BigBendFishing.Net

big bend gyrene wrote:Harmsway, I targeted your window... it did NOT go well.

Ouch!
Yeah, there was a gap in the crap mid-morning. I would have gone out, too, if I thought it would last. Good job keeping everybody alive, Skipper.

I'm seeing a gap right now and I am considering going out....

Sunday and its nice woke up to sun shining and no wind ..Wonders how long it might last at Econfina circle

I'm ready for it ta rain again Catching up on this yard work is KILLIN me

We went out and tried it. Lots of wind some rain and no fish.

big bend gyrene wrote:Harmsway, I targeted your window... it did NOT go well.

Managed to run out completely dry in the "window" and anchor just long enough to make one cast, which did produce a mack hit so not completely skunked. Then the system that had been hanging to the west pinched us between bad stuff that had bloomed both north and south. Second scariest day I've had on the water. Thankful to God no lightning, but the gale winds at anchor offshore and the two hour wait for the wind and rain to slow enough to risk even thinking about running back in made for a long roller coaster ride I won't soon forget. Rained so hard that despite running the bilge the entire time on the way back in (through blinding rain so thick we didn't see land until we reached the tripod), the boat still peed all the way back to Lloyd, and then emptied another 10 minutes or so into Lake Kennedy once home.

Can't say enough how glad I was to have a flared bow panga. Honestly think we rode many 6s and 7s at anchor, and had the bow not been flared so high it would have been more ugly than I wish to even contemplate.

So John, did you stay at anchor for the worst to pass? I'm not sure I could do that. I would want to be able to control the boat at each wave...that's just me tho, not saying what you did was wrong.

Looked at the long range forecast and watched the real time up in the mountains. Had one hour long shower all weekend.

rocket wrote:So John, did you stay at anchor for the worst to pass? I'm not sure I could do that. I would want to be able to control the boat at each wave...that's just me tho, not saying what you did was wrong.

Rocket, yep... we stayed anchored through the worst of it. And if any other experienced board members want to challenge the wisdom of staying anchored, I'll GLADLY listen and not be the least offended. Any knowledge that helps others fare as well as possible under similar circumstances might keep someone else out of harms way.

We were about 15 miles out and I just figured that the storm would only last so long, since most I've experienced in the past have been relatively fast/brief (learned my lesson on THAT one! ). With the Panga design having a very curved high bow but a relatively low stern and narrow width making it prone to rock and roll in rough stuff, I felt safest putting the bow straight forward, letting the maximum amount of anchor line out, and letting her ride the waves. Honestly, she did great. The bulk of water we took on was from rain versus any chop coming over.

Though embarrassing to share tales of one's own stupidity, again as it might spare someone else harm I'll pass along another problem I had to tackle... crap blocking up my bilge pump. Some time ago, I opened up my coffin box to really clean it out / let it air out and leaves fell in the coffin box hold. The coffin box hold drains straight to the bilge area and for a long time I had no issue with the bilge, but earlier this year I did my best to clean the debris out of the coffin box area. Got the coffin box area clean but also got lots of leaf debris crap in the drain lines leading to the bilge area. Fast forward to our storm adventure, and once the winds die down enough to try running I gun the engine and the bow shoots up enough I know the rain has put a lot of weight in the bilge area. I ALWAYS TEST THE BILGE TO HEAR THE PUMP RUNNING before I go out, so trusted it would work and it did, shooting out a beautiful stream of water... for a minute or so. Sure proved true that old axiom, "When it rains, it pours..." Quickly check the pump and can feel leaves sucked against the suction ports, so spend the ENTIRE time running back in laying in the driving rain (versus under my t-top) sweeping out debris to allow the bilge to run unimpeded while my buddy keeps us heading shoreward. You can safely bet $1,000 I'll do everything necessary to clean the lines and the drain area before the next trip. Guaranteed.