phark

sweet driving, could have thrown in a nice cutback

That was awesome, if your going to surf a sailing boat, cats are definitely the go. No way in hell a single hulled yacht would have made that with out turning it side on.

Next time he needs to get the sail up and get that thing parked in a barrel

would i do that with my new boat?

only if it was maissively overinsured!

I tried that with a zodiac + wife and it went end over end (front dug in)... miss freaked out but then thought she was something special for not TOTALLY freaking out... I don't think she's been near the sea since.

^^^^ was about 2 am.

I'm impressed!

He looked like he knew what he was doing!

They are talking about skill ..... I think it was stupidity to ride the wave.
Now I am no big boat skipper, but considering the wave only is really vertical for about 30m of its travel toward land, would a skilful skipper not just get on the back of a wave and motor hard for 10sec to keep up with it and thus make the crossing with no probs at all?

Mark _australia said...

They are talking about skill ..... I think it was stupidity to ride the wave.
Now I am no big boat skipper, but considering the wave only is really vertical for about 30m of its travel toward land, would a skilful skipper not just get on the back of a wave and motor hard for 10sec to keep up with it and thus make the crossing with no probs at all?

That's pretty difficult to do, and requires a grunty motor. Aeration in the wave also gives your prop no traction.

The option the skipper took was prob the best, anthough very ballsy & luck possibly played a small part. Personally, I would've waited a day or so (me not so brave, or skillful!)

I've come in from fishing a few times & had to do a few 180deg turns to face the waves so as not to get swamped...and that was in a 20ft alu with a 115hp motor. A single hull of that size would've been turned sideways for sure.

Ballsy as phark.
I would have had more than a beer afterwards.
lol

fair go for that boat /cat it handled it well, and the driver knew what

was needed of him. There was only a slight second of suspence when the

crest of the wave rode under the hull and steerage was challenged for a

tense moment, other than that all OK. Good surf cats 14-18+ with deep hulls

such as the old Caper Cat Of Queensland were perfect for this type of action.

Many hours at Australind in the surf and on Bunbury harbour out the end of

the jetty, under sail only, helped for a trip from Cairns to Cooktown on a 14

footer. surfed all the way. Deep rudders are the trick so one does not loose

steerage when balanced on the top of the wave, That was a bigger boat

same principal, not a worry, a calculated risk ......maybe...but great fun.

That was the action of a true sailor.... not a cotton wool wannabe [}:)]

whatthe said...

I wouldn't be game to do that in a monohull, an experienced skipper recently died trying to cross a bar with smaller waves in Florida: http://thetriton.com/gallery/v/bosuns-locker/jupiter/

A cat with big rudders is a much better option.

Wow, the first two pics you wouldnt have thought that there was a problem.