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WEATHER PATTERNS (22-4)
By Dusty Miller
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 I
was out on the water recently teaching a boater and
he mentioned how calm it was. I hadn’t really
noticed, but his comment made me think how seldom we
get to enjoy such calm days.
As weather fronts march across the lakes we have hot
humid days of strong southwest winds, followed by a
band of thunder with heavy local gusts, then cool north
or northwest winds that blow steadily for a day or two.
Whether this weather pattern is the result of global
warming or part of a natural pattern, boaters have to
learn how to handle the ever-changing weather conditions.
Granted, there aren’t many boaters who want to
be out on the water when it’s rough. Some sailors
relish the challenge and some power boaters have various
definitions of the word “rough.” They cheerfully
skip over the waves while their counterparts are in
the marina, all zipped up. But it’s when boaters
are trying to land on a windward dock or when they’re
trying to get off a lee dock when the difficulties arise.
Both are easy to handle.
First let’s talk about getting up to a dock when
the wind is blowing you away. This is an extremely frustrating
situation. You need to approach the dock at a pretty
good clip to give yourself enough momentum to overcome
the wind. The trouble is you don’t want to hit
the dock. So, apply power with precision. Without practice,
boaters usually turn beam to the dock too soon and drift
away.
The trick is to ease up to the dock bow or stern first
(the latter is easier) and hand a line to a dock hand
or tell your crew to take a line ashore. Secure the
line to a cleat and, using the gearshift that’s
farther from the dock, touch in touch out – reverse
if it’s a bowline and forward if it’s a
stern line. The boat will then ease in parallel to the
dock. I have seen some instructions that tell you to
go forward against a bow line, but all that will do
is smash the bow into the dock. It will not bring the
stern up to the dock.
To get away from a lee dock, when the wind is holding
you back, think about timing. Most people wait as the
wind speed rises and falls, making their move during
the lull. The better way is to start your move when
the gust is at its peak. It doesn’t seem logical,
but it works. Here’s way. When the wind eases
in the lull, the boat has already started to move and
it can make better progress before the wind rises again.
You can try to bounce the boat off the dock using the
fenders. To go off stern first (which is easier) make
sure a fender (or a pair of fenders) is right at the
stern quarter or protecting the swim platform. Then
put the gearshift closer to the dock in forward and
the one farther from the dock in reverse. Hold it for
just a second, and the stern will move toward the dock,
compressing the fender(s). Quickly reverse the gearshifts.
Place the one closer to the dock in reverse and the
other one in forward and the stern will move away from
the dock. If the wind doesn’t push you back, you
can go out backward. Obviously, reverse everything to
go out bow first.
As for being caught in the storm, it will likely happen
and it’s usually manageable. If you keep an eye
on the weather, you’ll probably be able to find
a safe harbour before the storm hits. But on the day
when the inevitable happens, you can do a lot to keep
yourself safe and comfortable. When the black clouds
start bearing down, take a bearing on the nearest safe
haven. Write it down. While you’re at it, take
a bearing on any hazards you want to avoid. In a heavy
rain, you may not be able to see and have to steer by
the compass. Secure fenders and lines well. Pay particular
attention to the anchor. You don’t want it hanging
loose only to smash against the hull.
In situations when waves constantly increase, remember
the boat can take more than you or your passengers can.
As the wind rises, reduce your speed to lessen the impact
to keep the bow from burying itself and the props in
the water. If your props do come out of the water, you
are going too fast for the conditions, and you can seriously
harm your transmissions and engines. Slow down, but
maintain headway to keep under control. If the wind
picks up, you might have to change your heading again
to take the waves at a 45-degree angle. This will also
help keep your props in the water.
Heading down wind with the waves astern are less noisy
and seem more comfortable, but it still requires diligence.
However, when the seas become steeper, boats have a
tendency to surf down the wave into the trough. As the
bow is buried the following wave could throw her on
her beam in the trough, which is called broaching and
its extremely dangerous. Travel at the same speed as
the seas with the bow riding high on the backside of
a wave. As the wave diminishes, let the next wave pass
underneath and follow it with your bow up. Use your
throttles to maintain your position. As the stern rises,
decrease the speed slightly and as the bow rises, increase
it. That will keep you on the wave for a longer time.
The good thing about most summer storms is that they
don’t last too long. With attention to the right
details and a little practice, you’ll have another
experience to brag about on the upper deck at the marina.
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