I am kind of an"in betweener". I have a mid-size boat, but my interests and concerns seem to relate more to this site since newer sailors like me start here. Over the last four years, I moved up from a Hunter 23.5 to a Catalina 270, to my current boat which is a 1993 Hunter 27. Recently,I was under power when a large houseboat's wake moved across at the same angle as I was taking. The wake was very large and my boat began to wallow in the waves, going dramatically from side to side. It was drastic enough to scare the daylights out of me. The force of the mast moving across the vertical plane and then back seemed to increase with each wave, and the boat heeled over further with each swing. When I spoke to the dealer about this, he said it was because the boat is tender. I keep hearing people refer to a boat as tender, but it seemed to me that when I moved to this size boat, I would no longer be hearing this term. Candidly, my original boat, the 23.5, never had this problem, so why would this larger boat be called tender? It has a 2,000 lb fixed keel. Your thoughts on the subject of "tender' would be much appreciated. Maybe I just am still nervous about healing due to my inexperience. thanks, John
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Water Ballast or keel boat?
John: I am not familiar with your model. I assume that you probably have a water ballast boat and not a keel boat. If this is the case I can see what happened to you. It would be a similar action that a smaller power boat would have. When a large wake hits your boat there would not be anything under water to counter act the movement of the mast and rigging. I must tell you though we have a H'31 with a fin keel 5'3" draught. When these big ass power boats go by us, especially when we are only under power there is much of the same type of action on the boat. I think if you where on a sailing dink, you would need to be worried, but with the amount of freeboard that you have, you can just sit there and wait it out. We have found that if you can steer an angle (45-60 degrees) to the wake, you can minimize this radical movement.
John: I am not familiar with your model. I assume that you probably have a water ballast boat and not a keel boat. If this is the case I can see what happened to you. It would be a similar action that a smaller power boat would have. When a large wake hits your boat there would not be anything under water to counter act the movement of the mast and rigging. I must tell you though we have a H'31 with a fin keel 5'3" draught. When these big ass power boats go by us, especially when we are only under power there is much of the same type of action on the boat. I think if you where on a sailing dink, you would need to be worried, but with the amount of freeboard that you have, you can just sit there and wait it out. We have found that if you can steer an angle (45-60 degrees) to the wake, you can minimize this radical movement.
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David
Not water ballast.
John you mentioned being under power with no sails up plus you have a light displacement and lightly ballasted boat. To be more comfortable under power we usually have the jib or main up to help counteract the wave motion.
John you mentioned being under power with no sails up plus you have a light displacement and lightly ballasted boat. To be more comfortable under power we usually have the jib or main up to help counteract the wave motion.
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Sean Coerse
Wake
Never take a wake on the beam unless you have to. As soon as the powerboat passes turn and take the wak on a tight angle. Usually only two to three waves. As soon as you clear the last wave go back to your normal heading. My kids love the big wakes when taken on the bow. The usually have their feet over the bow and try to get them wet.
Never take a wake on the beam unless you have to. As soon as the powerboat passes turn and take the wak on a tight angle. Usually only two to three waves. As soon as you clear the last wave go back to your normal heading. My kids love the big wakes when taken on the bow. The usually have their feet over the bow and try to get them wet.
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Rick Webb
Bow Riding
You need to be careful with this one. I know alot of the Law Enforcement folks who will turn their heads at almost anthing else can get real hardcore aboutt kids riding the bow. I enjoy it too but if you fall off hitting a center board the rudder or both is going to hurt or worse. In Biloxi a couple of summers back a kid went off the front of his dads boat and hit the prop with his head, it was worse. Does not make for a pleasant Fourth of July for all concerned. I'd hate to hear about somthing like that happening to somone from this site. Sorry for the lecture it is truly an awful scene.
You need to be careful with this one. I know alot of the Law Enforcement folks who will turn their heads at almost anthing else can get real hardcore aboutt kids riding the bow. I enjoy it too but if you fall off hitting a center board the rudder or both is going to hurt or worse. In Biloxi a couple of summers back a kid went off the front of his dads boat and hit the prop with his head, it was worse. Does not make for a pleasant Fourth of July for all concerned. I'd hate to hear about somthing like that happening to somone from this site. Sorry for the lecture it is truly an awful scene.
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John Powell
Thanks
Thanks for your responses. Steve, my boat does have a fixed keel. It made my day to hear you say that your bigger boat can experience the same problem. I will try the idea of using some small amount of sail, probably the bimini, when I am under power. I have a roller furling, so that would be pretty easy. John
Thanks for your responses. Steve, my boat does have a fixed keel. It made my day to hear you say that your bigger boat can experience the same problem. I will try the idea of using some small amount of sail, probably the bimini, when I am under power. I have a roller furling, so that would be pretty easy. John
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Kate
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Eric Swift
tender
I was looking for info on Tenders - ie. a dingy, but, from my limited understanding the tenderness of a boat is a relative term refering to the "righting moment", or lack there of. If the boat wants to stay upright and resists heeling, either due to wind force on sails, wave action or weight distribution, it has a higher righting moment and is said to be stiff. It is a factor that increases with wider beam within moderate degrrees of heel,all other factors remaining equal. However, a lot of factors enter into it including sail plan, weight and depth of keel, center of gravity, etc. I have a Hunter 34 which, though beamy, has a fin keel and is also, "tender" as boats of that size go (say compared to a full keel Island Packet). Most boats that are light displacement boats will rock violently when caught on the beam by a sufficiently large wave, especially if it is breaking. Best bet., as already said, is to always take the wave on the bow at 45 degrees.
I was looking for info on Tenders - ie. a dingy, but, from my limited understanding the tenderness of a boat is a relative term refering to the "righting moment", or lack there of. If the boat wants to stay upright and resists heeling, either due to wind force on sails, wave action or weight distribution, it has a higher righting moment and is said to be stiff. It is a factor that increases with wider beam within moderate degrrees of heel,all other factors remaining equal. However, a lot of factors enter into it including sail plan, weight and depth of keel, center of gravity, etc. I have a Hunter 34 which, though beamy, has a fin keel and is also, "tender" as boats of that size go (say compared to a full keel Island Packet). Most boats that are light displacement boats will rock violently when caught on the beam by a sufficiently large wave, especially if it is breaking. Best bet., as already said, is to always take the wave on the bow at 45 degrees.
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John Powell
Curiouser!
Obviously, the bimini has nothing to do with the sails. My fingers went faster than my thought process. I said bimini when I was thinking jib. John
Obviously, the bimini has nothing to do with the sails. My fingers went faster than my thought process. I said bimini when I was thinking jib. John
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