Is it the boat or me?

[GreggL]

Greg,

All the guys have given great advice based on their experiences.

The most problems for me are the larger power boats in narrow channels. The obvious problems they cause is their belief that bigger has the right-a-way. This is true, but the pattern I see:
1. The term more dollars then sense holds true.
2. Watch and see that most do not use the correct trim for their speed, creating large wakes.
3. Note as they pass in close quarters almost ALWAYS, they never look back to see how the smaller craft handles their wake.

Sadly, most people with big money expect special entitlements. They feel more power & expect the little guy to lay down. If you notice many top earners have a long list of victims on their climb to the top.

I have learned over time that it's not worth it trying to SAIL in channels with traffic and/or current. I see the purist sailors with sails up, paying the price of wakes. I've seen masts & keels break, sails rip, boom shuttering and rigging exploding. I've witnessed people being injured, and/or thrown overboard.

The law states that any boat in Navigable waterways whose wake causes damage to another boat IS liable. So, after going thru your wake induced emergency, make sure you have binoculars to read the boat’s name in case he’s moving off quickly. Hail your local Water Nazi, marine patrol etc. to document. Tell them you are taking damage inventory & will update them. Call ahead to the next bridge tender & report this also to him. Give him the boat’s name & he will write it down as it passes. This is info you will need to sue the bastard.

Now for the wake handling, all boats by design will handle differently.
What works for me, as FLY mentioned is to turn to him. I try the “gently nudge method.” I try to show my intent but you don’t want to be too blatant, as he may be an ******* and decide he wants to show you a lesson.

As he passes (hopefully you have room), I turn my bow into the wake @ 30-45°. For me this keeps me upright instead of THE ROLL. You may also move your berth to a better spot and/or contact local authorities for more speed signs, etc. If you are with BOATUS, contact them. They may influence the officials for more or better speed markers.

I have many friends with large powerboats that are excellent operators, but there are the *******s & they will always be there.

CR

That's great advice. Thank you

 

[All U Get]

Hi Greggl,
On our Catalina 30 we added more and more stuff which steadied the boat more if it was well trimmed. Do you carry extra coolers, water, gear? Might help if you single-hand the boat.
All U Get

 

[capta]

Have you considered that it may just be the characteristics of your particular boat? Is your boat just used on weekends and nearly empty?
There is absolutely nothing you can do to get the power boats to slow down, and most likely they get a kick out of watching you flop around like a fish out of water as they pass.
Until it becomes a real problem (getting swamped) and not just an inconvenience, just grin and bear it.
I was doing a north bound delivery in the ditch, & I had slowed as much as I possibly could, but the sailboat I was passing would not slow down. I was on a professional delivery on a Viking 57 sportfish and was not going to remain behind this guy all day, so I had to go faster than he, right? In creeping by him I definitely sent him a wake, but he was partly responsible for not slowing. Well, I honestly was trying to be courteous but as I was abeam of him he gave me the finger anyway. I dropped one gearshift into reverse on the spot, turned and fell back about 100 yards. When I passed him the second time I was doing nearly 40 knots and the wake was really HUGE. I'll bet he won't be giving the finger to anyone who is trying to be considerate, again.
My point, don't make things worse! Throw a bottle at me and hit the boat I'm delivering and responsible for; I don't think I'd take too kindly to that, would you?
And for the record, I live on and own a sail boat; but I drive anything which supports the lifestyle to which I've become accustomed!

 

[GreggL]

My boat is definitely not empty. I use it very frequently. All in all this season I put like 60 hours on the engine and have spent at least a month on board total. There are plenty of extra weight items laying around.

 

[higgs]

Power boaters have a right to use the waterways. I have found the vast majority are polite, but they are not obligated to slow down for you. It is the nature of the beast and we cannot expect them to coddle us.

 

[AnchorDragger]

...
I find the worst wake comes from big powerboats who are going relatively fast, but not planing. They're pushing out a huge bow wave... this must be the most inefficient speed possible. ....

I helped move a 43 foot luxury power boat from Annapolis to Charleston, SC. It had twin Caterpillar diesels, big boys that burned about 200 gallons each in a 9 hour day. But it would only go 17 mph at max cruise and that was not fast enough to plane. Inefficient, yes, but unless we ran at that speed we couldn't make that trip in daylight in six days.

Don't assume that big powerboats can reach planning speed. Many can't.

 

[MrBee]

some hull designs take confused seas / Wakes better than others. Lighter weight designs are worst but we all take a bit of rolling at times.

 

[Anonymous 121765]

Video from "Snicker" thread in All Sailors

Guys,

I came across this video in the Ask All Sailors Forum.

It doesn't matter if you sail or power, but rather how responsible a boater you are.
Wakes don't care if you sail or drive, they make no distinction whatsoever.

Here's a video of a Fountain boat with 6 onboard encountering a series of wakes at high speed. Not my idea of a competent skipper...........CR

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog...nt+at+lake+of+the+ozarks+caught+on+videotape/

 

[gpd955]

I speed up and turn directly towards oncoming powerboats before they get too close. They usually head further away and often slow down.

This "head butt" maneuver (as military pilots call it) usually works especially when the power boat is smaller.

Probably not a good plan! You shouldn't turn toward any boat at any time. Especially to force the other boat into a maneuver.

Plus, if they're in sight, they're already "too close". If you collide you're just as at fault.

 

[Ray Bowles]

Crossing through Port Everglades at Fort Lauderdale on our island Packet 38 we were hammered by crossing wakes from the powerboats. That channel has rock walls on both sides that cause the wakes to reflect back into the channel. Powerboats would actually pass us at speeds of 7 to 10 knots with huge wakes. There was never any danger of swamping but it was hell aboard our boat.

 

[higgs]

Se la vie

 

[justsomeguy]

C'est la guerre.