Bluewater Cruising Capability

[Ballenxj]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

I never got around to scanning photos of my boat, so here is what she looks like...just so you know it isn't all talk.

I never doubted you, however, that is one gorgeous boat. Thanks for showing her off.
-Bruce

[storyinframes]

Wolfenzee,
your boat looks awesome. a classic beauty!

[praetorean]

Originally Posted by Auzzee

This is a sobering story: EQUIPPED TO SURVIVE (tm) - Lessons Learned: Sailing to Hawaii...The First Attempt by Arnold Rowe

All I can say, is that Murphy wasn't just hanging out with this guy, he was building a cabin on his shoulder. How could anyone have that many things go wrong? The only thing I can think of is that he did not take good care of his boat or even inspect it before a long cruise like that.

[Pilgrimtex]

Well I got tired of reading after the 3rd page but I still wanted to throw my 2 cents into the pot. So if I sound redundant to anyone's posts, my apologies.
I have looked and looked for what I feel is the best new boat for what I want to do and that is to sail somewhere when and where I want to go. I also want knew so I can't blame anybody else for the condition of my ship. I also want it rigged to my specs alone.
I plan to sail the Gulf and Caribbean sea. Perhaps venturing beyond down the road but just those two bodies of water will probably use up the rest of my life. I'm 68.
I also have a typical mid class pocketbook so all those custom built boats are out and so are those old dinosaurs that dropped from the new boat listings.
That left a few that I consider acceptable for my desires. Than came the need for easy single handing which lowered the hull length. The end result is the new Catalina 315.
I don't know if you watch much you tube videos on sailing in rough water but a good number of them are what not to do. The main culprit is running with too much sail. A true cruising captain is never in a hurry unless your racing. The joy is in the cruise. The destination is just a cherry on top. Plan your route, Watch for weather trends and sail around when you can.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by Pilgrimtex

Well A true cruising captain is never in a hurry unless your racing. The joy is in the cruise.

Not So, I've done a fair amount of offshore sailing or cruising as you may call it .. much of it in the North West where when **** happens, it happens fast, damn fast and when a squall comes down on you, you have a choice, head for either side or get yourself drenched and pounded..
and as much as people say you cant outrun a storm, you can damn sure put yourself in a less affected area. knowing how the weather works, and being familiar with the weather patterns will increase you windows extensive, but making a fast passage and spending less time on the open ocean and subjecting yourself to bad weather will be the key to a successful voyage.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Pilgrimtex

Well I got tired of reading after the 3rd page but I still wanted to throw my 2 cents into the pot. So if I sound redundant to anyone's posts, my apologies.
I have looked and looked for what I feel is the best new boat for what I want to do and that is to sail somewhere when and where I want to go. I also want knew so I can't blame anybody else for the condition of my ship. I also want it rigged to my specs alone.
I plan to sail the Gulf and Caribbean sea. Perhaps venturing beyond down the road but just those two bodies of water will probably use up the rest of my life. I'm 68.
I also have a typical mid class pocketbook so all those custom built boats are out and so are those old dinosaurs that dropped from the new boat listings.
That left a few that I consider acceptable for my desires. Than came the need for easy single handing which lowered the hull length. The end result is the new Catalina 315.
I don't know if you watch much you tube videos on sailing in rough water but a good number of them are what not to do. The main culprit is running with too much sail. A true cruising captain is never in a hurry unless your racing. The joy is in the cruise. The destination is just a cherry on top. Plan your route, Watch for weather trends and sail around when you can.

I just love watching those Video's on Sailing in Rough Weather,
It gives actual real life situations,
Just as if you were sitting on the deck with them,
Shows the Extreme conditions that you will encounter out there on the wide Blue,

My Boat is Parked at the top of Bass Straight, In Western Port Bay,
Both can be a perfect Mill pond,
Both can be Extremely Dangerous Waters not to be in, when Bad weather hits,

No one goes out in bad weather here, Its just too Dangerous, 100 KPH winds yesterday,

Mill pond to Blizzard conditions, 20 minutes, I have been caught in it, Half cabin cruiser with a very low Transom, Thats Bloody Scary with following seas, and I did sink it on the Ramp,

A sailing vessel just cant avoid getting caught in bad weather here, Thats if they are out in it in the first place,

Even on their Diesels, They are still going to wear the Bad weather getting home to port,

At 5 knots, Your not going to be able to sail out of the way of any storm,

Above 35 knots wind speed is what I would start to call Bad weather,

[lifeofreilly57]

After going through the endless pages of comments and counter comments I just have to ask. Has anyone here ever experienced a pitchpole incident? I have talked to one or two people who have been rolled, a number of people who've taken a knock down, including myself. But have yet to actually meet someone who's experienced a pitchpole incident.
If there is anyone out there who has, and lived to tell about it or if there is someone on the site who knows for sure, a person who has I'd be interested to hear about it since the possibility has been bandied about quite a bit during this thread.
Not interested in anyone who "heard about a guy, who heard about a guy", just actual first hand or reliable information.

[robert sailor]

Get a copy of the "Queens Birthday Storm" (between NZ and Tonga) a couple rolled and pitch poled. It was easy to spot that they rolled because the mast was wrapped around the hull. Story was about a group of cruisers who left NZ at a bad time weather wise, its quite the video.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

After going through the endless pages of comments and counter comments I just have to ask. Has anyone here ever experienced a pitchpole incident? I have talked to one or two people who have been rolled, a number of people who've taken a knock down, including myself. But have yet to actually meet someone who's experienced a pitchpole incident.
If there is anyone out there who has, and lived to tell about it or if there is someone on the site who knows for sure, a person who has I'd be interested to hear about it since the possibility has been bandied about quite a bit during this thread.
Not interested in anyone who "heard about a guy, who heard about a guy", just actual first hand or reliable information.

