Finally we get a wee break from the wind. I doubt that it will be much of a break, but we’ll sure enjoy it while it lasts. You see, captains keep logs (hence the name of this weekly column), and one of my pastimes — when the wind is howling and the seas are high — is to look at the same calendar period in past years.
Sure enough, I see numerous windy gaps in my sea logs, of four to seven days duration, especially during the spring. Those would be windy periods with small craft advisories and gale warnings. Doing this helps me fight the feeling I get each year (when the wind is hurting my business) that this is the windiest year I ever remember. Nah, it’s not far off usual.
Boats have wisely been staying in or near harbor during the windy periods, for darn good reasons. High winds have a nasty habit of changing the surface of the sea from a horizontal state toward a vertical state. The level of danger to boaters climbs with the seas. If you are a boater or are planning to go out on a boat, you need weather and sea state information.
Many disasters at sea occur because boaters go out when they should stay in. Here is what I do before going out on charter, and I invite you to do the same. I go to the National Weather Service Web site and click away to find the trends in buoy observations and the very latest forecasts.
On many days, the high winds are roaring around points Arguello and Conception, aiming toward San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands. That’s a bad time to plot a course for the islands. Go local! We are blessed with the calmest water around, along the mainland coast from Santa Barbara on down to Carpinteria. We can safely navigate these waters on most — but not all — days.
There is much to be learned from taking a close look at the waves. On days when the high winds push all the way in to the shore, I have looked at the water, well before the wind arrived, and told my passengers to expect high winds soon. They often wonder how I can possibly tell how far the wind is just by looking at the water.
The steepness of the waves tell the story. The angle of the wave and the interval between waves is important information that allows you to make wise decisions. I have safely and comfortably crossed the Channel at high speed against 12-foot swells when they were gentle swells spaced something like 17 seconds apart. On the other hand, 5-foot wind waves with a six-second interval can be deadly because those are steep walls of water requiring slow and cautious piloting skills.
Monitor the wind waves while out on the water and be prepared to scurry for the security of harbor when they grow, become steep and closely spaced. These clues often come even before whitecaps begin. It means the wind is getting close and conditions are worsening fast.
Please make the safe decision — even if the fish are biting.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help.
