Could you survive a cat5 hurricane on a boat by staying in the eye?

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PaperclipGod

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Apr 7, 2003
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Ok, here's the scenario:

-You're on a 20ft power boat in the open ocean (maybe you got lost?)
-You didn't think to check the weather, and got caught in a Hurricane
-Through sheer luck, you actually survived the first half and made it into the eye
-Your boat, however, is now battered to hell and the hurricane would definitely PK you if you tried to go through again

Assuming the Hurricane doesn't outrun you, would you be able to safely stay within the eye until the storm hits land or weakens enough for you to leave?
 
BoT

BoT

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May 18, 2010
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no way you keep up with speed of the hurricane.
Cat 5 is 155mph+ wind speeds and they travel and near that speed as well.
you would need a really fast boat
 
skyking

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
22,462
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BoT said:
no way you keep up with speed of the hurricane.
Cat 5 is 155mph+ wind speeds and they travel and near that speed as well.
you would need a really fast boat
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No, the hurricane or eye would travel between 10 and 20 MPH, so a fast boat is not needed. Theoretically you could survive, but getting into port with the eye might be a problem since the seas could be really bad anyway.
 
E

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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BoT said:
no way you keep up with speed of the hurricane.
Cat 5 is 155mph+ wind speeds and they travel and near that speed as well.
you would need a really fast boat
Click to expand...

LOL

That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Have you ever even watched the weather?

Hurricanes move at the same speeds as any other storm on the planet.. 0 - 40MPH or so.

As far as the OP goes, theoretically, sure why not. But you had better have a lot of fuel, and some weather equipment so you know which way it's moving.

Edit: Not to mention hope it isn't heading for land. Your only hope would be if it just re-curves out to sea, then make a run for it once it degrades enough.

Note, though, that weak/degrading hurricanes do not usually have a distinct eye.. It would be even more difficult to stay in areas with lower wind fields in that case, as the storm is essentially collapsing around you.
 
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dfuze

dfuze

Lifer
Feb 15, 2006
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BoT said:
no way you keep up with speed of the hurricane.
Cat 5 is 155mph+ wind speeds and they travel and near that speed as well.
you would need a really fast boat
Click to expand...
The weather guy was talking about how Earl was about to pick up speed and move up the coast really fast... at 18mph. So while the winds spin at 150mph the storm itself does not move at that speed
 
S

speedy2

Golden Member
Nov 30, 2008
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You would still need a decently fast boat. 20mph on water is a pretty good speed. And gas consumption is going to be bad as well. Unless you have an aircraft carrier you're not going to sustain that speed too well lol
 
Nik

Nik

Lifer
Jun 5, 2006
16,101
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No. You couldn't. While the winds might be calm in the eye, there's too much water sloshing around to hope for a sea of glass. Quite the opposite, I'd expect.
 
R

RobertE90

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Aug 28, 2010
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nik is a homo, don't listen to him

------------------------------------------
see you in a week.

Personal attack, uncalled for and by a NOOB

Common Courtesy
 
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PaperclipGod

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Apr 7, 2003
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Ok, so assuming your little 20 footer is powered by a nuclear reactor and fuel isn't an issue (just go with it)...

In the eye, would you actually need any weather equipment? Wouldn't the wall of the hurricane be surrounding you, so it'd be relatively easy to stay equidistant from the edges just using your eyes?

Also, if the hurricane headed towards land, would the sea within the eye get rougher as it comes closer to shore? I've always thought of it as relatively calm in open ocean, but I don't know what it'd be like in shallower water.

Anyway, if you stayed in the eye as it approached shore, wouldn't you be able to just drive right up to shore and take some sort of shelter on land before the eye passed over again? Even if the seas are rough, there'd be very little wind.
 
L

Lifted

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2004
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Those 50' swells might be a problem when it comes to keeping a steady 20 - 30 knots.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
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There is no way you'd survive long enough to get to the center of a category 5 hurricane in a 20' boat.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,541
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PaperclipGod said:
What's with all the autism up in this thread?
Click to expand...

It's a stupid question...and there's no way a 20' boat could carry enough fuel to run long enough to stay in the eye of a cat 5 hurricane anyway. Even if it did you'd still have to deal with the storm destroying your boat against the shoreline after you reached land as the eye moves on shore. If it doesn't move on shore a cat 5 hurricane could travel across open ocean for days and no 20' boat can travel for days at 15 knots without refueling.
 
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