what is the correct way to take a wake

[glenn property of pam]

few months back i was on plan in a 17' bass boat heading down a river thats about 100' wide. a real large boat came from the other direction he was moving at about 15-20mph. i was on just going fast enoght to stay on plane at maybe 20mph. i considered my options as dropping of plane or staying on plane and cutting into his wake as he passed. There was a gap of at least 50-60 feet between us so i stayed on plane. I was realy surprised by the size of his wake especially as it seemed to be 3 waves each about 2' high. Needless to say the prop broke water as i crossed the wakes at 90 and it wasnt much fun as you are sitting practically on the floor in a bassboat. The large boat didnt even rise when it crossed my wake.

so what is the correct way to deal with a large boat (30'-40' 3 level sport fishing boat) coming towards you on a river at 20mph when you are in a 17' plastic bath tub

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

most recommend at a 45 degree angle

 

[The Rooster]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

most recommend at a 45 degree angle

+1 ^^^

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

so you would stay on plane or drop off plane? ive wondered if i was going faster so the boat was more stable and trimmed nose down if the boat would have cut the wake better rather than jumping the wake.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

Another +1. I have had several to deal with over the years and each offered a different approach when it looked like the 45 wasn't going to get it done.

Funny on the 3 waves. One day I was fishing off the Houston (TX.) ship channel and an oil tanker was leaving one of the refineries. It was 3+ miles off but as at started approaching me I saw this line appear on the surface of the (calm otherwise) water. The line was 3 huge waves as it turned out. I was in a 14' boat.

At the last minute, not knowing how to handle it, I pointed the boat into the waves and cut the throttle, essentially no forward motion. The crest distance seemed to be much greater than the length of the boat, the waves were not breaking, waves coming in at 10-15 mph roughly, and that is why I did what I did. I kept the engine running and only bumping the engine to keep the bow positioned.

The waves came and other than being scared, being a uneducated on the subject teenager, it was a non event. The waves were so large that when in the trough, sitting upright in the boat, I could see nothing but water by a significant margin, and the peaks on both ends of the boat were maybe 15 feet distant; guessing 6' peak to trough easily. Riding across the peak was nice and smooth as they were very wide.

I suppose the size of the ship made the size and nature of the wave and I am not up on wave creation theory all that much so I don't know just why.

On occasion, while getting caught out in open water, I would ride parallel to wave crests for a distance, try to find a small wave, do a quick 180 and go back in a zig zag pattern to work my way home. In these instances the crests were wider than the boat and the crest to crest was fairly wide.

In another instance, at Lake Travis, Tx. in the afternoons the So. wind would pick up to 20ish mph from a calm morning, come straight up the lake and I launched at the So. end. The boat I had was small, but had a fore deck, windshield, and a really nice flare. I would drive straight into the swells at a speed just fast enough to put the tip of the bow just above the water level of the crest. The boat would dive into the wave, the flare would eject it to the side, the bow would lift and repeat the process. Really a nice ride.

HTH,
Mark

 

[rallyart]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

Stay on plane. The hull is higher up. If you drop off plane make sure you do it before the wake you cross so your own stern wake does not lift the back of your boat as your bow enters the oncoming wake. I like to travel the direction i'm intending on going and then adjust my line just before I cross the wake so I cross it at 45-60?. To shallow an angle and you have to cross the wake more times as you hit the following wakes. Don't take it at high speed though, just on plane.

 

[southkogs]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

few months back i was on plan in a 17' bass boat heading down a river thats about 100' wide. a real large boat came from the other direction he was moving at about 15-20mph. i was on just going fast enoght to stay on plane at maybe 20mph. i considered my options as dropping of plane or staying on plane and cutting into his wake as he passed. There was a gap of at least 50-60 feet between us so i stayed on plane. I was realy surprised by the size of his wake especially as it seemed to be 3 waves each about 2' high. Needless to say the prop broke water as i crossed the wakes at 90 and it wasnt much fun as you are sitting practically on the floor in a bassboat. The large boat didnt even rise when it crossed my wake.

so what is the correct way to deal with a large boat (30'-40' 3 level sport fishing boat) coming towards you on a river at 20mph when you are in a 17' plastic bath tub

To be honest, the bass boat hulls amaze me in the way they handle wakes. (Not sayin' you're one of these guys Glenn) but the tournament fishers around these parts go blazing around the lake with everything but the kitchen sink wide open, and I can't believe they don't flip 'em more often. I saw one guy take my wake (I've got an 18') and I peeled off and started shutting down because I was convinced he was gonna' turtle it. You take a reasonable size wake, wide open in a bass boat and I don't care what angle you hit it at ... you're in for some excitement.

