Roughest conditions ever experienced in your V ?

B

bgreene

Banned
Do tell !

I've only had my V21 this season, but last month just north of the Highlands, NJ in the ocean I took a " rogue wave set" on the bow while trolling. Waves were only 2'-4' steep, short chop, but this set was more in the 5' + . A decent portion of the lip came over the bow, up and over the windshield, and onto me. Nice December ocean water, air temp in the 30's. Good thing I had my waterproof gear on, so not wet to the skin.

The back end of the V isn't really made to shed water quickly......not low like the old Mako's but hopefully, I won't get myself into a situation where a breaker clears the bow and fills the deck area !!
 
that's a good reason to seal the deck and make sure that it the deck DOES fill it won't make it to the bilge.... I'm going to enlarge my scuppers quite a bit to 1 1/4' or 1 1/2"
 
smokeonthewater said:
that's a good reason to seal the deck and make sure that it the deck DOES fill it won't make it to the bilge.... I'm going to enlarge my scuppers quite a bit to 1 1/4' or 1 1/2"
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I simply caulked the hatch covering the fuel tank, and just opened it for winter storage air flow. Happy to see it's bone dry in there .

For the bilge hatch....... I don't mind that one not being completely sealed. It's a bilge - with bilge pump so I figure that's fine.

The deck drain holes are factory sized.......not big for sure but I'd have no idea how to enlarge properly.

Of course, the V isn't meant as a real hard core fishing rig......... although we can fish it hard.

Just interested in stories about waves...........
 
I used to have a 25' John Allmand. Good heavy boat... kinda thin in the beam for it's size, but sturdy... I was coming in from a trip downshore to the Shrewsbury rocks ... going up false hook channel when I ran into a storm just as the tide was changing. Another boat and I were about 100 feet apart as we started to go through the rip right at the tip of Sandy Hook. We would disappear from view of each other as we rose and fell on the waves.. easily 5-8 feet high. Scary as all sh!t.

I like the idea of enlarging the drain scuppers. Since I'm going to start work on my 21's soft deck shortly I think I'll do that in the process......and some type of backflow preventer will most definently be installed in them also. :head:
 
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funny, worst boating experience of my life was nearly 20 years ago with my dad in his john allmand 23' ticonderoga on lake erie. 14 hrs crossing through 3 T storms at night barely keeping it running just over idle with fuel issues. 6+++ foot waves..... waves coming over the bow AND the stern quite a few times

43 mile crossing... first trouble at mile 5 then cleared up and by mile 10 trouble was back and about that time here came the storms

It was actually pretty wide for it's length.... prolly same width as the 25

when we finally made land we were about 60 miles off course due to fighting waves and being unable to maintain a heading.
 
Destroyer said:
I used to have a 25' John Allmand. Good heavy boat... kinda thin in the beam for it's size, but sturdy... I was coming in from a trip downshore to the Shrewsbury rocks ... going up false hook channel when I ran into a storm just as the tide was changing. Another boat and I were about 100 yards apart as we started to go through the rip right at the tip of Sandy Hook. We would disappear from view of each other as we rose and fell on the waves.. Scary as all sh!t.

I like the idea of enlarging the drain scuppers. Since I'm going to start work on my 21's soft deck shortly I think I'll do that in the process......and some type of backflow preventer will most definently be installed in them also. :head:
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That area sure can change quickly.....came around in big seas once in a 31' Contender and was glad to have all that boat under us.

By the way - I like your life motto.
 
In my V, sad to say I 526 to I26 to Hwy52 to Hwy176.

In a 23 SeaCraft at The Georgetown Hole one March, 5-8 with the tips of the deployed outriggers touching the waves at the same time when we went in the trough. Had to hold my hand over my beer at trolling speed to keep the salt water out of it, after 30 min, we decided the burgers and beer at the Trawler on Shem Creek sounded better.

"I'd rather be here on the dock, wishing I was out there on the water, than out there on the water, wishing I was here on the dock" one of my drunk fishing buddies
 
I enlarged the drains in the back of mine. I got some big ol' thru hulls and traced the I.D. onto the transome and used my Dremmel tool with a 60gt sanding drum. Cuts through it like butter!!!! Use a respirator because it is a dusty business that will leave you looking li' Tony Montana!!!!!! I haven't been able to get the water to come up past the back chunnel since.

