Rough inlets

I've been close to the first guy's situation. The 2nd I think might have me changing careers.

I've always said that if I die in this business it'll be coming into an inlet. Those illustrate why very well.

Both of these videos would require a shorts change.

Halfway through the first one I thought I must show this to the Admiral. After seeing both I changed my mind.

Same thing occurred to me!

That second video was taken from the jetty at Noyo Harbor just north of Fort Bragg on California's north coast. Got caught out in similar sea's in a 18' aluminum boat when I was a kid. When you come in through there in tough conditions that inlet seems about 3' wide !

It seems to me that neither boat had the power to stay on top of he incoming surf. Am I wrong or confused? Why would a captain try to shoot that inlet knowing he could not match the wave profile? I would have stood off, and waited until conditions changed...hey, but that's me.

1) Sometimes you've gotta do what you gotta do.
2) You can't tell from the back of a wave what you'll find on the front until you're on top of it. At that point you've bought your ticket for the ride.
3) Once he headed in he was committed. Turning around would surely put him into a broach situation through several waves before his bow got all the way around.
4) That first boat had plenty of power,,,just not enough, so he has to play the waves. Many of us have been there/done that. WHen that boat slid across the wave in a broach position that captain was full forward port, reverse stbd with the wheel cranked against lock to the right, and his heart was in his throat.
5) With the second boat I'm surprised that he didn't lower his outriggers for balance. Bet he bought drinks at the pub after.

NYC, I can see your point on once you decide to go.....you can't turn back. That was a nasty bit of water for either boat. I would have had it running down my leg.
I still don't see how the captain saved that boat once it came broad to the wave, I was sure she was going to roll. There are not enough drinks at any bar that would have gotten me to forget that.

Fear and a lack of alternatives are great motivators. Succeed or die, hero or fool. I used to run a single screw charter fishing boat. In more than a 5' sea I had to let at least 5 waves pass under the boat in the time it took to make a 180* turn. Needless to say I thought long and hard about my timing before making my move in rough seas.

If you're talking about the second video I think you're wrong on that. She came in on her side half sunk. One more broadside wave and she'd likely have turned turtle. Those outriggers probably should have been out for added stability IMHO. No boat I know of, except for a sailboat with keel, is designed to lay on its side filling with water through its hatches.

That is definitely some crazy stuff, and I think that I would have been changing my shorts before and after that happened!

I am sure that the Captain had a significant "pucker factor" going on there.

I like the caption on the first one saying he was making a quick stop in that port. After the ride in I doubt he was eager to go back out.