small runabouts and big wakes

[CV16]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

I boat on Lake Michigan, not quite an ocean, but still get good waves. Once you learn how to hit them, it's not too bad. I wouldn't worry about the hull cracking, my 1974 Glastron is still holding up strong, and it's been pounded out there. Hell, we tube in 2 footers, get great air!

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

asm, if you are taking waer over the bow every time you go out, and the wind usually blows 20 which is too much for your boat, you should not be going out in that boat in the first place.

Some boats are better designed to deflect water, or to "recover" faster when the bow dips, and this is not always a function of length. Also, V's and modified V's will typically dip lower; whether they ship water depends on the flare, spoon and gunwale roll. It's all about the right boat for the right conditions, skippered by the right guy. Heck, I ran a 14' wooden rowboat out an uncharted ocean inlet to jump swells, since there weren't any tug boats around. That was back when I was young and stupid, but perhaps more experienced than many grown-ups who are boating today.
Now if you are just talking about spray, that's different. We're talking about water here.

 

[seabob4]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

Interesting, I haven't heard the use of term "quartering" in this thread yet.

I move away from the wake to starboard as far as I feel comfortable, gives it more time to flatten, then quarter it at about a 45. I do this in flats boats with virtually no hullsides forward and don't ship any water over the bow...

 

[180shabah]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

The guy I bought our boat from when we went out to test it kept putting himself in a wake where the boat was running parallel with the wakes and it freaked me out. He was literally driving right along the ridge straight. I find the boat gets very squirrelly if you hit a wake like that. I would rather hit it at 90 degrees than in the line of the wake. But best is somewhere in between.

You've never wake surfed???

If you are taking water over the bow, you need some guidance. There is no need for that.

Proper use of trim/throttle/speed/angle should be able to avoid that barring a freak issue. If you don't know how to handle, you are admitting to a safety issue.

Put the bow cover on if she's bow rider and/or seek an experienced captain who can show you how to keep the water out.

Agreed. I have an 18'er and have only taken water over the bow one time and that was a freak occourance. Came around a bend and the drastic change in depth along with perfect wind speed/direction and tidal flow, went from ripples to 3-4 footers in an instant. Just barely dipped into the second swell, after that we were slow enough to stay above, but there was still plenty of spray for the next 30-40 minutes.

Bow spray in a head wind - you will get wet, but no real safety issue as long as you can maintain visibility.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

guys - thanks for all the posts. Two concerns

1. (my biggest) hull damage to my fiberglass boat from hitting wakes. Looks like everyone feels like fiberglass is pretty tough in the water and can withstand a pretty good pounding. I truly try and minimize impact here and have gotten pretty good at it but when the rivers busier than an LA freeway sometimes youre going to hit em pretty hard instead of fully stopping. BTW - I have the larson lifetime warranty on hull, but who wants a busted hull?!?!

2. The only time I take water over the bow is when I do slow down off plane and the 26-30 footer comes cruising by. When I'm on plane I can navigate the wake and not take on water.

 

[seabob4]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

You will beg to get off your boat before it breaks...

 

[Philster]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

The hull is going to slam. Live with it.

Really... or join the "I found a way to levitate the last micron of water from my bilge by adapting a fitting to my magic fairy wand" club.

Then you can meet weekly and talk about your dry bilges, how you never let the hull slam down hard (oh my) or the 11.2 hours of use you've racked up in the 13 years of ownership.

 

[seabob4]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

The hull is going to slam. Live with it.

Really... or join the "I found a way to levitate the last micron of water from my bilge by adapting a fitting to my magic fairy wand" club.

Then you can meet weekly and talk about your dry bilges, how you never let the hull slam down hard (oh my) or the 11.2 hours of use you've racked up in the 13 years of ownership.

 

[dingbat]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

Agreed. I have an 18'er and have only taken water over the bow one time and that was a freak occourance.

There is a reason why they make boats with self-bailing cockpits and ti's not becouse it's a freak occurance.