As for worst conditions in a V......

Comin back through the bar channel limpin at 600rpms with lightning poppin all over, shivering in July in pouring rain, water at my ankles at the helm and screamin "Just sink the m-f'r!!!!". Took me 3hrs in that crap to go 2.5mi and got back to find out if I ever wanted to take the boat out again I'd have to buy a new engine........I only had 20hrs on it:bat::bat::bat::bat::bat:
 
I have done the "bow stuff" while trolling when that 4-5 footer sneaks in with the 3 footers in the V...best defense on that is to go 45 degrees to the waves when going into the sea...or stay inside.

One time on my Grady White 25, I went out when it was a bit rougher than I should have, then the wind doubled, they were easily 8-10 foot seas, breaking over the top of the hard top. When we were in the bottom of the trough, you had to look WAY up on both sides to see the top of the waves...glad I wasn't in anything smaller that day.
 
I have been in some GENUINE 5-7's in my 18 coming back from snapper fishing. I did some dumb stuff when I was younger and thank God for watching over me. I only go out on calm days now..2' or less. I learn as I get older I dont have to be that mad at the fish.
 
Been in some good seas, but don't recall the water actually coming over the bow in my V20. Hope to keep it that way. Yes, 45 degrees at the right speed (slow) and hold on.

The largest "waves" I experienced in the V20 were probably close to 8-10 ft, but they were ocean swells. Many other boats out there, but I didn't care for it. Lesson learned: just cause other boats are out there doesn't mean its OK for me.

Been through that channel where MJ had his incident, there's a few areas where the riptides can get hairy. I will find alternate routes when it looks bad. The 20 ft boat can seem awfully small sometimes...

rkc
 
My 20 hasn't seen anything hairy yet. I refuse to go when it is that rough. With tabs I can push the nose in for chop and make decent headway. The way the water stacks up in the inlets, I steer clear 100% of the time. I have been in the Whaler in some right rough conditions. Wet the pulpit every cycle taking an occasional one over the bow at trolling speed. Miserable fishing conditions. It would have been easier from the deck of a 30' er but not ideal.

MJ - I see the carnage, I can't remember the story. Was it just a rogue wave?
 
Worst for me is almost everytime I go out or come in at Oregon Inlet during the winter. The ocean is always heading to shore and the sound is always heading to the ocean, add the wind and most of the time you have 10-15ft waves from trough to crest.

It's a good thing I have been going in/out of there all my life so I'm use to it.

You have to count the number of waves in a set and then count the seconds from last wave in the set to the 1st wave in the next set, then run like hell until the 1st wave comes of the next set and then ride out the set again until the rest area of the next set and run like hell again.
 
I was actually 15 years old (im 34 now) and we were fishing the small boat marlin tournament here out of Va Beach. We fished all day and caught one dolphin and one tuna(nothing to brag about) the fish were small. we could see the the sky line from 40 some miles off and it looked ****ty!!!coming in from offshore it progressively got worse But got inside the Chesapeake Bay light tower and were in what we used to call the green water(offshore we fished the bluewater) and it turned up 6 to 7 foot. I was young and it was pretty bad espesiaclly when you had to ride in that crap for 13 miles!!!!!!! It was a very very very wet ride!!! Im gonna post some pics soon of my dads old v20, That boat was insane we took that boat were v20's werent really suppose to go. LOL!!!
 
garagenc said:
Worst for me is almost everytime I go out or come in at Oregon Inlet during the winter.
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One of my favorite pics is a 31' Yellowfin runnin out of Oregon Inlet and the bow is pointed almost straight up going over what looks like 8' waves......no thanks.

One time in particular sticks out in my head in my dad's 23' Tsunami. Comin back into Ft Pierce inlet following BAMF Hatteras. When he was goin down the wave and we were goin up, all you could see was the top 5' of the outriggers swaying back and forth about 30' side to side......most scared Ive ever been.
 
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