Neck deep in the Dark Side

Apr 8, 2010
1,942
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
One change you will notice when you get into planing mode is how fast logs, buoys, and other boats will approach your course.
At 20 knots you spend a LOT more time on watch, straight ahead, than you had to at a scenic 5 kts.......

And hitting anything at those higher speeds will damage your OB (or stern drive) severely, in a jiffy.
A friend who is a mechanic on powerboats once observed that if someone hits any sort of floating piece of "whatever" the repairs usually start at $1K. His personal boat for quite a while was a 30 foot sailboat, FWIW.
 
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Likes: Parsons
Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
And hitting anything at those higher speeds will damage your OB (
Interestingly we had a Grady White overtake us at about 35 kts.in Tahsis Narrows in 2018. He hit a log about a foot and a half in diameter and maybe twenty feet long when he was fifty feet off our port side. It was a very noisy impact. I circled back, thinking I would have to tow him into Tahsis but everything was OK and he carried on under his own power. Gave me new respect for outboards.
 
Sep 15, 2013
707
Catalina 270 Baltimore
Oh Yeah. That other thing. Logs and other hard items come up a lot faster than they used to. You gotta drive it like a car.
 
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Likes: FastOlson
Jul 13, 2010
1,097
Precision 23 Perry Hall,Baltimore County
A few years ago a friend asked me what i liked about going slow. Among many other things one was that if i had a boat or barge or anything ahead aways i usually had time to refill my drink befire i got there, on a powerboat i have to wirry about it RIGHT NOW!:)
 

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
o heck. i'd go for the ranger tug 31 w command bridge, solar, twin yanmar diesels, 3 helm stations, and a refrig and cocktail sink in the cockpit. for about $245,000.
 
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