Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced?

[Faster]

As Paul says, this is typical of bar harbour conditions when the weather, tide/river and sea conditions conspire to create dangerous seas at the entrances.

This one's in Europe, but most harbours between Cape Flattery and Northern California fall into this category. One plans a port-hopping passage at the risk of encountering such conditions.

[RocinantePT]

It might sound strange, but my harbor entrance is like this 50% of the time...
I started sailing some 6 months ago and that entrance scares me a lot.

I had similar waves in 3 ocasions with my 25f Dufour.
I had to learn the hard way, I do 180º, face the wave, let them all pass and then enter the harbor.

[imagine2frolic]

I think this marina is in Portugual, and for these sailors it's an everyday occurance. It must be quite the pucker factor for a newbie .........i2f

[MMR]

Originally Posted by RocinantePT

It might sound strange, but my harbor entrance is like this 50% of the time...
I started sailing some 6 months ago and that entrance scares me a lot.

Wow...that would scare me senseless to have to face that kind of harbor on a regular basis, especially as a newbie. Hats off to you!

[RocinantePT]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

I think this marina is in Portugual, and for these sailors it's an everyday occurance. It must be quite the pucker factor for a newbie .........i2f

Its in Spain, near the French border, but this whole area is quite troublesome. Usualy waves are above 2 meters (6ft).
I've been caught in the middle of 3.5 meter waves (11-12ft) in January!
I assumed it to be normal
But the worst part is the harbour entrance, even if you have 1- 1.5 meter waves, you can count with +3 meters at the entrance.

Google Earth image:
Zumaia - Google Maps

I wonder why did he entered so close to the lighthouse...

[imagine2frolic]

Yes, That's the one I saw before. The locals must make it a game? It appears you could give it a wider berth, and go farther past the breakwater to make it simpler?.......i2f

[tdw]

I remember a few years back we were in A'Coruna (Spain, Galicia ). The harbour had been closed for a number of days and when it opened the fishing fleet came in. Big Atlantic trawlers. They would come through the entrance and when the wave started to lift them the skipper would open her up and surf in. The difference being that they had the power to keep low on the wave. Not many yachts have that option. It was seriously gobbsmacking to watch.

[davewild]

We are lucky in my part of the world. These conditions are rare here. We have a line of islands/reefs 6-10nm offshore that break up this sort of stuff. It must be quite terrifying to confront it on a regular basis(nearly enough to make you take up golf instead-but still better than doing the garden!). It is a bit difficult to be exactly sure how far away those rocks are though, a 2 dimensional photo can play tricks. However that is a good size boat and that wave makes it look like a toy.