Boating in the Rain

[LIforrelaxin]

Well, it had been since College some 12 or 13 years since I had ended up on the lake in the middle of a down pour.... and back then it was an evil awful thunderstorm during which I found a empty dock slip, and what looked like a empty camp so I pulled in and tied up, only to be invited in and joined a nice couple for hot coco while the storm passed and then it was off back to the camp....They where really nice, and to think all I was going to do, was tie up the boat and head in under this nice looking deck they had, and enjoy my soda, and half a bag of chips left over from lunch well the storm passed.

Well many years have passed, and I have always seem to be able to make it home before the storms or down pours until this year. Now twice... not once but twice I have been caught on the other side of the lake in an absolute down pour. Now there hasn't been any thunder and lightening so there has been no worries except for how soaked my wife was getting. But the rides back have been just that slow and wet. This past weekend the bow cover was on and she dove in underneath and stayed mostly dry... and laughed at me... She said I think we should turn back... I of course said why? lets live a little, we should be able to get to Center Harbor, and the storm will pass while we have breakfast... then we will head back after the rain... well I was wrong... the Saturday down pour hit us just as we passed black Cat... it a long slow ride back to Long Island...in the rain... when you can't see more then 500 ft in front of the boat.... and your soaked.... and your wife is laughing from under the bow cover....

But this has all reminded me just how much I really do love boating... because even as I was getting soaked.... thinking that I needed a foul weather camper canvas set..... listening to my wife laugh.... plowing along in very still water.... will water pouring down from above.... I realized.... just how relaxed I was... truely enjoying myself....Yes I had been caught in the rain... but it was just rain, I was just wet... and my wife was laughing....

For everything else..... there is credit cards...

[cillovely]

This weekend was my first boating in the rain experience but here at home in the Boston area. We were having a fabulous ride, not too many waves once we got out of the inner harbor (first time we've had it that calm), then we turned the boat around to head home.....huge black cloud over the city, you couldn't even see any buildings. Of course hubby had to go pee in the cuddy cabin and had me take over just before we hit the worst of it. It was so cold!!! I'm like hurry up will you. Soaked me to the core. Couldn't see much but thankfully my eagle eyes picked out what seemed to be a rail road tie floating before we hit that. Crazy thing about it was when you looked over on either side it was sunny and beautiful.

Thankfully it stopped as fast as it came and by the time we were loading the boat on the trailer the boat and we were all dry. Plus that saved hubby from having to wash the salt water off of the boat.

Now my fear of boating in the rain is a little bit calmed. And compared to riding on a motocycle in the rain, I'll take the boat anytime.

[jayp603]

got hit 3 times today, there's worse things!

[Greene's Basin Girl]

got hit 3 times today, there's worse things!I was on my Seadoo yesterday when it started pouring. The rain does hurt when your are trying to quickly get home and you are moving along very quickly.

[Mee-n-Mac]

I was on my Seadoo yesterday when it started pouring. The rain does hurt when your are trying to quickly get home and you are moving along very quickly.

It was mebbe 5 weeks ago and I had just got the SeaDoo into the water. It was forecasted to rain all weekend but in reality all we got was scattered showers. It was fun skirting around their edges though I did get wet (for a bit) from one shower whilst "trapped" between shore and Sleepers I. Below 20 MPH, not too bad. Above 30 MPH ... it stings. Sunglasses required.

[OCDACTIVE]

I just had my first experience boating in the rain on a performance boat. Normally if there is rain forcasted I button her up tight. I wouldn't want my baby to get wet! :-) . Boy what an expierence! It actually was down in VA on the second leg of our poker run. Another winni.com member was following me. We turn out of a small river then on to Norfolk. If you have ever been there the river narrows where the bridge crosses and their is a tidal current that meets the river. Very similar to where Merrimac River meets the ocean. The waves on a calm day are tricky.

Well we take off and the wind kicks up and we get caught in a down pour. The only comparrison I could make is like a microburst I have seen over moultonboro bay. The wind driven waves were coming at and angle, the tidal waves were opposite, visability was down to maybe 100ft, and to top it all off we are getting passed by boats doing 100 mph (safely mind you) off our left side causing cross wakes. Needless to say I learned VERY quickly what my boat could do.

Surprisingly you would think slow down but what worked was lowering the tabs to neutrel and powering up to about 4000 rpms and trim to 3. This put me on top of the "washing machine" as we called it, and I was able to ride the tops pretty well. My arm hurt after all the throttle action though... LOL

One item I will carry hence forth though are 4 paintball masks. Boy was I jealous when I saw the big guys pass me with those on. It felt like needles. But hey look at it this way, some ladies pay top dollar at spas to have their skin exfoliated... I and my crew had it done for free! :D:eek:

[robmac]

Very cool.

[SIKSUKR]

They sell some pretty cool PWC goggles at Overtons that work great in those conditions. 2 years ago I was caught 1/2 hour from the launch in a pretty good thunderstorm on my PWC. Even with the painfull sandblasting I was recieving from the downpour, the urge to slow down was far surpased by the motivation from seeing all the lightning strikes all around. Very nerve racking.:eek:

[tc_mike]

They sell some pretty cool PWC goggles at Overtons that work great in those conditions. 2 years ago I was caught 1/2 hour from the launch in a pretty good thunderstorm on my PWC. Even with the painfull sandblasting I was recieving from the downpour, the urge to slow down was far surpased by the motivation from seeing all the lightning strikes all around. Very nerve racking.:eek:

I use "Spex" and they work great... and they are fairly inexpensive for eyewear. They used to sell them at Parafunalia, but they did not stock them this year for whatever reason. I think you can get them at Overtons.

[trfour]

When weather forecasts include scattered thunder storms or showers, if you think rain hurts, you would need a helmet and shoulder pads if hail should get in the mix! :look:



Terry

[BroadHopper]

Used my ski goggles once in a terrific downpour years ago. I thought of using my snowmobile helmet!