What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- bottom

[I Fish]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

I don't know the lakes the OP is boating on, but just to add my 2 cents. I also do Erie in an 18' open bow. While white caps usually mean 2' plus waves, that's not always the case. Many times I've seen white caps on the Ohio River, but with well less than 2 footers. It sometimes is more of a chop, with the wind blowing the tops off. Looks way worse than it really is.

UncleWilley has given good advise, but, I haven't seen Lake Erie type waves on an inland waterway. How tall are the waves you are calling whitecaps, and, how far apart are they?

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

The key to all of this is to assess YOUR situation.

The [OP]'s lake is 3 miles wide. It is going to be way different than a 50 mile wide Great Lake or a 5000 mile wide ocean.
I doubt he will ever see real 2 footers unless the wind is over 50mph. Wait 30 minutes and the Storm Front will pass.
3 footers on the ocean are called swells. Almost calm.
3 footers on Erie are killers because they are so close together.
I routinely leave the dock knowing there are whitecaps.
As stated, sometimes it is just the tops being blown off the chop. No big deal.

I tried to leave open the "Find the sweet spot in the trough" advice because it will vary widely.
The Ocean Seamen will ride the Back side of the wave.
On Erie the Trough to Crest might not even fit the boat in on some days.
Follow along the Upwind Shore and you will find will find smoother Waters.

Being close in on the downwind shore is a double whammy.
The waves are bigger and the waves reflect back off the shore and cause a Confused Sea for a mile or more out.
I have the room and will stay about 3-5 miles out to avoid the Chop.

I have visited inland Lakes when the Big lake was just too bad.
The locals were complaining about a 6-9 inch chop.
I though it was some of the smoothest water I have seen.
They were used to, and expecting glass. Boat wakes were the biggest things they normally see.
Everyones opinion about what is too bad is going to be different.

 

[I Fish]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

I have visited inland Lakes when the Big lake was just too bad.
The locals were complaining about a 6-9 inch chop.
I though it was some of the smoothest water I have seen.
They were used to, and expecting glass. Boat wakes were the biggest things they normally see.
Everyones opinion about what is too bad is going to be different.

Ain't that the truth. Ole Mother Erie will make a mariner out of you, or, scare you out of trying. I cut my teeth in a 14' mod V with a 9.9 around Kelleys. We called it the "Dingy". I'll never forget the stern tongue lashins I got from those that new so much more. I was young, dumb, and full of it, but, I'd do it again if I had to. I'll never forget the look on some of the guys faces when I'd come in, 3 or 4 hours after they decided it was too "rough". I still get some of those looks in the 18' deep V tinny. By comparison, I'm on a yacht today, compared to the Dingy then.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

I used to play in Sandusky bay and Erie in a 12' tinny with a 7.5 rude on it... I was 16 and had LOTS to learn

Dad and I once spent all night trying to get in in a 23' John Almand flybridge boat in 6'+ with blinding wind and rain ... trying to come back from Peelee point (Canada) to Huron Oh... ended up at the copper kettle marina in Lorain Oh...... Didn't pay attention to or respect the weather and it tried REAL hard to kill us.

Both of these things were over 20 years ago..... I have no plans to repeat either

 

[jestor68]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

If the waves get over a foot, you'd best wait it out.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

I ran Lake Erie as a dumb kid to the trenches off Presque Isle (Erie Pa) in a 16'er. I ran charters out of Geneva Ohio (Lake Erie) for walleye and out of Wilson NY (Lake Ontario) for salmon and lake trout in a 24'er. Been in much bigger than 6s and in the 3'ers too. Only inlet I ever saw nasty was Presque Isle just a little and Walnut Creek- that can get ugly but it is short. Coming into some NC inlets (south facing) on an outgoing tide with a 17 kt South wind -- has 6'ers standing like a wall and unlike Erie the inlets change often and require dredging of which little has been done since Obie started golfing from DC. Many people have drowned on relatively small and shallow Pymatuning Res (Pa & OH ) when a wind came up length wise and saw it go from a ripple to crashing 3' white caps 2 of which could be under a 14' boat when it had a 10 hp (now 20 hp) limit. Every body of water is different as every inlet is different. Wind speed and direction is important. Be happy when you don't have to consider tides and changing sand bars / water depths. Some things change in hours. Yes, I prefer Lake Erie to the Atlantic as she is nasty but predictable. However, the fishing is better here and I had enough ice and snow for 10 lifetimes.

The key to all of this is to assess YOUR situation.

