It's Sort of a Good Idea to Check the Weather First...

[amhealy]

First, hello. This is my first post. My husband keeps telling me to come here and he's becoming quite a pest about it, so I decided to take a look and this part of the forum immediately caught my eye so I decided to take him up on it.

Approximately 3 days before Christmas, we attempted to leave Long Beach for Santa Catalina Island. We did not check the weather advisory first. All look calm in our little protected harbor.

When we got about 10 miles away from Long Beach, we were hitting 10 to 15 foot swells, and the wind gusts were up to 34-47 knots. There is nothing more exhilarating (read scary) than looking up at a wall of water.

We also became very seasick. I would have taken pictures except that I was so seasick that I didn't care about the camera.

We finally decided that we weren't going to finish the trip and we headed back for Long Beach. The next day, the manager of the docks said that when he saw us getting ready to go out, he thought about telling us about the gale warning, but figured we knew what we were doing. LOL!!!

Nothing more fun than a couple of newbies, imo. We also found out later that all shuttles to Catalina had been canceled.

If we had listened to NOA weather forecast, we would have avoided the whole mess.

Oh, we also lost a line overboard and it wrapped itself around the propeller and stalled our engine. Luckily, it didn't stall until we arrived back in the harbor. But then we found ourselves up against one of the piers. We had the company of quite a few people who were working at the docks, plus the sheriff and the fire department, while we waited to be rescued by Boats U.S. All within seeing distance of the marina.

So, check the weather before you sail.

[imagine2frolic]

There are places in the world where checking the weather is not always needed. Then there are places where you cannot take your eye off the weather 24/7, 365.........i2f

[Connemara]

yep, good advice. glad all ended well.


Connemara

[Liam Wald]

I am glad to hear that no one was injured.
The Coast Guard Auxillery offers Sailing, Seamanship, and Coastal Navigation courses at very low cost. Great for beginners and experienced alike.
They are fun and you will learn a lot while gaining knowlege and confidence.
You will also get a discount on your insurance for completing the classes.
Surprise your husband by signing you both up!

[sailorboy1]

Look on the bright side. You learned a great lesson while at the same time no-one got hurt and it doesn't sound like you broke anything. I tend to believe when the weather says things are calm that it MAY be calm, but if it says it will be rough that it WILL be rough!

[Jovietal]

As my Children remind me often a "mistake" is simply an opportunity to learn.
The line getting caught in your propeller happens far often.
Having lost a few things overboard our family makes a habbit of having everything secured to the deck and cockpit free of clutter in case "stuff happens".
We met a French couple who lost thier boat at anchor because during the night galeforce winds hit the anchorage and a bikini drying on a life line had blown off the line and managed to get wrapped around the prop stalling the engine. The anchor was dragging and they no time to deploy another anchor that was burried somewhere in the junk they had on the deck.

[Sailbad]

Is that a good argument for skinny dipping?

[hugosalt]

"Cheap lessons" are the best learning experiences, no one injured, no serious boat
damage.
Your use of the word "we" multiple times in your post did not go unnoticed. A good indication that you are not about placing blame. (I think!)...and your in this (sailing) together with your husband...lucky man...Great 1st post...
Welcome aboard! Hugo

[s/v Beth]

In one of our early sailing lessons we were out on a practice sail with an old salt(in his boat)- he wasn't watching the roller reefer line when it came off the deck, but he sure noticed it as we started the axillary to go home! I thought his reaction was classic, he politely excused himself to the head and yelled his lungs out down there. Then he came back up, calm and collected, and we sailed home.

[tomperanteau]

Okay, okay.. Im my (the husband) defense, albeit a weak one, I had checked the weather the night before and noted that the winds would be up that afternoon. I should have rechecked the weather that morning, but I did not. Bad me!

It was really exciting plowing up and down some nice waves though!

[Tempest245]

SO.....Lots of good news here...you made it! No one got hurt.!! ...you learned a lot !!

and apparently your wife is still talking to you.....She's a keeper!!

[Starbuck]

You could do worse than to be out in a Crealock-designed motor-sailer. You were in good hands.

[tomperanteau]

Thanks, Starbuck. She is a good and steady boat. Yours too!