A 45? is the most common recommendation, but I'd make sure you're considering that a reasonable suggestion and not a hard and fast rule. Your boat may do better at 45? while another does better at 90?. Ya' gotta' know your boat. Speed is gonna' play a factor in that too. At 70 to 90 MPH ... nearly any wake is a ramp in a boat like that. A little slower and she may like takin' it at a 90?. Down off plane, a 45? approach may be best. I think it varies.

 

[Tnriverluver]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

A lot of the bass boats you see hitting wakes and large waves at WOT are 21-22 ft long and they take large wakes much better than the shorter 17-19 footers. My suggestion in a 17 foot hull is to slow way down if possible and hit the wake at a 45 and drop the bow angle down a little if they are especially large wakes. Hitting them trimmed up and at high speed will send you flying and the landing will be painful and uncontrolled in most instances The video on youtube of the bass boat crash that always pops up is a good example of how not to hit a wake in a bass boat. Bass Boat Crash - YouTube

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

I slow down, coming off plane, turn into wake at 45 degrees and give her a little throttle just before hitting the wake. Powering through, off plane, has always worked best for me, in all my boats from 18' to 30'.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

To be honest, the bass boat hulls amaze me in the way they handle wakes. (Not sayin' you're one of these guys Glenn) but the tournament fishers around these parts go blazing around the lake with everything but the kitchen sink wide open, and I can't believe they don't flip 'em more often. I saw one guy take my wake (I've got an 18') and I peeled off and started shutting down because I was convinced he was gonna' turtle it. You take a reasonable size wake, wide open in a bass boat and I don't care what angle you hit it at ... you're in for some excitement.

A 45? is the most common recommendation, but I'd make sure you're considering that a reasonable suggestion and not a hard and fast rule. Your boat may do better at 45? while another does better at 90?. Ya' gotta' know your boat. Speed is gonna' play a factor in that too. At 70 to 90 MPH ... nearly any wake is a ramp in a boat like that. A little slower and she may like takin' it at a 90?. Down off plane, a 45? approach may be best. I think it varies.

The BB has several things going for it.....in most cases:

1. They usually use SS props with high rake (blades bent back) which are there to lift the bow out of the water (wave clearance).
2. They usually have a padded hull which is a little "water ski" flat surface at the center and rear of the hull. This is usually accompanied by a decent dead rise at the transom.

The combination puts all the weight of the boat on a small water surface contact point and acts as a shock absorber in rough water. Additionally, in some situations you can head directly into pretty good waves and set your trim and speed at the right values and just bump across the waves with a slight transom dip (transom falls slightly into the trough) making for a very dry and comfortable ride.

The other thing you can do with that setup is that in rougher water you can use your throttle and trim to set the boat right in the middle of the bow wave; you aren't on plane (yet) nor are you still off plane. This lifts the bow another couple of feet and I have taken some really big waves with mine in total comfort.

My boat was a 17 1/2' Ranger with a 115 tower.

Forgot about this when I answered this thread previously.

HTH,
Mark

 

[emilsr]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

Slower is better; minimum planing speed or less and, as mentioned, hit it at an angle. Don't be this guy: it'll leave a mark.

 

[mrdancer]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

Here's another option if you want the impact to be minimal and uneventful:

If you have room and time, stop the boat and throw it into reverse with the bow pointed toward the wake. You can hit the wake head-on and barely feel it. I used to do it with a 13' Whaler on the Tenn-Tom all the time...

 

[JoLin]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

If you have room and time, stop the boat and throw it into reverse with the bow pointed toward the wake. You can hit the wake head-on and barely feel it. I used to do it with a 13' Whaler on the Tenn-Tom all the time...

That may work okay in a 13' Whaler, but it sounds like a good way to bury the stern in most boats. I've never heard of anyone doing this and I for one would never endorse it.

For me, I hit them at roughly 45 deg. Taking the wake off the bow, I'll maintain speed, drop it slightly or come off plane entirely, depending on the size of the wake.

Overtaking another boat requires a different technique- cross the wake as far back from the other boat as possible, where the wake size is smaller. Approach at roughly 45 deg again, but modulate speed so you slowly ride up the backside of the wake. Give it more throttle as you come over the top, to lift the bow as you cross. Overtaking takes practice and timing, and if I'm coming up on a 40'er, I may just have to grin and bear it until I have plenty of room to hang back and swing wide to cross.

