Quote:
Originally Posted by bgreene
Talking the real deal here - getting caught in rough seas and how this 23' handles - from guys who've been there.
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Maybe you should be looking for a rare Moesly 21! It's pretty hard to get water over a deck that's about 5' off the water!
Here's an excerpt from a recent e-mail from a good friend of mine that bought one that was on display at the 1965 Miami boat show:
". . .When I still had the original 230 cu. in. straight six Chev Mercruiser @ 150 h.p. I crossed to West End once in 8’-10’ at 2600 PM. Took 5 hrs. but NOTHING rides like that 21 – NOTHING ! – Carl’s “secret” was the patented Variable Deadrise. There was a 23 Allmand with me. Every time I looked back to check on him, either his bow was submerged or he was airborne! Like I say – NOTHING ! – Once, returning to FL with Everett I took a 20 ft. “rogue” wave when the USCG stopped us “out in the middle.” Beth was hysterical for about 10 min. or so. Every time I see the film, “The Perfect Storm” I have a flashback to that incident. I just had time to tell Beth: “HANG ON !” But, we took it. -- I could see “daylight” through the rim of the wave. It was just about to “break.” USCG guys who finally boarded my boat to look for drugs, said: “Yeah, we saw it. – That was a BIG wave!”
NEVER – not EVER did I take a wave over the bow of that boat – and I went out in ALL kinds of weather when I first came down here.
Until Craig taught me: “Bob, it’ll still be here next weekend – we’re goin’ home.” I was afraid the Gulf Stream might leave! After that, my rule was: With my eyeballs 6 ft. above sea level, if I can’t see what’s right in front of me, I don’t belong out there ! – Another “rule” was, if a wave came over the side and over the gunwale into the cockpit– we’re outa’ here !
Once I lost a STUPID diver out there in 10 -- 12 ft. seas, and went to USCG to help find him. They paid Carl Moesly and the 21 the HIGHEST compliment EVER ! – The USCG Bos’n asked me if we wanted to go in my boat or their 28 ft. boat. I could tell he was scared, but I said I lacked the proper radio equip. to commo w/their chopper. We went out, but no sign of the idiot. CG chopper found him later, hanging onto the channel marker at the L.W. Inlet."
Bob may be a little biased after running that boat for 29 years and literally wearing out about 4 engines, but he has more experience with it than anyone else I know of, including about a hundred Bahama trips. He's definitely "been there, done that"! Denny