Chesapeake Bay-Strong Wind, Steep Waves

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by edexter

Fun little boat, great ofr the northern bay - designed by Philip Rhodes back in the '60s, near the end of his career, so she has the advantage of decades of experience; tender at first but with the keel down she goes over about 15 to 20 degrees and sticks pretty well (though the Captain advises she WILL get knocked down, but will self right, and has positive flotation so you just gotta bail her out. Having replaced all the electronics when helping her get it back in the water, damned if that is happening on MY watch). Shallow draft, 4' with the wedge-shaped keel down, 2' up, and it kicks up if you hit something. Plus, the line has been in production since the mid-60s and has been constantly improved. Now made by General Boats in Edenton NC, she's got a lot packed into her - a pop-top cabin roof with a canvas and plastic tent that goes over the whole cabin for privacy in marinas, head with a door, one-burner butane stove, little cold water sink, fold out bed, table that can go in the cabin or out in the largish cockpit, furling main and 170 genoa, and a motor mount with a compound block so you can lift the 100 pound motor out of the water when sailing. And those big hatches just abaft of and above the forward portlights really help with ventilation - as long as you close and dog them before taking a wave over the bow, lol. Make that mistake at least once a year. Wouldn't be much fun in the conditions you described tho, you did well.

That's a good one!

She will get knockdown, but will self right then all you gotta do is bail her out!

To me, that sailing close to the water and knowing your boat.

I'm hoping should that (a knockdown) happen to me I'll have all hatches secured and the cockpit will bail herself out gradually with the two drains.

The bridge deck should also help decrease the amount of water still in the cockpit when she rights herself.

[Linesledaft]

I came up the bay during/after hurricane Isaias in my Alberg 35. We headed into a marina about 8 hours before it got nasty, then it was squally for a few days after. I also had some really horrible chop. 7-8’ and breaking. Just as soon as the bow wanted fo come up we would take another.

Fishing Bay or Fisherman’s Bay is a great spot to hide out if you can make it.

Personally I just clipped in and pushed. Actually the roughest part of 1197nm was in the Chesapeake...

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Linesledaft

I came up the bay during/after hurricane Isaias in my Alberg 35. We headed into a marina about 8 hours before it got nasty, then it was squally for a few days after. I also had some really horrible chop. 7-8’ and breaking. Just as soon as the bow wanted fo come up we would take another.

Fishing Bay or Fisherman’s Bay is a great spot to hide out if you can make it.

Personally I just clipped in and pushed. Actually the roughest part of 1197nm was in the Chesapeake...

Fishing Bay just below Deltaville?

If that is what you mean, that does looks like a good spot to hide from the North Wind, but my trip this time was from Kiptopeke to Little Creek right across the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Other trips are usually Mobjack Bay (Severn River anchorage) to Little Creek, York River to Little Creek or Onancock to Little Creek.

I believe the roughest part for me was near the Chesapeake Channel which is also where I altered course to pass to the stern of a tanker. I was having a hard time seeing the big buoys for the shipping channels because the waves were so big and I was busy. I never did see them for the Chesapeake Channel so I just ducked behind that ship since I didn't know if I could cross the channel before he arrived or not. I did see him at the tunnel entrance though so he wasn't a surprise

https://www.oceangrafix.com/chart/zoom?chart=12280

Once I stop working I want to check out the entire bay North of Tangier as well as the area near Deltaville and Reedville, then head South to Cape Lookout/Morehead City with a stop at Oriental.

Then back up here as sort of a set of shakedown cruises.

[thomm225]

So one final piece to this story.

When I was getting close to my destination, Little Creek, I saw a sailboat coming out and was very surprised. On the entire trip across, I had only seen one tanker coming into the Chesapeake Channel, one tug boat towing a barge, and now this sailboat. (besides the other two sailboats that were anchored at Kiptopeke with me)

He was sailing into the wind, not to close to the wind but upwind with just a bit of jib up. I'm guessing he used the jib because it was easier to unfurl just a bit of it.

I would have used the main reefed down as much as possible or maybe one up from that.........but whatever I didn't know what their plan was.

Come to find out this boat was off my dock and was a 55' long, plumb bow racing boat, and they wanted to go out and test some stuff.

It's a beautiful boat with dual steering wheels and all the bells and whistles. I didn't recognize it at the time as I was a mile or two away from it.

It has the tallest mast at the entire marina.

There were 4 onboard and the guy I spoke to said 2 of them got seasick and one dreadfully sick.

He also said they saw 8' waves but maybe that was after the bow plunged down deep into the water.

I would have thought on a 55'er things would have been a bit better but this guy was as amazed by the conditions as I was