playing around on the river

Alex Brown · 15 November 2003, 22:50

Ok, so yesterday, there was some good windspeeds, and at one point, the local odas buoy was showing 9 metres of swell. It wasn't so nice yesterday, but today, there was nice blue sky, so we decided to pop down to St Annes Head to see what the swell was like. Amazingly, it had dropped right down to between 2 and 3 metres high since the wind had turned to the north east overnight. While we were down there though, I got some experience with handling the rib in higher seas than am usually used to which meant constant working of throttle to prevent too many takeoffs. As it was, we only managed a max of around 20knots going out through St Annes to the mid channel rock marker.
First pic, spot the empty oil tanker:-

Alex Brown · 15 November 2003, 22:51

It looks a bit bigger when we get on top of the water

Alex Brown · 15 November 2003, 22:52

There's a pilot boat hiding behind there somewhere.
The pics don't actually do the water any justice - although it wasn't breaking, it was just lumpy.

Alex Brown · 15 November 2003, 22:53

There were these cracking lumps which just made planing nearly impossible in my little boat

Alex Brown · 15 November 2003, 22:54

I tried to surf this on the way back, but unfortunately it didn't quite work - we'll try next time though.

Alex Brown · 15 November 2003, 22:56

And now the rib after those exciting pictures

Building up a bit of speed for a nice circle:-

Alex Brown · 15 November 2003, 22:57

Up river, there was no wind at all, so was able to get some good speed up and play around a lot more.... here we come for the second fly by:-

Alex Brown · 15 November 2003, 22:59

Final pic, going back up river now doing around 30knots. Had a superb morning out, and the boat behaved great

Ribald · 16 November 2003, 00:04

Nice pictures Alex,

Very similar conditions to when we came down to try the new boat out only we had the bl**dy ferry to contend with

As you say up river and under the bridge nice and calm - whoosh

BTW is your radar reflector mounted on a pole on top of the A-frame? If so any chance of a close-up pic.

Garygee · 16 November 2003, 12:01

Nice Pics Alex

Really must get a waterproof housing for my camera.

Would not have dared to get it out yesterday without one.

Its interesting spending time in Milford and up North how the condition vary, you get big slow rolling waves that at times leave you feeling very small in the troughs, unit you get a great views from the next peak.

Up here we dont get the same height but they are very short and steep, often breaking at the crest. Yesterday some of the waves had me pitching at up 25 Deg ish, and very carful about turning side on.

Will have to get camera sorted. Even thought about mounting it onto the screen surround so its just turn and click with one hand still to hold on with
Aslo I think it makes it feel worse when your by yourself. You know if you go over, kill cord or not you any going to get back to the boat.

Still planning to get back down next August and hopefully some long trips now we have had chance to find out what the RIB's can do.
For me I have changed what I would set of to Milford in, so giving me more scope and being less relient of perfect weather.
Also planning to keep caravan donw all year round so may even be down at Easter.

Regards Gary

Alex Brown · 16 November 2003, 15:06

Ribald, here is my Firdell Blipper radar reflector closer up....
I got it with its own bracket mounting, which came with 2 screws to hold the bracket into the base. I then screwed the base down with stainless screws and nylock nuts to hold it in place. Unfortunately, after about the 3rd outing, the two screws holding the base to the main bracket came loose. After several tightenings, these screws lost their thread, at which point I drilled right through (which took an age) and put 2 small bolts in. Although the reflector was never going to come back out, there was movement between the bracket and the base, which could have resulted ultimately in damaging the a-frame structure. From this, I then had the bracket stainless welded onto the base, and now it's as solid as a rock. I only chose this reflector, since the local charter companies seem to use them, as well as the likes of the fire brigade, and police ribs. On a day like yesterday with the swell, having the reflector up nice and high like that 'should' give a better return from me, but I'd like to test this sometime

Alex Brown · 16 November 2003, 15:11

Gary, yes it was good fun yesterday, as we went up some of the longer waves, I'd accelerate, and then on the other side, there'd be nothing, and then a nice little drop into the water below. I wasn't doing stupid speeds, since anything over 20knots would have left us a good 2 metres in the air for sure with the prop out the water too. Thankfully, the Humber likes to stick to the water, so we didn't get much flight time

The swell seems to be like that at sea, but in the river, it's all short sharp chop, which as you say can bring the boat up at some nice angles indeed.
Here's a few pics of the storms we had on Friday with the 80mph winds

The boats/barge here are not small, but they're moving around quite a bit - unfortunately, I was about half a second too early with this shot, cos after that, the tug on the right went right down, and was completely engulfed in water...

Alex Brown · 16 November 2003, 15:12

This one taken from the Port Authority, looking down towards the jetty on the left. Remember this is all sheltered waters in the confines of the Haven, yet the water was probably over a metre high in places.

Alex Brown · 16 November 2003, 15:14

And finally a closer pic of the spray being picked up and swept along by the wind. I'd have loved to goto St Annes on land to get some pics of the sea that day, but would have probably got the camera soaked for which I don't have a cover for, plus, I was working

Ribald · 16 November 2003, 16:34

Thanks for the picture Alex - very useful info too.

Some 20 years ago I stayed in one of the coastguard cottages right up on St Annes Head and we had the mother of all storms. You could lean at 45deg into the wind. It would have been very impressive only the worst of it was at night so we couldn't see a lot. I do remember a gas carrier that tried to go out and turned round quick smart though

JCW · 16 November 2003, 17:01

Alex,
good pictures, quite different from when we went out together this summer!!

MeMe · 17 November 2003, 15:52

(QUOTE)There's a pilot boat hiding behind there somewhere.
The pics don't actually do the water any justice - although it wasn't breaking,it was just lumpy. (QUOTE)

I appreciate those comments as me and a few North West Ribsters were out and about a few weeks ago enjoying a rather confused and menacing sea. I took several shots with one hand on the wheel and the other trying to keep the camera dry, which, didn't even make it past the "I'll store these on my computer" stage as the camera just didn't do the sea state any justice at all.

Anyway, it looks like you had a great ride......