops fuel from going to the injectors.

BUT... it may take more cranking that you want before enough fuel is there to get them to run enough to bleed the air out.

a priming pump ($100 walbro) is a must have to avoid that issue.


indeed, it's all about wave steepness and frequency. I took a beating last year on the lower delaware, even though the waves were not that big. 4' maybe but very short and very steep.

the ches. isnt' as bad.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

DD's will self prime, but you have to fill all filters/canisters with fuel. Also, when filling, I always shut off all fuel valves and then reopen when the system is closed back up. This may take several fillings to get all of the air out, but they will prime without any separate priming pump.

If just changing filters (engine did not die due to air in system), then they usually pick right back up with no problems at all.

 

[Finalee]

Been in those conditions on the bay many times. Should be no problem. Adjust your speed to be running with the waves downwind and this will help eliminate the tendencie to broach. The right speed is the key.

 

[34Hatt]

Secure all loose items...tables, chairs, etc. Have everyone take some seasickness medicine beforehand, if they are prone.

Secure all loose stuff like said I am sure being a live aboard you have plenty of stuff that is loose! Stuff flying around makes it worse!

 

[q240z]

I'm out on the Chessie right now in my Roamer. Had a nice resource relocation event that lasted about an hour just as we rounded from the Potomac, but it's not bad once we got 15 miles north. Like they all said, short period between 3-4 footers will toss you around.

Well, back at it!