172 seamanship secrets
Study the local winds and tidal currents—if they are in opposition, you can
expect much rougher conditions inside an inlet.
Do not under any conditions base your decision on what you hear on
a weather radio. Many forecasts are several hours old, and only you can
see the conditions at this particular spot. Stop the boat and study the inlet
with binoculars. Take your time and look for a wave pattern to develop.
You will usually see a larger sea, followed by a series of smaller seas. If
you get inside an inlet and must then turn around and head back out, this
knowledge could prove crucial to prevent your boat from capsizing. If
possible, avoid having to turn broadside to the seas inside an inlet. If you
must turn around, your vessel needs to have enough power to make a 180-
degree turn within a few seconds. Start the turn the moment the large sea in
the sequence passes beneath your hull. Complete the turn and get your bow
into the seas before the next large sea arrives.
If you have any doubt as to the safety of an inlet, play it safe and
stay out!- Boat and crew capabilities. Underpowered boats have no business in any
inlet with breaking waves across the channel. A boat must have the power
to hold herself on the back of a wave and square herself before a breaking
wave. In inlets, power and stability (see Appendices) take precedence
over speed. Coast Guard surf boats depend on stability and brute power to
negotiate the worst inlets in the nation.
Your boat. You must maintain control of the vessel at all times. Th at means
keeping the rudder and propeller in the water and the bow and stern
squared to the seas. Use throttle bursts to dig the stern in and maintain
perpendicular alignment to the wave crests. When exiting an inlet, avoid
the crest of any breaking wave ahead of you by angling slightly left or
right. When entering an inlet, slow down on the back of a breaking wave
by throttling down so as not to overtake the crest. Tow warps (long loops
of line) or a drogue to keep the stern square to a following sea. If the boat
gets caught on the crest, your rudder and propeller break water and lose
eff ectiveness, and you could broach (roll over onto your side and capsize).
Or you might pitchpole, which is when the bow digs into a trough and the
boat somersaults forward.
Your crew. Some of your crew must be experienced working on the
foredeck in an emergency. Do not leave the helm unattended, even for a
moment. If you lose control inside a rough inlet, the boat could broach.
Make preparations ahead of time to prevent this from happening. - Ground tackle and fast deployment strategy. Your vessel needs
substantial ground tackle that sets immediately on short scope (see
Chapter 11 for more on ground tackle and anchoring). Make the