Leisure Boating has received numerous emails and letters over the years about particular hull types and how they fare in rough seas. Our answer is usually that it is not the boat type or the hull shape that is critical, but rather the boating skills of the boat owner. With the necessary skills acquired in sea hours, the likelihood of safely negotiating rough seas dramatically increases.
Taking a boat out to sea is a serious business and requires high skill levels, a good knowledge of the surrounding sea conditions and a complete understanding of the prevailing weather conditions. Negotiating rough seas is not something that is learnt overnight, but rather comes from spending many days and nights behind the wheel at sea in similar conditions.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG?
Often, inexperienced boaters will go out when the weather is calm only to find the conditions worsen drastically during the trip. These are the instances when the sea becomes too rough for the capability of the novice boater and then problems arise and lives are at stake.
