Seas, wave height, where is the line drawn on the headboats.

[mak7464]

I have a head boat trip coming up for tuna in the future and plan on booking more.

My questions is surrounding when does a trip get called for weather. Looking for general experience and thoughts. Mainly for the 90 and 100 ft head boats like voyager and gambler etc.

I know there are a lot of factors beside wave height. Frequency wind etc. I’m just looking for general thoughts. How high of seas is too high on these trips. When have you seen them call it off. I have no clue. I can see the forecast with the best of them but want to know at what point I should be concerned about my trip running or not. I also know the forecast is always changing.

[Ol Pedro]

Safety and comfort are Prime considerations when going offshore. I think that 25 kt sustained winds is sort of the cut off point. I think that more trips are cancelled due to wind than just swell.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Anything over 5 foot seas especially if the wave period is under 7 seconds.

[Capt. Debbie]

Wind direction has a lot to do with it too. The wind is the killer. Especially E and NE. The fetch( essentially wave momentum across the Atlantic) the waves will be large.

If you have higher winds like Gerry said ( sustained speed- (not gusts) over 20k) it's unlikely.

If you have a storm down south and its sending swells this way ( typically out of SE) and the wind is up likely forget that trip too.

Some guys will run in the sh*t. When I ran charters out of Belmar I'd go down the SRI Jetty or the Ocean Ave bridge to confirm it was a NO GO day.

I had one crazy SOB want to go fly fishing at Chicken Canyon in 20 knots. He insisted against my advice. There was so much seafoam on top at CC that the fishing flies disappeared even if you could throw them. 0 for 0. Trips like that make me ( and most captains) look bad as a crap captain with no fish, no hookups. I was not. I was good - for the most part like everyone who tries hard and explores.

Everyone wants a nice July weather type trip. But come September, October AND November that kind of nice ride and trip are the exception and not normal. Small craft advisories are typical in Fall. i.e. 15-25k winds w/ 3-5 foot seas. Gale warnings are the 30 knot plus wind speeds- that's usually an absolute pure NFW unless you're a cruise ship!! :)

[strip bait]

20knts depending on wind direction. But just remember Howard is no coward!!!! If you sail w him 25kts. And Jamaica will sail.

[Duffman]

IMO it’s not the weather, it’s the boat your sailing with. One boat may sail and another cancel on the same conditions. Getting your ass handed to you for 36 hours isn’t fun. And last time I checked that’s why I fish, fun.

[captbogan]

I have a head boat trip coming up for tuna in the future and plan on booking more.

My questions is surrounding when does a trip get called for weather. Looking for general experience and thoughts. Mainly for the 90 and 100 ft head boats like voyager and gambler etc.

I know there are a lot of factors beside wave height. Frequency wind etc. I’m just looking for general thoughts. How high of seas is too high on these trips. When have you seen them call it off. I have no clue. I can see the forecast with the best of them but want to know at what point I should be concerned about my trip running or not. I also know the forecast is always changing.

Mak

I've had my share of assbeatings and try to avoid them as much as possible these days. Why break something on the boat --or worse, get someone hurt.

There are a number of factors that I consider. Sometimes an 8ft sea is just a swell from an offshore disturbance and you'll barely notice it once you get past the inlet breakers.

But when 8ft seas are caused by steady winds, and the seas are close together, it can be down-right nasty. --So 25 knots out of the SW with 8ft seas close together, I would draw the line and cancel.

However, if we can get most of the trip in with good weather, I would put up with some turbulance on the way home, like 6 ft or so.

Another factor I consider: Is it going to be a following sea or a head sea?, going out and returning?

These big boats can take big seas but not so much our passengers --and we want our customers to come back.

Hope that answers your question.

Capt Bob

[shrimpman steve]

Great post Capt.

[mak7464]

Mak

I've had my share of assbeatings and try to avoid them as much as possible these days. Why break something on the boat --or worse, get someone hurt.

There are a number of factors that I consider. Sometimes an 8ft sea is just a swell from an offshore disturbance and you'll barely notice it once you get past the inlet breakers.

But when 8ft seas are caused by steady winds, and the seas are close together, it can be down-right nasty. --So 25 knots out of the SW with 8ft seas close together, I would draw the line and cancel.

However, if we can get most of the trip in with good weather, I would put up with some turbulance on the way home, like 6 ft or so.

Another factor I consider: Is it going to be a following sea or a head sea?, going out and returning?

These big boats can take big seas but not so much our passengers --and we want our customers to come back.

Hope that answers your question.

Capt Bob

Thanks for the insight Captain Bob. One of my bookings is is the sat-sun canyon with you for this weekend. Hopefully we sail!!!!!