The [OP]'s lake is 3 miles wide. It is going to be way different than a 50 mile wide Great Lake or a 5000 mile wide ocean.
I doubt he will ever see real 2 footers unless the wind is over 50mph. Wait 30 minutes and the Storm Front will pass.
3 footers on the ocean are called swells. Almost calm.
3 footers on Erie are killers because they are so close together.
I routinely leave the dock knowing there are whitecaps.
As stated, sometimes it is just the tops being blown off the chop. No big deal.

I tried to leave open the "Find the sweet spot in the trough" advice because it will vary widely.
The Ocean Seamen will ride the Back side of the wave.
On Erie the Trough to Crest might not even fit the boat in on some days.
Follow along the Upwind Shore and you will find will find smoother Waters.

Being close in on the downwind shore is a double whammy.
The waves are bigger and the waves reflect back off the shore and cause a Confused Sea for a mile or more out.
I have the room and will stay about 3-5 miles out to avoid the Chop.

I have visited inland Lakes when the Big lake was just too bad.
The locals were complaining about a 6-9 inch chop.
I though it was some of the smoothest water I have seen.
They were used to, and expecting glass. Boat wakes were the biggest things they normally see.
Everyones opinion about what is too bad is going to be different.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

View attachment 198123 If the waves get over a foot, you'd best wait it out.

and here, if you wait for waves to be under a foot, you'd never go out. It's all situational.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

I ran Lake Erie as a dumb kid to the trenches off Presque Isle (Erie Pa) in a 16'er. I ran charters out of Geneva Ohio (Lake Erie) for walleye and out of Wilson NY (Lake Ontario) for salmon and lake trout in a 24'er. Been in much bigger than 6s and in the 3'ers too. Only inlet I ever saw nasty was Presque Isle just a little and Walnut Creek- that can get ugly but it is short. Coming into some NC inlets (south facing) on an outgoing tide with a 17 kt South wind -- has 6'ers standing like a wall and unlike Erie the inlets change often and require dredging of which little has been done since Obie started golfing from DC. Many people have drowned on relatively small and shallow Pymatuning Res (Pa & OH ) when a wind came up length wise and saw it go from a ripple to crashing 3' white caps 2 of which could be under a 14' boat when it had a 10 hp (now 20 hp) limit. Every body of water is different as every inlet is different. Wind speed and direction is important. Be happy when you don't have to consider tides and changing sand bars / water depths. Some things change in hours. Yes, I prefer Lake Erie to the Atlantic as she is nasty but predictable. However, the fishing is better here and I had enough ice and snow for 10 lifetimes.

Used to fish out of Walnut also. Were times you had to ride the backside of the wave to get back in the channel.

 

[jbetzelb]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

If you come out of a cove and find big waves you could try to get a larger boat to lead you in. Let the larger boat cut the waves down. Years ago I came across the situation. Fishing in a cove and we had no idea the wind came up strong. Wasn't a problem for me as I had the 19 foot BR, which was plenty for the lake we were on, but we came out of the cove and saw a old man and a old woman in big trouble. Maybe a 14 foot low side boat. We saw them bailing and headed their direction. Our first thought was to get them both in my boat but due to age and physical condition that wasn't going to happen. I trimmed up my boat and basically cut them a path at 5 mph back to doc. They stayed about 25 foot back and they were in smooth water behind my boat.

 

[randy1981]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

If you come out of a cove and find big waves you could try to get a larger boat to lead you in. Let the larger boat cut the waves down. Years ago I came across the situation. Fishing in a cove and we had no idea the wind came up strong. Wasn't a problem for me as I had the 19 foot BR, which was plenty for the lake we were on, but we came out of the cove and saw a old man and a old woman in big trouble. Maybe a 14 foot low side boat. We saw them bailing and headed their direction. Our first thought was to get them both in my boat but due to age and physical condition that wasn't going to happen. I trimmed up my boat and basically cut them a path at 5 mph back to doc. They stayed about 25 foot back and they were in smooth water behind my boat.

I think I'll just stay on the smaller Lakes and north part of lake at bbow lake in the river channel and small coves.

 

[randy1981]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

My boat has done great against big wakes great by bigger boats and good on choppy water on a very deep river . About 70 ft by 150. ft wide that can be rough at times going into the waves and wind not to bad the bow really helps. That's y I was wondering if I could cut across bigger part of lake without having to drive 20 miles down a road to get to south part of lake that has plenty of coves and trees around to block the wind.

 

[randy1981]

Re: What would be the best way to handle white capping waves in a 14 ft sem- v- botto

Yes thalassoo many coves did you notice the north side that's where I boat at the south end is where it is wide but there are many coves and islands