Started close out of Freeport and ventured further each trip. Got out about 50 mls. and never broke down. Im talking dozens of trips. Would I do it today? NO NO NO. Yes I helped a couple of guys in a BRAND NEW BOAT once and this stopped me. They were tied to a rig about 30 miles out near Tall Rock. I towed them back and had to use thier gas to finish the trip. My boat was a 17' Whaler with 115 Merc. and it was totally full each trip with fuel tanks and ice chests.
I have some crazy fishing stories from those days. Fishing was great,but not worth the risk. I fish about 6-8 times a year now and it's always a charter or guided trip...no more crazy bs. If you are anything like I was you are going to try it but I suggest you start close and being equiped with every life saving and safety device obtainable.

Hasn't this thread died of natural causes yet?

Zeek - apparantly not but if you want to be the last word take another shot at it.

It gets me closer to DL and TEx Dawg, so why not?

FTR, I don't think he's dead yet.
I haven't seen anything on the news & he just posted
acouple days ago. LoL!!

I was just rolling through this tread. WOW. I've been in a bay when a storm popped up and thought that was bad.

Three of us went 35 miles out in the Gulf from Port Aransas many times in 2 -4' swells.Some were larger but we made it fine.We were in our 20' center console with 150hp merc out board, with a small 20hp drop motor to get us back if our main engine went out.
We never had to use our small engine,but it was there if we ever needed it.We caught alot of fish from that boat.

So... On a serious note, I am thinking about trying my luck in a 19ft boat with a 115 in the gulf. Not looking to go 50 miles out but maybe to a close rig 1-5 miles. I plan on launching out of Port A any good info. I know to look for seas under 3ft.

Re-think your wave tolerance. Remember when they say "3 foot" wave, that's water level to crest, NOT trough to crest, which would make it 6' high in most peoples minds.

Which will beat your liver loose in a small craft.

Or swamp you.

You need to plan on days with forecasts for 1-2 footers and less than 15 knot winds. Anymore than that and you could get yourself in a lot of trouble.

Remember to time you coming and going according to the tides. A falling tide is going to make the mouth of the jetties very turbulent, with confused seas and waves stacking high and steep.

Even if conditions are relatively calm offshore, conditions can and often are quite different at the jetties.

Returning on an incoming or slack tide is best. Falling tide makes for worst conditions.

This is incorrect. Wave height is crest to trough.
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/buf/waves.htm
It's not the wave height that will due you in though. It's the period. Seas at 6' and 16 seconds are much more comfortable than seas at 3' and 4 seconds. You don't want the period to be less than the height of the wave. I've gone out tuna and halibut fishing, 65 miles or more, on 10' seas but have cancelled trips due to 4 footers. Danger also comes in when you have "confused seas" or "a washing machine" going on. This is when you have the swells coming from one direction and the wind from another. The seas lose their rhythm and you end up getting pretty wet. Wave height alone is a useless measurement it has to be used with period and wind direction.

Joe

Wave height and period usually are pretty good determining factors for wave steepness.

Steep, short period waves are dangerous. You top one and spear the next, then the next, then the next and then you sink.

Also, keep in mind that wave forecasts and reports are only measuring an average of the top 1/3 of the tallest waves.

So if you have a report of 4 footers understand that some will be taller and some shorter. It's not out of the norm for there to be some 6 footers mixed in.

my life isn't worth a risk. i have a kid now. i'll stick to the party charter or someone with a big arse boat.

Piffle. If the forecast is more than 1-2 feet I ain't going out in my boat anyways. I even hate being offshore in an 85' partyboat in 6'-8' waves even though I know it's safe.

Even in a "big" boat we typically won't go if it's forecasts for 4'+.

As far as we typically run it takes too long to get out and then back when you can only run 15-20 knots. Plus we're fat and old and our backs can't take the pounding anymore.