Landing on the "ass of the boat" after mis-timing coming off a big one when all waves around you are transparent at the tops and very threatening is VERY interesting. I remember thinking we were going to go right over, and was amazed when
1) we were flat in the water the right way up
2) the water was up to to our knees
3) the engine re-started - we had inadvertently pulled the kill cord
4) the elephant's trunk was easy to release - I had checked it before we set off but was thrilled when my son could drop it easily and quickly
5) very quickly we realised we were:
Not dead
Not going to die (at least immediately)
Had a working big engine
Still warm and basically dry
And all the water had exited the boat very quickly
.....to the extent we did not need to declare an emergency.
You go out up to conditions you feel comfortable in. It is supposed to be fun.
If it isn't fun or you are unhappy in what you are out in then you made the right choice not going.
This threshold is moving depending on experience, place, boat, what you want to do etc etc. It is not a static line but moves depending on a large number of factors.
Not going out is never wrong if you weren't happy to do so.
It is probably better if unsure to be cautious and gradually expand your horizons until you reach your limit of what is "acceptable" and then call it quits at that from then on.
RIBS aren't indestructible but can handle conditions well beyond that of a similiar sized boat of standard construction in the right hands.
I'll look into it shortly, got a trip to London middle of Nov first.
It will need to be a LW trip coming down to avoid all the rubbish floating in the dark, anybody got tide tables showing a LW, preferably near springs, at around 6pm on a Saturday in November?
Fuel is still 100.9/L up here