The first time I overtook a really big boat I was in my 21' WAC and did it ALL wrong. I punched it coming up the backside of the wake, and as I crested, I KNEW it was gonna end badly. I buried the bow on the other side- was like hitting a brick wall at 25 mph. Passengers went flying (none left the boat, thank god) and the bridge of my nose bounced off the top of the windshield. Painful, bloody and hours spent in the ER.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

Greetings from the waters of tugboats, freighters and mega yachts

Practice practice practice.

Hulls are different and each has a different best method. Let's start with the worst methods:

Do not drop your bow. practice of 'cutting through chop" is a submarine on a swell or wake.

Never "throw it into reverse" unless you are replacing your lower unit that day.

Don't go fast, but don't stop either!

Slow down but keep enough speed to have control. I like to be just off a plane, but close enough to get back on.

For your boat, raise the bow. Try this: approach slow (half-plane, bow up) and give it some gas half way up (keeps the bow from cutting through the top). Go up at an angle (less than 45*) but when you are cresting, turn toward 90*. slow down on the way down, but goose it at the bottom to get your bow up so you don't submarine the next one.

Then go across the wake and practice on the wakes going your direction. Do some surfing! Same deal: vary your speed and angle as you work the wake.

practice running between them and stepping over them.

Every time you see a big boat, see it as an opportunity to hone your skills. Have fun and see if you can make the ladies squeal!

 

[Ned L]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

As H.C. said, this is where experience comes into play. Every boat & every situation is different and you need to learn what works in your boat and how it handles. Some of the 'guidelines' mentioned here may work for some or most types of boats, but there are other types of boats that they will not work for. Be careful, learn what your boat likes, practice, & gain experience (there is no substitute for that last word).

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

Mark mentioned how on his boat, he kept the bow just above the surface and let the bow design deflect the water--that same bow design also provides lift. This, again, is where your experience with your boat comes in--know its design features and, more important, defects. A spoon bow is made to safely handle big water. The stylish drop-down nose and scoop of the popular bow riser is unseaworthy. Speacialty boats like bass boats, pontoons, jon boats often do not have the wave-handling feature.

On the other hand, a 13' whaler, which is very much like a jon or bass when you glance at it, has a turned-over surface under the bow and side rails (gunwales) that deflect and lift. The rolled-over rail of the Carolina Skiff looks like cheap manufacturing but it is a life-saver, literally. Lap strakes on the old wellcraft and pennyan, chines on the chincoteague scow, all serve important functions and you need to know what yours will and will not do.

When my dad first got a Key West bay boat design and I got in my first tug-boat wake with a crowd aboard, I stuffed the bow, shipped green water, and washed all the babies and their cups of goldfish crackers shrieking back to the scupper. The moms weren't real happy either. Since then I've learned to work that particular bow and rail to stay dry.

And don't get over-confident with size. As anyone who has one will agree, that 13' whaler is way safer than many boats that are bigger, especially the bow riders. And being able to simply pull the plug and drain while running is a major safety feature that is lacking on closed in boats.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

im getting the idea of what you guys are saying. its a pity that theres not a book with pictures that explain the angles etc.

 

[Ned L]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

unfortunately there are SO many variables that you really can't break it down to a simple 'do this in this situation, and do that in that situation'. You really need to use good judgement (be conservative to start with) and get out there and practice over time, learn, and gain experience.
As a contrast to the 'generality' of crossing a wake at 45?, I know that with the boat I 'have fun in' these days, that 45? at anything from about 1/3 throttle on up will likely result in being thrown out of the boat.

 

[emilsr]

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

And don't get over-confident with size. As anyone who has one will agree, that 13' whaler is way safer than many boats that are bigger, especially the bow riders. And being able to simply pull the plug and drain while running is a major safety feature that is lacking on closed in boats.

You're right about that. The type of boat matters, a lot. I've never owned a 13' Whaler but have run a few. For a little boat it'll handle some pretty nasty conditions. My first boat was a 16' Whaler and I took that boat out in conditions that I'd NEVER take my 26' sportboat out in. Got caught in a storm in Charleston harbor once; true 5-6 footers, 10' plus between trough and crest. It was slow going, but put the canvas up and didn't even get wet. Then again....I was young....and the boat was cheaper.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: what is the correct way to take a wake

im getting the idea of what you guys are saying. its a pity that theres not a book with pictures that explain the angles etc.

It's better that there isn't a book. It's all about feel. You start with the general strategy that you get here, and then find out for yourself for your boat, and the hundreds of wave types/conditions you may encounter.