Choppy Water Question

[shorembo]

My wife and I went out over the weekend and did some motor cruising on the ICW. Our boat is a 23 ft Oday (79?). We got to one point where the ICW widened out as it entered into Charlotte Harbor (SWFL). The wind was 15 to 20knots coming straight at us down the ICW. All of a sudden we started getting 3 to 4 foot chop. I thought it was very bizarre considering we were still in the ICW.

My first question is that taking our 23 footer directly into 3 to 4 foot chop did not seem fun. A lot of banging up and down with slow progress. Am I a wimp?

My second question is where did the chop come from? The width of the ICW was not any greater than our earlier passage on the ICW. The only thing I can think of is that the open water directly into the wind was easily 10 miles, so maybe the chop came from the wind direction. Maybe if the wind was coming from port, there would not have been any chop.

BTW...Obviously I am new at this sailing thing.

 

[Joe11688]

My wife and I went out over the weekend and did some motor cruising on the ICW. Our boat is a 23 ft Oday (79?). We got to one point where the ICW widened out as it entered into Charlotte Harbor (SWFL). The wind was 15 to 20knots coming straight at us down the ICW. All of a sudden we started getting 3 to 4 foot chop. I thought it was very bizarre considering we were still in the ICW.

My first question is that taking our 23 footer directly into 3 to 4 foot chop did not seem fun. A lot of banging up and down with slow progress. Am I a wimp?

My second question is where did the chop come from? The width of the ICW was not any greater than our earlier passage on the ICW. The only thing I can think of is that the open water directly into the wind was easily 10 miles, so maybe the chop came from the wind direction. Maybe if the wind was coming from port, there would not have been any chop.

BTW...Obviously I am new at this sailing thing.

No. I don't think you're a wimp. I don't like sailing or motoring in conditions like that where the bow comes down off a wave and another one hits it and sends spray right into the cockpit. In most cases when I encounter conditions such as that, I just look for a nice little protected cove and lower the hook and just hang out. I took a friend with me out on the boat on the river one day a couple of years ago and the wind that day was fluky. It would blow hard in one direction, then it would lull and come up all of a sudden again. My boat was getting blown all over the place and was almost on it's beam at times. He said, "This is the kind of sailing that I like!" I told him, "You're crazy,-this isn't sailing, this is pure punishment!" I then pulled into my favorite quiet cove on the river where the prevailing winds are blocked by the land mass and anchored. Generally when the winds are like that on the river, it's probably the same out in the bay or even worse. Myself, I would prefer not to be out sailing in those conditions and I would either not go out, or find a cove close by and hang out.
Joe

 

[RichBone]

If there's a current running, a wind blowing against it can build up a chop. When there's a strong southerly blowing, I've seen 3 to 4 foot standing waves in some of the channels where the Detroit River enters Lake Erie.

Rich

 

[Shoaldrafter]

shorembo - my vote is wimp

If there's a current running, a wind blowing against it can build up a chop. When there's a strong southerly blowing, I've seen 3 to 4 foot standing waves in some of the channels where the Detroit River enters Lake Erie.

Rich

Nautical or marine phenomena are defined and described on the internet.

For example -"Surface Chop"- Definition: wave action at the surface of the water caused by wind. Small, frequent waves that impede forward movement and can reduce visibility from the surface of the water. (noun)

Gee, your problem has a technical definition. My vote is wimp.

Maybe you should begin here:
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Tw-Z/Waves.html

Ed K
26

 

[RichBone]

Thanks for that clarification on the term "chop" Ed. I'll make note of it.

Rich