C30 Speed vs. Conditions

[Phil Nersessian]

Curious as to what other C30 boaters and experienced boaters in general do. I seem to frequently hit 4'-6' sometimes 8' seas due to prevailing winds and geography in the afternoon. I tend to do about 10-12 knots when I do. Has anyone experimented with other speeds? This is my second season on the water, so I am still a little skittish when seas get much over 2'. When in a following sea I tend to try to match my speed to the wave speed(seems to avg. about 10 kts), which seems to give me a smoother ride yet a loss of helm control since I am not actually making headway though the water. When heading into the waves at 10-12 kts I tend to wind up bashing every wave peak and every trough, yet it seems like a decent balance of making headway vs. safety vs comfort. Any advice out there for a smoother,safer ride(besides staying in port)?

 

[Levitation]

Think like you are sailing and tack.

 

[baz]

Yep, sometimes you have to zig-zag rather than taking a straight line to your destination to make it more comfortable for all on board.