If you have only buried the bow one time then you are not running that boat hard enough. My bow sits almost 48? above the water and water over the bow isn?t a rare.

 

[seabob4]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

There is a reason why they make boats with self-bailing cockpits and ti's not becouse it's a freak occurance.

If you have only buried the bow one time then you are not running that boat hard enough. My bow sits almost 48? above the water and water over the bow isn?t a rare.

Yeah, but you gotta GW, ding...

 

[Philster]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

Oooh.... I see what you did there.

 

[dingbat]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

Yeah, but you gotta GW, ding...

Boat's don't break, remember?

A man has to know his limitations D

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

I've had my 21' CC for a year now; no green water over the bow although I've tested it some. What usually gets us are the waves at night you can't see--in the winter. I am sure my day will come but I will try to avoid it--and practice during the hot weather.

I remember learning on my 17' flats (Key West), dipping into a tugboat wake and washing the babies, their juice boxes and goldfish crackers back to the scuppers--boy did they howl!

I swear I think the 19' Carolina Skiff has never, will never and can never bury the bow, even though we put fire hose across it for a bumper, it still has that roll. it will throw some spray around though, and I have come close. It is the safest one.

The old 16' starcraft bow rider--that one would scoop some water--green and red, right over the lights!

The worst, of course, was the canoe in January, 25 degrees out, swamped and rolled in some rapids. All survival skills were employed, successfully. An adventure, a risk you take, but no laughing matter like the summertime follies.

You can't get experience without getting experienced!

 

[sasto]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

Interesting, I haven't heard the use of term "quartering" in this thread yet.

I move away from the wake to starboard as far as I feel comfortable, gives it more time to flatten, then quarter it at about a 45. I do this in flats boats with virtually no hullsides forward and don't ship any water over the bow...

Me too, seabob... then I power up on the other side to keep the bow up and the rudder/skeg in the water. Keep the dirty side down...

 

[Stachi]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

I was out on the Delaware this weekend and it was PACKED!

I had a great time jumping wakes. My brother in law kept telling me I was going to crack the hull...I just kept pointing to the 'lifetime hull warranty' sticker on the window and throttling through them.

yeah , that means that after you die , they won't have to honor you warranty.... keep it up being a menace to your passengers...and everyone else on the water...your brother in law has more sense than you do

 

[BugsBunnyBoater]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

Older heavier boats tend to take a wake very good. I was able to spend time at a okder boat shop and the owner was showing me how some of the newer boats are very light While some other boats were built beefier. He made the point that he had my 75 Mako out and the wake from barges in the ICW did not push it around as bad her lighter boats.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

I have a 17ft, closed bow, deep V runabout with a 70hp. I boat in tidal rivers and off the west coast.

When wake gets higher than 4ft, if I'm not on a plane water WILL come over the bow. If I have to cross a 40ft tugboat that's plowing water at full steam...I better be on a plane or it WILL come over the bow..lol

Now, I always take the large wakes on a plane with the bow up. yes you will get air and yes it can get uncomfortable but the boat isn't going to break.

I find that if I can hit them at the perfect speed the entire boat leaves the water for a split second and you hit the second wave about mid-way along the hull. This makes for the most comfortable ride but can be a bit tricky. Kind of skipping along the crests of the waves, trim up and bow high.

As metioned, 45 degrees is the ideal way to meet the wake. I usually steer wide and come back across the stern of the passing boat to meet his wake.

Point is, with a 17-18ft boat there is a limit to the waves you can take while at displacement speeds. Go slow and you will get wet.

Let er rip and practice, practice, practice before you take family/others out with you into conditions that you aren't ready for.

Life jackets and kill switch lanyards are a must too

Cheers!

 

[Subliminal]

Re: small runabouts and big wakes

yeah , that means that after you die , they won't have to honor you warranty.... keep it up being a menace to your passengers...and everyone else on the water...your brother in law has more sense than you do

Wow...talk about a stick in the mud. If I had to throttle down every time I passed through a wake we'd never've been on plane.