Trailerable boats offer great flexibility, with their ability to travel in shallower waters and breeze through passages would stop larger boats dead. But there are also limitations, many of which are related to rough seas and heavy weather.

Of course, many trailerable boats have made their reputations as heavy weather craft. Pacific Seacraft's Flicka, a 20-foot cutter-rigged sailboat, has traveled all over the globe. In the power world, models by C-Dory routinely ply the waters of the San Francisco Bay and other no-nonsense locales.

But, generally speaking, small boats are lighter, less stable and have a tougher time when the wind blows up and the seas start to snarl.

HEAVY WEATHER

During their first cruising season on Popeye, Ron and Sue Lange, who live aboard their 24-foot Alaskan Trailer Tug in the summers, got caught in the Strait of Georgia in gale force winds with heavy seas. Never having piloted the boat in these conditions, they were understandably unsure how the little tug would handle the weather.

RON LANGEPopeye on the water.Popeye was taking green water over the pilothouse and they became increasingly concerned about how much pounding the front windows could take. While in the bottom of a wave trough they would lose sight of everything until they reached the crest. The rear scuppers were not bailing water out as fast as they were taking it in, and the cockpit was filling up almost to the door sill. Water was getting in through the spotlight shaft and running onto the gauges; through the bottoms of the doors, which have taken on a slight warp over the years; and through the forward hatch, which was not well sealed, leaving one inch of standing water on the floor of the V-berth. Their mattress was wet, and all of their clothes were soaked.

The seas were so rough that they had to tack approximately a mile beyond the marina entrance in order to turn and quarter the waves without taking seas on the beam. In a following sea, the tug handled well.

"Our GPS speed-reading would increase 3 to 4 knots surfing down each wave," Ron Lange said. "The bow never got buried in the trough, but the holes for the mooring line ports were on the verge of scooping in water. We had to really work the helm when coming off each wave because the tug had a tendency to lose steerage because of the increased speed until we got back in the trough."

When they finally reached safe harbor in the marina, there was a stream of water like a hose coming out the side of the hull from the bilge. They actually found seaweed on top of the pilothouse. Since that first season Ron has dealt with most of the leaks, which were primarily due to age and weathering.

STRAITS AND NARROWS

On the other hand, Popeye can go places that larger boats cannot. Many boaters with larger vessels are apprehensive about the "straits and narrows" that have to be negotiated to get to the areas Popeye visits regularly.

The narrows have to be timed just right for passage so that the tidal currents are moving in the right direction and at the right speed to keep things safe. Starting at the Southern end at Olympia, Washington and traveling up north to Port McNeill into the Queen Charlotte Sound area there are probably 30 to 40 different narrows, all with extreme currents.

The first year that they had the tug, the Langes went through Skookumchuck Rapids, which some cruising guides count among the most dangerous waters in the U.S. At full flow during spring tides, the rapids can have 8-foot over-falls and 12- to 16-knot currents. The couple is diligent when calculating and navigating, making sure to take the narrows at slack tide, but some of these areas require navigating around islands and it can take time. It is impossible to go through without experiencing some current and whirlpools. But the Langes say Popeye handles them well.

The route that Popeye took to get to the Broughton Islands had them traveling the dreaded Johnstone Strait for only 14 nautical miles. Throughout the duration of their journey, only one day was rough as they were making their way homeward, headed south down the strait and into Sunderland Channel. They were in the Strait for a little more than two hours, with a four-foot following sea surfing them along.

And the rewards are worthwhile. The waters where Popeye prowls offer some diverse attractions. The islands in Desolation Sound are known for warm waters, which make swimming enjoyable. The Discovery Islands have long sandy beaches that go on for miles. The islands in the Broughton group–some of which house long-dead logging operations–offer hiking trails that provide an opportunity to get off the boat and stretch your legs while exploring logging camp ruins, deserted homesteads, orchards, fresh-water lakes and rock cliffs with gorgeous views of the surrounding water.