One of the laboratory representatives purchased a 34 foot cabin cruiser and he took five of us eye docs fishing. We left Balboa harbor and went south to San Clemente. The ocean was almost flat. We were within 50 feet of a whale or two; there were dozens of them in sight. It seemed like there were a hundred sharks swimming or just lolly-gagging around, half under water and half above. (I do not mean half as a measurement. Guess I should have said, a lot above and a lot below the waterline.)
Fishing was done, soft drinks were drunk, food was eaten and then we headed back to Balboa. Apparently I was the only one who had ever had any boat experience. When we went out of the Balboa Bay the storm warnings were up. I didn't look; being an idiot I figured that the guy that owned the boat would do that. Now you have guessed the rest of the story. The sea got rough (Not like the video, but we did take water in through the opening in the top of the cab.).
The owner managed to broach us enough that we took water in over the gunnels a few times. Anyway I ended up at the helm with all of the experience I obtained when I was age 6 or 7. I nosed in to the waves when the big ones came and headed back in towards the shore for the three smaller ones in between. That still left us quite a ways out from the mouth of the harbor when we got up there.
Going for the mouth of the harbor gave us a straight, strong following sea. With full throttle I could spin the wheel all of the way to one side with just a flick of my hand. With full port or starboard rudder only the slightest correction was made in direction. With full throttle we were just barely out pacing the current. Obviously we made it. I'm not sure that my arms have ever ached that much since. I know that my heart rate is up quite a bit just writing this.
Jeepers, you should never say anything that gets an old geezer telling "old man" stories. With that I shall leave you.
Enjoy,
JimB