Loving Your SeaCraft When the Poop Hits the Fan!

[kmoose]

NOAA and several other forecasts models dropped the ball on the Florida Gulf side keeping the Coasties very busy last Saturday. With predictions of 2’ seas and 10 Knot winds decreasing in the afternoon many boats set out early to take advantage of the short Red Snapper season.....me included. A front that was predicted to show late Saturday night with 15 knot winds showed up at 9 AM with a screaming vengeance and 30 knot winds kicking the seas up offshore to a very tight 6’+.

I was 35 nautical SW of Cedar Key when it hit. I’ve been in the shit before but this time the speed at which it built was beyond worrisome. At it’s worst the only option to maintain a safe headway was to put the bow right into the head sea as coming broadside to the stacked sea would have risked dipping the gunwale and taking on more water than I could shed before the next wave hit. I can tell you with all certainty that I am glad during my rebuild I glassed the cap to the hull, raised the deck and installed 4” long side scuppers and a locking deck hatch. They were all tested and performed as expected.

This pic is one of several that cleared the windshield and sent every loose item to the stern as well as lifting the outboard completely out of the water as we tipped down the back side. Fortunately we were able to make 5-7 knots into it heading straight back to port with the auto pilot holding like a rock but it was a long “exciting” ride I will not soon forget.

I have always loved my SeaCraft but nothing solidifies it more than getting stuck in the shit and safely handling it when many other boats didn’t that day.