Rough seas R 25

[workingdogs]

We have all been there ..... making plans for a long trip , obsessively watching the weather and then...... BAM , an unpredicted Nor'easter. On our way to Boston harbor from Bremen Maine ..... Stuck in south Portland . On the way to south Portland we hugged the coast as best we could to limit the drama , but we had our share of honest to goodness 8 to 10 foot seas . As my wife said , "that's real" .
How did the R 25 do ? Better I think than any other 25 foot boat could do . At times the extra power of the d3 Volvo was very helpful . We needed to keep 10 to 12 knots for stability and directional control . There was very little roll due the the keel . I had to stand at the helm with my left hand death grip on the hand hold while steering with my right hand . The very smooth and responsive wheel made this possible. A quick switch to left hand wheel and right hand throttle was very easy when I needed a quick power change . Anything not well secured in the cabin was airborne . One big wave over the bow took out 2 of the wipers . Fortunately, not one of the ones I needed . FYI I love rain x , but it can't keep up with really bad stuff . Wipers are really necessary sometimes !
The seas were supposed to be 4 to 6 , that was changed while we were en route . Would we ever think of 8 to 10 on purpose ? Not a chance !! It's an order of magnitude worse than 4 to 6 . We were spooked but felt safe and were never out of control. We will likely continue our trip on Wednesday. Turning the corner at Cape Elisabeth will tell all . That is a Maine equivalent of the " Horn of Africa "
Cheers ! Richard and Terri

 

[dkoivu]

Thanks for your report on your trip on your R25 especially when you got unexpectedly hit with 8-10 foot seas and your remarks about how well your boat handled that. We are planning on a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island and have wondered how well our 25SC would handle the seas around Cape Scott if we get caught in foul weather. Again your report has given us reassurance of the capabilities of Ranger Tugs. They are a very sweet boat. Thanks again
Dave and Bette
Sisu

 

[doke01]

I'm guessing you were running into the waves. I was in 6-7 foot following seas and the boat ran great! It only made me nervous when the boat crested waves and the rudder came out of the water and we lost steerage for a few seconds that felt like minutes. Same experience with everything falling out of everywhere.

Worst experience ever was coming down the Hudson river after the 4th of July fireworks. The boat wakes from hundreds of boats heading down river as fast as possible were gigantic! I had my feet on the bulkhead step under the passenger seat and was standing almost vertical and steering with one hand stretched across the passageway. The boat handled it really well but that one made my wife cry.

 

[joempo]

Here's my video of our "Rough Seas Adventure". No recording of the first several minutes when I could not release my grip long enough to turn on the camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACHnAPuX9w8
Our R-25 is a solid boat, capable of more than I.
Joe

 

[McThomas]

I took delivery of my R25 a couple of weeks ago and on the homeward voyage was exposed to some pretty nasty tidal chop. Nothing close to the size of waves described by the OP, but there were very short, steep 4 footers coming from all angles. Any boat would have been rocking and rolling, and the little Ranger stood up to it well without a nervous moment. I did find out what the wipers are for, why even the hatches on top of the roof should be closed under way, and learned that the scuppers in the cockpit aren't just for rain - but had an absolute blast and a huge boost in confidence in the Ranger. Almost looking forward to the next rough day...

 

[baz]

Here's my video of our "Rough Seas Adventure". No recording of the first several minutes when I could not release my grip long enough to turn on the camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACHnAPuX9w8
Our R-25 is a solid boat, capable of more than I.
Joe

Joe: I watched your movie with interest. Nice job.

Question though.... it seemed to me your anchor was getting jolted quite badly and looked as if it might/could/would become loose if the windlass didn't hold. Was the chain tied down to avoid the anchor line unwinding unexpectedly from the windlass ? Just curious....