What boats have you have ever seen offshore?

[souljour2000]

I saw a light 14-foot skiff with 2 guys and a dog in the middle about 4 miles out in the gulf last summer.They were probably back inside the bay before the afternoon t-storm winds hit and knew what they were doing but....

What boats have you seen" offshore" in your travels that you thought should probably not have been there? I guess what I am wondering is if anyone has ever done a double take during a coastal passage as they suddenly see a hippie in a 12-foot AMF snark go by about 10 miles out or something like that... seeing other strange marine phenomena like boat people, less affluent drug dealers in something less than a cigarette boat,etc,etc is also topical to the conversation...

[cruisingdream]

Lake Erie 35mph winds 10'+ seas 5 mile off shore a 12 foot row boat with a 6hp motor and what looked like a 70 year old man with a fishing pole (true dedication to the sport of fishing)

[remetau]

Originally Posted by cruisingdream

Lake Erie 35mph winds 10'+ seas 5 mile off shore a 12 foot row boat with a 6hp motor and what looked like a 70 year old man with a fishing pole (true dedication to the sport of fishing)

That was probably my dad!

[souljour2000]

Okay...seeing ol ' Pops 5 miles out in 10-foot seas in a 12-foot row boat...that's a good start...anyone else? Generally that is one of the things I like about sailing or boating..you tend to see stuff that you don't normally see on the hard...

[WanderingStar]

Well, not offshore, but I've sailed a 13' duckboat in LI Sound in winter. You don't realize how small she is until you stand up, or your neighbor says "What were you doing way out there in that little boat?"

[klem]

Just go out on Stellwagen bank on a beautiful mid summer day and it is downright scary. Tons of boats out there 15+ miles from land with a single gas outboard. The smallest I can remember seeing out there was a Boston Whaler Montauk 17. It isn't really the size to me, it is the idea of having only one form of propulsion that isn't all that reliable.

[FarCry]

I've seen a few dedicated racers sail their Melges 24, based out of St Martin, to as far away as Puerto Rico for a regatta. Between St Martin and the BVI is roughly 100 miles of open ocean. The Melges is large when compared to what has been listed so far but not an ideal open sea vessel. At least it should be relatively fast!

A friend sailed his beach cat to St Croix from St Thomas which is a little over 40 miles of open water to see a female he'd met online. He sailed back the next day.

[ccriders]

In the middle of Corpus Christi Bay about 5 miles from anything a young kid standing on a sail board, no sail just a paddle. No water, hat, pfd, nothing, just a paddle. Asked if he needed help. "No, I'm fine." I guess it only seems odd to those of us who aren't 20 anymore.
John

[paulk]

We rescued a man and his two children out fishing in the Irish Sea in a 9' dinghy. They were about five miles offshore, blown there by a 50 knot squall with rain heavier than a shower at the Waldorf. He was tiring fast at the oars, losing the fight against a twenty knot breeze that remained after the initial surprise squall had hit on a lovely, warm, blue skyed summer afternoon without any warning. We took them in to the Royal Dublin YC.

[scottyt]

you all an't seen nothing try the chessy

i have seen a kayak fishing 5 miles from shore, with 4 foot waves.

god knows how many 9 to 14 foot john boats miles from shore with 6 to 9 hp engines. many times with 2 or 3 foot waves in 15 mph winds.

a sunfish about 4 miles from shore in 20 knot winds, some how he had the sail reefed. heard a may day 20 mins later, his sail shredded.

the best ones are the 16 foot power boats fighting 15 mph winds on the nose, with the waves going over the boats.