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All, I just have to share this with you as it was just one of those very cool occasions, where everything that could have gone wrong, went right and the trip and outing was a special event for all on-board. Thursday, after hitting the links, two of my brothers opted to go play racket ball, which left me with another brother, a brother in-law and two nephews to keep amused. It was a beautiful day, but as usual this time of year the wind was out of the SE at 20 - 25 MPH and high 70's maybe touching the low 80's. We dropped the Whaler in the water, and cruised out the canals to the intercostal with nothing but a very light chop. So, my one brother says, hey I want to go into the Gulf. I responded with, well, we can probably stick out noses out there, but with a wind like this out of the SE, the waves will be very rough, and in the channel, they can be brutal. So, we can check it out, but if its to rough, nope we ain't goin there. So, we headed out, hauled butt at 52 - 53 MPH and 5600 rpms to the beginning of the channel, and motored down to get through the no wake zones, under two bridges and finally to the entrance of packery channel and the Gulf. Initially, I thought it was manageable, and kept pushing to get past the breakwater and into the gulf. Very bad mistake. As we cruised to the entrance, the waves got steeper and where it begins to shelf, and the waves started standing up. I thought we could get through and go outside for just long enough to clear the channel and spin about and get back........wrong. As I got to the entrance of the channel, a wave that looked 6 foot, kept climbing and the face steepined until I was unsure if it would not throw me on my back. (no kidding as I have had experience with that on small sailboats climbing through the surf) as we were climbing the wave and the top was well beyond the bow pulpit, like way over it and I knew we were in trouble. I yelled for everyone to hold on and nailed the throttle. We launched ( I just love my E-TEC) up the wave, went air borne, dropped like a rock on the other side, and had a surprisingly soft landing. My one brother announced he had mentally dirtied his undies :o , and my brother in law said, I think I did it for real :o:o. Both were kidding (thank you God) and we cruised out past the worst of it, and I spun the boat around and got back through with no problems by straddling the waves, another trick us small sail boaters learned after the first trip off shore. All in all, it was a great trip with tons of excitement and my family will never forget the event. For me, it proved once again, that I had a fantastic boat, as through all we were doing, and my very poor judgment, it took me out and brought me and my family back safe and sound and maybe a tad more humbler.

Duf B)

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Duf,

I took mine from Key Allegro in Rockport to the end of the Port Aransas jetties last week. Big standing waves there too. I went about 100 yards past the jetties and turned around. I am sticking to the channels with the winds we have been getting.

I will have to explore the Packery Channel during our Texas Outing.

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Oh man, that landing would'nt have been so soft in another hull....I had the opposite happen to me once, a wave about 6' high (almost breaking) caught me once when I was in a hard plow, this huge wake slapped the back of the boat and launched it right to planing speed down the wave in the trough, the back of the boat was higher than the bow, with me caught in the "almost" curl, no steering ( since the water current was going past the prop faster from behind), I thought for sure that I was going to "pitch pole", I went for the throttle and "Nailed it" turning slightly to starboard. The boat climbed over the wave crest and settled back down, it was a Hell of a "Nantucket sleigh ride", that left me "shaking", I mean &%#@ WAS I SCARED ! it was the only surprise I ever got from the boat. I know what you mean though, was it a "Great Boat" that got you through ? Yea...but, I think there's a Hell of a lot of luck thrown in there too sometimes. It's a relief when it's over.
mw

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6 footers got you down duf. Come one. :D I have had the Guardian in 8-10 footers. In the trough the waves where taller than the T-Top. Honestly, that sucked. Had to make a 10 mile run in them to get back to port and the wave were hitting me dead center on the bow. To make any progress I had to go WOT up the wave, cut the throttles at the top and either coast down the other side or just take off like a rocket. I could see land and knew the boat would not sink but still it was very unsettled. As I rounded the Point Betsie Lighthouse there were tons of surfers (yes people surf the Great Lakes) and kite boarders way out off the point. They all where cheering and were giving the thumbs up everytime we left the water. What a ride.

BTW I will be coming to Dallas for a week in September to visit some friends. Is it possible to make it to your place, have a ride and get back to Dallas in a day?

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always fun to hear those stories:o

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I think if we all boat long enough we all have these adventures, and as stated by a few, if we're lucky we get home safe and consider ourselves educated.

Jeff, one of the things i never do is state the actual size of the wave, as thats kinda like how big the fish was, as it always seems bigger then it actually was. However, a 6 footer was what i got turning broadsize to on one of my maiden voyages with Raggedy, which other then getting my lady soaking wet, was no challenge at all. This wave was huge and locally you can't get much in the way of fresh fish as none of the boats are going out, but i'll still stay away from guessing actual hight. :p
If your down to Dallas in Sept, by all means if you can work it in come by, and not only will i put you up but we will go boating. Its no more then a quick hour flight from Dallas to Corpus, and I'll take you out on the boat, through the channel entrance, and will treat you to a texas size steak on the back deck. My kitchen, which has been disabled since the first of Jan, is still waiting on a counter top to complete, which includes an installed sink. So i think Bob who is coming this week will be sitting on my deck drinking our dinner as i don't have a kitchen yet!! :o

Duf B)