This is how I also experience it on Monterey Bay and out 20 miles, as NOAA reports the local weather. When the wind gets up to 25 you are in small craft warnings or close to it. So far, cross my fingers, that feels safe enough but not comfortable. In this range we usually have 3 to 4 foot wind waves. Think 5-6 knots..kinda sailboat speeds. I don't even think of going out in gale warnings or in the chance of gale warnings developing. For that matter, I don't go out when it is already small craft warnings but will go out when they are projected to develop in the afternoon and cut towards shore inside the lee of the bay if it starts to get too uncomfortable. Just remember bow down into waves, bow up in following seas, everything else, experiment for best ride and speed balance.
As for "normal" seas of 4 to 8 foot swells on periods roughly twice as long as the swell, well that is kind of fun, "Victory at Sea" style. Speed in these conditions are usually from 10 to 20 mph depending on the mix of wind waves and swell. Sea-Cruz will just hit 30 and change in flat water but that never really happens on Monterey bay except in very sheltered areas like Capitola, where you can get a 1/2 mile of such water on a good day.
One winter a number of years ago, in the Santa Barbara channel, I was on the Vision dive boat (90 feet long if I remember) returning after a rather rough three days and heading into 10-12 foot seas. All the chairs were flying around in the cabin & we were all on the upper deck when the throttles were chopped abruptly. The boat paused, hung in mid-air, and then fell completely through the air. Most of us hung on but one person who was lying down just floated into the air and then slammed down on his back. An ambulance took him to the hospital when we docked, never learned what happened to him. I don't know how big that wave was as I never saw it but it was a lot bigger than the seas we had been heading into. Yep, the channel can get rough. However, small boats safely navigate it all the time. Just pick the days on any open ocean body of water. The Vision was on a schedule, something to be avoided on a C-Dory.
The C-Dory feels as safe as any 22 foot power boat I have been on. However, even 90 foot boats need to consider the weather. Now if you are on aircraft carrier it is safer to head out to sea in a hurricane than staying in port. So size does make a difference.
Ron
