Guys,
I haven't fished with Capt. Joe on the Helen H in some time, but from what I recall he is one of the most conservative/safety-minded captains out there. He won't take guys out if he knows it's going to be uncomfortable. In fact, I often hear a lot of chatter from guys frustrated that the boat cancelled even though "the weather didn't look that bad!" Frankly, I'd much rather err on the side of caution, as I'm sure most of you would.
Joe probably cancels 3 of every 4 trips during the winter months, and I seriously doubt that he knew what he was bringing you into when you left the dock. Anyway, just thought I'd throw it out there--most captains, especially intelligent ones like Joe, are not sadists who will put their patrons through hell just to make some money. Everyone makes mistakes--in this case, sounds like it was the weatherman (what else is new).
In any case, it certainly doesn't sound like a fun trip. I do a fair amount of winter codding, and if the forecast is looking crappy but the boat is still planning to go, I'd much rather just give up my deposit etc. It's no fun being stuck out there in rough seas and worse, the wind and cold. I'm sure some of the guys on that boat would have paid more than 195 bucks to get off that boat
.
-Willy.