How does your boat handle chop?

[ACBoatBoy]

What kind of boat do you have and how does it handle chop and wake? Lets keep the size of boat to under 22' and directed mostly for lakes and waterway use?

 

[Pecker]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

I've got a 91 Cajun 18' with a 115 Johnson that handles just about everything silky smooth. It's a wide and fairly heavy boat that is very stable. I just bought a new Skeeter that had to go back to the dealer for severe porpoising, he is supposed to have the problem fixed today so I'll know for sure tomorrow how well this Skeeter behaves.

 

[ratt1966]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

i have a 14ft 1970 ski barge that don't handle to bad for its age boats are built alot diferent today than the way mine is built i think i have a pic of the front on my homepage

 

[KCook]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

The severity of chop and wakes can vary a great deal. BoaterA may be convinced his boat rides great, but he has never experienced anything like the wakes that BoaterB faces. So it will be tough to get accurate answers to this question.<br /><br />Kelly Cook

 

[magster65]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

True, however, I've ridden in numerous boats that size and I'd say the best one was an older (79 I think) 22 SeaRay, they are a lot heavier than most boats and have a deep-V hull. I had an 1983 22' but it wasn't quite as good as the older one. Newer boats are made lighter to improve performance and economy, something the old SeaRay wasn't that good at but they do ride well.<br />

 

[wrestler20]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

there is quite a different range to that question, but i have a 20 ft fish and ski that rides pretty well through chop, but the best I have ridden in was a new 22 foot Bryant bowrider. Thing must have been extremely heavy or the hull was just shaped well because you could cut through barge and tugboat wake standing up, something that if i tried my boat would be riding away from me while i was in the drink.<br /><br />Steve

 

[Specks n Reds]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

 

[boaterntexas]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

1976 17' hydrasport bass boat, small tri-hull desinge with a 115 merc. ride very smooth, and stable I feel really safe in it doing about 50 mph. My 17' vee-hull bow-rider 1990 with 3.0 merc however is a much more ruff ride, especially with wake, and much more scary even at only 40 mph<br /><br />both boats have been run on the same lake, same day, same wake and chop, My bass boat rides so much better.

 

[jocko_nc]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

I ride a 21 Sea Pro center console. It pounds a bit, modified vee, but the ride is better and drier than most strictly fresh water boats. If it gets "choppy", as defined by folks familiar with ocean conditions, I slow down and keep the bow high. Plowing like this, the pound is reduced and the bow flare does a very good job of throwing aside the spray. Trim tabs are great.<br /><br />jocko

 

[JasonJ]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

16.5 foot 1970 Silverline tri-hull converted to center console. See Project Skanky Beast in Project Boats for details. This particular tri-hull has as deep if not deeper V all the way back to the transom as most aggressive deep Vee hull, so at any planing speeds it is very comfortable. I live and boat on a large deep lake that is affected by a lot of wind at times, and you can go from flat calm to 2 foot chop to 4 foot swells in the same day, and this boat handles it all very well, and does not have any roll issues due to the outer sponsons.<br /><br />

<br /><br />

 

[proline2]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

For years I had a 20' wooden Grady White cuddy cabin with a 135 Evinrude. I fished in salt water and as long as I carried a spare outboard kicker and some other weight in the bow it rode pretty well. Alas, the old boat has departed for calmer seas and has been replaced with a 23' Proline, which rides very well in anything I reasonable want to be out in.

 

[SeaMasterZ@aol.com]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

Chugboat Annie, the 18 foot Crestliner is a sharp V hull with what I consider a round hull at the stern<br /><br />she crushes waves, buts shes also a wet ride, at least in any sort of wind<br /><br />The SeaCraft SeaFari 25 is outside the range of the boats, but it is a deep V monster all the way back, even waves large enough to stick her nose into (BIG wave) she cuts like a cleaver, no sweat<br /><br />of course, shes a roller at rest, but when it gets nasty and you are miles offshore, that is a reassuring hull to have beneath you<br /><br />The 18 Starcraft, the aluminum boat of the bunch, actually rides nicely, but there is a pronounced rise on swells, shes not heavy enough to carve em up, and will pound a bit at speed - Ive never had the 125 Johnson running, but it will be scary ... my cousins 25 pushed it along nicely, and a buddies 65 rude really screamed ... I cant imagine what the 125 will do at speed in chop, Im sure Ill cut her down - but shes not too bad at moderate planing speed in chop, and shes DRY, throws the water well to the side, which I like

 

[wswaneyw]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

Just from my experience as the weekend boater. My first boat was a v-hull which handled the head on waves very well. It was the port and starboard waves that would rock me pretty good. My new is a semi v with a flat bottom. It takes the port and starboard waves very well but i do feel the pounding under the hull heading into waves. I have found that the faster I go, the less pounding i have. Just my thoughts.

 

[Northern Eclipse]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

I run a 1990 wellcraft 196 eclipse which is titled as a 19' boat I'm always being told that is appears much larger, anyway I boat lake Ontario and Southern Georgian Bay which both bodies of water will average wave heights of 3 to 4 feet and plenty of boat traffic, I can run my Wellcraft 25 to 30 mph with comfort and stay dry. Comfort levels vary for people depending were they boat how well they can handle a Boat on large seas, most my boating has been on large fresh water lakes so I am use to big water, Oh yes for you fine folks down south, Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay can get up to 15ft ++

 

[JB]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

I have a Boston Whaler Montauk 17. They have a reputation for pounding your kidneys up between your eyeballs in a chop.<br /><br />If I drive it like a deep vee it will. I don't drive it that way. <br /><br />I select my speed and heading to cooperate with the wake or chop. If I am running upwind in 3-5" waves I tack like a ragboat and get an up-and-down but comfortable ride. With wakes it is simply a matter of turning nearly parallel and whoop-de-doo instead of WHAM, BANG!!

 

[boaterntexas]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

WHILE we are on the subject. Being a novice boater, I have some concers as to saftey with my vee-hull and wakes, it feels scary, and I don't know the limit of theese boats, any one have tips for makeing this the smoothest safest ride, ofcourse I can always slow down, but where is the challenge in that?

 

[JB]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

You have a choice, BNT.<br /><br />Slow down or get a bigger cushion.<br /><br />Do what you would do on a bad, dirt road full of holes.

 

[Specks n Reds]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

 

[boaterntexas]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

When I cut the wake at a 45, it's seems somewhat scary , the boat rocks withthe wake, I guess this is normal, and nothing to be scared of.. <br /> Thanks Guys<br /> If you do find you self in a situation where the wake seems uncomfortable, is there any specific way to back off?

 

[proline2]

Re: How does your boat handle chop?

I'd make sure I'm using enough power to get on top of the wake, or breaker at the mouth of a breachway, and let off before I go airborn and land like a rock on pavement. Personally I don't think that those hard landing do any of the gear on my boat any good.