Woody Boating And The Weather – A Love/Hate Relationship

A perfect day! Jim Scott letting her rip with a full crew – Chesapeake bay Sunset
Well, if you are here on the East Coast, winter just gave us the hand out of the grave last gasp..With one finger! Here we all were lulled into thinking it was Woodyboat’n time and Bam. It got us think.n here the we have never been so tuned into the weather since getting a woody boat. Too windy? Too hot, too wet, too whatever. Is the boat swelling, drying out, getting rained on, getting sunburned.

I love this guy! Damn the torpedoes were going boating – Skaneateles New York Weather
When you really think about it, the chances of a perfect day are very rare, and on a weekend even rairer. is Rairer a word? Maybe that’s why a perfect sunset cruise with flat water after a nice day is so special.

The hell we aint going boating! Floor it! – Skaneateles New York weather
One of the best things we have learned is damm the weather to some degree. These are boats first, so just get out there and enjoy it. Because weather is just like the weather, it can change like the wind!

Shot the same day as the other two shots from Skaneateles New York
Share your weather today here.
The problem with Skaneateles weather was the time of year ACBS decided to visit. Things become a tad bit more “variable” around here after Labor Day. In July and August it is always sunny and the lake mirror smooth except for the wakes from your fellow woodyboaters.
How about the Hundred Year Rain at our Algonac show last year. Those that were there know we made the best of a disaster, but we hope we never have to do that again. But Sunday improved, and we fired them up for a great run to the Old Club!
That was epic, and we still had a ton of fun! Kudos to the Algonac gang! Also in Florida this years Sunnyland show was fantastic despite the random showers. Full throttle ahead!
You just need a bigger boat. Life’s to short not to own a Chris Craft cruiser
Last year some of the Gold Cups ran regardless of the weather.
I think it is the waves and the boats interaction with them that make the best pictures.
This is one of my all time favorites take by Kent O. Smith Jr.
Woke up yesterday on Lake Guntersville. 76 degrees just after noon. At 1:30am when I rolled in to Chicago it was 27 degrees. So unfair. Should have stayed in Tavares.
46 and rain today.
Staib has it figured out…Y’all should have stayed in Tavares…It was in the 80’s here in sunny Florida. Perfect Springtime weather down here.
A fun Skaneateles weekend!
Aside from my being stranded by the blizzard in Montana, which was boating related but not boating, I think one of my most memorable weather-related boating stories was here in Florida. It was 5 years ago on our first Saint Johns Cruise, and we took the then newly-minted Kabot’s Habit (now possibly the most Famous Sea Skiff in the World thanks to WB) to Palatka and put in. An absolutely torrential downpour commenced and sustained itself for almost the entire run to Sanford – maybe 90 miles? There was no wind, but the rain was blindingly heavy. There was Karen and I, Mike Mayer and Texx – Texx mostly drove while the rest of us tried to give guidance by calling directions through the rain. We couldn’t keep the windshield clear due to relentless condensation so visibility was mostly only available by opening the windshields a crack and looking through the bottom. We tried to stick our heads out the side, but that was hardly possible. It was warm, but wet -even with the top up. We had never been on the river before and knew not what to expect, and in places it is quite narrow and winding.
I have never had to boat through anything like that for such a distance since.
Out on our local lake yesterday here in So Cal, testing a CC 23 triple 85 deg. Sunny and nice. Good to be on the water with no problems with the boat.
Sometimes you just have to nail it ……..
Weather? …What weather?
I love to go boating; and I love storms. I do not always chose the former with the latter,however, if it happens it happens (despite checking the weather constantly).
It seems that I spend a great deal of time in rough waters, with drenched passengers, and with good stories. It is not uncommon to have a few waves over the windshield, waves a few feet taller than my freeboard, or to have to “tack” in order to get home at the end of the day. These are the things that can go with a 22ft woody. Waves that may not seem too big from a flybridge of a 38 ft boat, are quite different where I am sitting.
These ladies went bravely with me to a benefit party on the bay; we decided to go by boat. It was a wet ride even though we tacked up wind in order to get a downwind direct leg to the party to avoid most of the drenching. The ladies were soaked, but smiling. They changed and showered when we got there (turns out they accidentally showered at a neighbors house thinking it was the host….) , and the evening went on. We were the only ones who made it by boat because of the weather.
Another storm chasing us; the temp dropped 30 degrees and the bay had steam coming off of it after we hid behind an island to protect us from the full fury.
And then there was a particularly windy day……
Matt,
Great shots but just how long did you have to wait for this Gar named Hurricane to come by? Just wonder how the Gar got named Hurricane?
I think this is more a crazy woodyboater mind set then a modern boater. no regular boater would go in this and smile
On top of the wave. do they look panicked.. not even looking ahead just having a chat and the folks in the back are on a roller coaster having a grand old time. however they did put on their life jackets for safety sakes. Might be a few more days before the fun arrives snow again in the morning.
The only digital I have. The best is hardcopy and will be just part of your imaginattion untill…..?