Re: How to fight a big wave?
There are several ways you can lose it in rough water. Whether it be one big wave, 4-foot chop, or 10-foot swells.<br /><br />The most common loss of control is breaching. This happens when your speed coming off a large wave is too fast and your bow plows into the next wave, slowing the front of the boat down as the back pushes around. Here, you find yourself in the trough of the wave being capsized. It happens almost instantly.<br /><br />Some operators go too slow, trying to avoid a breach, only to have the aft of the boat swamped by the wave behind (following sea).<br /><br />The trick is to navigate under just the right amount of power. Not too fast and not too slow, ready at all times to punch it or back completely off. Riding the waves, but in control.<br /><br />Another mistake is navigating in the trough (beam seas). Surprise waves can capsize a boat from the side without warning. It is important to attempt some type of angle on the waves at all times under power, only running in the trough to make ground when the waves dictate.<br /><br />Sometimes heading directly into waves (head seas) is not good. You can end up literally flying off a wave with nothing under you, only to hit the next head on. It can literally break a boat up, or create a nose dive condition that never rights itself (flips/endo's). Power is a must.<br /><br />Every situation is different and only experience can help. A wide, stable, low CG rough water boat with power to spare helps. But the two most important factors are boat speed and the distance between waves (not necessarily the height).<br /><br />The original poster's situation would probably warrant heading directly into the wake under slight power. Mostly because there is no wave behind him or after the first. But if all waves one after another were that big, some serious rough water techniques would need to happen to survive.<br /><br />But no rough sea can be navigated in a straight line. Quartering waves is a must. Not only to avoid the brutal head-on force, but to get to the direction you're going. Carefully play the big guys and take advantage of a chance to make progress. Sometimes I must navigate by quartering a mile east, then a mile west...just to go north. Sometimes a 10-foot swell sea is much easier to navigate than a 4-foot chop. And sometimes I just don't go.<br /><br />With a 30' tide change here and 15 mph currents, heading directly into the waves isn't an option. Otherwise my course would put me 50 miles from home. I have to tact as a sailer would.<br /><br />It all depends on the boat, the waves, speed, and the captian's experience.<br /><br />Learn more here: <br /><br /> http://www.docksidereports.com/rough_water_seamanship_1.htm
There are several ways you can lose it in rough water. Whether it be one big wave, 4-foot chop, or 10-foot swells.<br /><br />The most common loss of control is breaching. This happens when your speed coming off a large wave is too fast and your bow plows into the next wave, slowing the front of the boat down as the back pushes around. Here, you find yourself in the trough of the wave being capsized. It happens almost instantly.<br /><br />Some operators go too slow, trying to avoid a breach, only to have the aft of the boat swamped by the wave behind (following sea).<br /><br />The trick is to navigate under just the right amount of power. Not too fast and not too slow, ready at all times to punch it or back completely off. Riding the waves, but in control.<br /><br />Another mistake is navigating in the trough (beam seas). Surprise waves can capsize a boat from the side without warning. It is important to attempt some type of angle on the waves at all times under power, only running in the trough to make ground when the waves dictate.<br /><br />Sometimes heading directly into waves (head seas) is not good. You can end up literally flying off a wave with nothing under you, only to hit the next head on. It can literally break a boat up, or create a nose dive condition that never rights itself (flips/endo's). Power is a must.<br /><br />Every situation is different and only experience can help. A wide, stable, low CG rough water boat with power to spare helps. But the two most important factors are boat speed and the distance between waves (not necessarily the height).<br /><br />The original poster's situation would probably warrant heading directly into the wake under slight power. Mostly because there is no wave behind him or after the first. But if all waves one after another were that big, some serious rough water techniques would need to happen to survive.<br /><br />But no rough sea can be navigated in a straight line. Quartering waves is a must. Not only to avoid the brutal head-on force, but to get to the direction you're going. Carefully play the big guys and take advantage of a chance to make progress. Sometimes I must navigate by quartering a mile east, then a mile west...just to go north. Sometimes a 10-foot swell sea is much easier to navigate than a 4-foot chop. And sometimes I just don't go.<br /><br />With a 30' tide change here and 15 mph currents, heading directly into the waves isn't an option. Otherwise my course would put me 50 miles from home. I have to tact as a sailer would.<br /><br />It all depends on the boat, the waves, speed, and the captian's experience.<br /><br />Learn more here: <br /><br /> http://www.docksidereports.com/rough_water_seamanship_1.htm