It's a very rare event. Probably best experienced by those who are poor at weather planning, or who are unlucky. Even rolling is quite rare I would imagine. Knockdowns are common though....
Yes... read about the Queens Bday storm... or video... pretty interesting... when you're sucked up the face of a 90 foot wave.. any boat is at risk.

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

It's a very rare event. Probably best experienced by those who are poor at weather planning, or who are unlucky. Even rolling is quite rare I would imagine. Knockdowns are common though....
Yes... read about the Queens Bday storm... or video... pretty interesting... when you're sucked up the face of a 90 foot wave.. any boat is at risk.

Thanks for the feedback, in my 30 years of sailing I'd never come across many stories or mentions of a pitchpole incident so I assumed they were rare, of course up until recently 90 foot waves were also said to be impossible by the scientific community as just a figment of some impressionable sailors imagination. That is until they actually have recorded waves that size with data recording ocean bouys designed for that purpose, then they had to go back and tweak the theory. In reality they are rare since not a whole lot of waves that size have been recorded with those instruments.
I do remember my uncles stories of the storms they encountered in WWII when in the South Pacific, one of which sent waves right over the conning tower on the destroyer they were stationed on causing extensive damage. All three were stationed on different ships in the same fleet. Of course they were there for the duration of the Pacific campaign and only encountered one storm of that magnitude, which again points to the low incidence of those type of events.
I would think it would take pretty poor planning or extremely bad luck (which still happens) to be put in that situation, which is probably why it seems to be such an infrequent event.
I was just thrown off by the number of times it came up in the thread.

[carstenb]

I suspect not many experience a pitch poling and live to tell about it. but it is quite rare. a 360 roll is more common (still rare), and a number of people can talk from first hand experience ( not me, and I hope like hell I never will be able to)

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

Thanks for the feedback, in my 30 years of sailing I'd never come across many stories or mentions of a pitchpole incident so I assumed they were rare, of course up until recently 90 foot waves were also said to be impossible by the scientific community as just a figment of some impressionable sailors imagination. That is until they actually have recorded waves that size with data recording ocean bouys designed for that purpose, then they had to go back and tweak the theory. In reality they are rare since not a whole lot of waves that size have been recorded with those instruments.
I do remember my uncles stories of the storms they encountered in WWII when in the South Pacific, one of which sent waves right over the conning tower on the destroyer they were stationed on causing extensive damage. All three were stationed on different ships in the same fleet. Of course they were there for the duration of the Pacific campaign and only encountered one storm of that magnitude, which again points to the low incidence of those type of events.
I would think it would take pretty poor planning or extremely bad luck (which still happens) to be put in that situation, which is probably why it seems to be such an infrequent event.
I was just thrown off by the number of times it came up in the thread.

[highseas]

A former sailer from B.C. pitchpoled his ferro boat sailing from the western pacific to BC in late 80's.He was crossing a shoal bank in very bad weather.Lost the mast and almost lost his wife overboard.They were both very hurt but managed to jury rig and continue to Juan De Fuca strait,some 1500 miles.The coastguard got to them a few hundred miles out but they declined rescue and made it in unassited.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

After going through the endless pages of comments and counter comments I just have to ask. Has anyone here ever experienced a pitchpole incident?

10 years ago, while in the yard at Coos Bay, A guy pulled out in December if my memory serves me right. Headed for Hawaii in a Garden style ketch about 45 feet in length..
The story was that many had told the guy not to make the trip but he argued stating he had sailed the oceans all his life and knew what he was doing..
I was there in the yard two weeks later when they towed the boat in.. spreaders torn from one side of the mast and seaweed hanging from the spreader on the other side and various things torn from the boat. The guys wife had been lifted off the boat with a broken arm.
He was telling the story of rolling her over , ( the boat) over on her nose, pitch polling her off a large wave...

And I still remember My own Father riding into the driveway one day on his Harley, Called a friend of his and said, "come and get it, its all yours" speeking of the Harley..
Years later I asked him of the event.. He Said, "When you get up enough Guts to Ride Her, Its time to get off ". and he had reached that point..
And I also feel its true when it comes to the Ocean, or any large body of water for that matter.. When you finally get up enough guts to sail the sucker without fear, in any condition, maybe its time to give it up.

I've put more that a few thousand miles under my keel of blue water and I'll be the first to tell you it scares the hell out of me every time I go out. every passage is planned and replanned and most all risks are narrowed down to the minimum..

[JazzyO]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

After going through the endless pages of comments and counter comments I just have to ask. Has anyone here ever experienced a pitchpole incident?

I know someone who has experienced it: Erik de Jong. Not exactly an inexperienced sailor, he has built his own Arctic expedition boat and sails from New Foundland. See his website here: Bagheera-sailing - Home

He is very active on the Dutch version of the CF and I am always impressed by his knowledge and analysis. So if he says he's pitchpoled (BTW - it was with a different boat), then I believe him.


Onno

[trapoc]

After reading 20 or so pages I think you guys are trying to scare me into not leaving next year on my 25ft fin keel spade rudder boat. If that isn't true then tell me what I can do to the boat to make it as safe as possible. Thanks Charley