Re: 12 foot
Essentially, yes, it's unsafe. Having said that, it has been done. I've been caught in 2-3' waves in my little 12' tinny. It was absolutely no fun at all, but I managed to get back to the dock and not even ship any water to speak of.
I would never willingly go out in such weather, though. It's just too hard to boat safely in that weather in a small boat. If necessary, though, it is possible to navigate such water, as long as the boat is seaworthy, and the engine is running well.
