Vicious Wake, 1 man down.

[BandB]

I'm not talking about commercial boats.

And I agree that 6' wake is almost impossible for anything other than a large ship.

But 3'-4' isn't.

I can make 3-4' wakes with any boat I own. Hold the throttle just right taking off, short of plane, just ride it like that, the wake close to me will be that height. I don't do that to other boats, but it's possible. I don't have a boat on which I can make that size wake at 30 knots. You'd have to be plowing to make it. That's why I suggested it might be possible that the wake that caused the problem was actually made as the SF first accelerated to go around him and was close at the time.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

You're talking about a sailboat, right?

Now, now, be nice. No need to stereotype,

(Even if it's true.) ?

 

[Northern Spy]

OK, 172 posts on dealing with wakes. My question is, has anyone learned anything from these 172 posts?

1.) When a boat close passes me at speed on the port side, do not spin the wheel to port, which effectively puts my boat broadside to the wake.

2.) Keeping my radar on as an aft watch isn't such a bad idea. Told you, honey.

3.) Undocumented boats are hard to track down by name only.

4.) Do not air my dirty laundry on TF.

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: All I care about in all this is Mule's back getting better and the pain going away. That's what is most important. Hope you are getting better, Mule.

 

[psneeld]

Usually not done. Understatement.

I can't recall the last time anyone used horn or radio when overtaking me. That includes USCG boats.

Must not cruise the ACIW much and definitely not snowbird...many call about passing, me included.

 

[Fletcher500]

I used to paddle a long board in Vallejo in the 80's. One of those fast ferries was leaving mare island and ramping up. I was near shore, so the wake was actually breaking in about 4 ft of water, so I turned, paddled, and surfed It to the beach.

Ships' wakes are benign here.



Close, high-speed (36-knot) ferries are another matter.

 

[psneeld]

Education Programs in the United States
In the USA, 36 states have taken the important step of mandating some form of educational requirements for operating a boat or PWC on state waters.

From one of the many boating education sites...

 

[CPseudonym]

Anybody that believes education or licensing is the answer obviously hasn't operated an automobile lately

 

[dhays]

OK, 172 posts on dealing with wakes. My question is, has anyone learned anything from these 172 posts?


How many here have been convinced that they were wrong and have changed their minds?

I have had different perspectives than my own articulated by very thoughtful and intelligent folks. I have also been exposed to the realities of boating on waters that are vastly different than my own. All this has caused me to moderate my own views somewhat.

 

[BandB]

Anybody that believes education or licensing is the answer obviously hasn't operated an automobile lately

Wifey B: Imagine all those drivers without any course or test or license. A course at least forces people to have read it one time and pick up a little knowledge. Short of teaching, at least exposure is better than nothing.

 

[CPseudonym]

Wifey B: Imagine all those drivers without any course or test or license. A course at least forces people to have read it one time and pick up a little knowledge. Short of teaching, at least exposure is better than nothing.

Really?

Drive around town tomorrow and at the red lights count how many people are staring at their lap. Then remember they all took the same test you did.

 

[psneeld]

After teaching the state's classroom joke of a safety course...and years of hands on training...

Education helps somewhat with the ignorant if the instructor is worth a crap...completely worthless for the arrogant.

Really just pointing out that 36 out of 50 states are at least thinking about the problem....now fixing it is like colonizing Mars...

 

[BruceK]

Few of us for sure but I don't think you read the entire post. We don't make wakes driving freighters but many of us share the water with them from time to time. We can't expect them to slow to no wake speed when we come near them so we, as captains of our own boats must take the responsibility to deal with them appropriately. And of course, if we can do that, we can deal with wakes from recreational boats as well.

Understand now?

Oh Wessy dear, you`re such a tease!

 

[78puget-trawler]

Wayfarer for a start. There are others. So, what?

The point is that little boats like ours don't make huge wakes/waves. I acknowledge that large ships can make huge waves. The OP was not passed by an ocean liner, but rather a pleasure boat. And while I know a few on here are currently professional seaman, most of us who were are now just pleasure boaters.

 

[78puget-trawler]

Few of us for sure but I don't think you read the entire post. We don't make wakes driving freighters but many of us share the water with them from time to time. We can't expect them to slow to no wake speed when we come near them so we, as captains of our own boats must take the responsibility to deal with them appropriately. And of course, if we can do that, we can deal with wakes from recreational boats as well.

Understand now?

Yeah, do you? This all started with the OP being injured by the wake of a pleasure boat. But it has since morphed into a discussion of all manner of things. I didn't enter into the back and forth about whether the OP is a whiner or not, just opined about wave heights from PLEASURE BOATS.

 

[ksanders]

OK, 172 posts on dealing with wakes. My question is, has anyone learned anything from these 172 posts?


How many here have been convinced that they were wrong and have changed their minds?

Yes I have learned. I learn something on every thread I read.

In this thread I learned that in some geographical areas people seem to have different expectations of others, and of their own actions regarding wakes.

I have thought about this quite a bit and I seem to have it (at least in my mind) isolated to people that boat in generally calm waters such as the ICW, Vs people that tend to boat in the unprotected oceans.

What I have noted in peoples responses is that if they tend to boat in open ocean areas they tend to look at no wake bouys and markers as firm lines in the water where on one side any wake is acceptable and the other side no wake is acceptable. There has been very little middle ground in the responses.

People that tend to boat in calmer waters on the other hand seem to be more conscious of not only the waves they are willing to endure without being upset, and also the waves they produce themselves.

Since these wake threads are a fairly regular occurrence here on TF, I think that not everybody that boats in those calmer waters shares those feelings.

 

[78puget-trawler]

For amateurs that might be true, but as an on the water professional now for 36 years....and having had to testify in depositions on boat speed and wakes on several occasions that went unchallenged.....

Believe what you want...just passing along a reality from someone who has run these types of boats enough.

Ocean waves and wakes are pretty hard to compare in my experience.

That was sort of my point. A 4' ocean wave is usually more benign than a 3' boat wave that is much steeper, often curling and has a much shorter space between the next, however many seconds some like to place between them, which tends to make it easier to overestimate the true height of such a wave because of all the action. I recognize your experience and know that its greater than my own, but I have been on the water a good part of my working life and have over 50 round trips to Alaska from Seattle by boat and numerous trips down the west coast and many many trips on and around Puget Sound under my belt and though retired and my license long expired, I don't consider myself an amateur, though I don't think you meant me when you mentioned it. I would concede that a 4' wave from a large pleasure boat at just the right/wrong speed is not improbable. But I cant wrap my head around a 6' pleasure boat wave. Salute!

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Wifey B: All I care about in all this is Mule's back getting better and the pain going away. That's what is most important. Hope you are getting better, Mule.

True that!

 

[rwidman]

Must not cruise the ACIW much and definitely not snowbird...many call about passing, me included.

Many? Yes. All? Nope. I had three military speedboats pass me and a couple other trawlers on the ICW just north of the marine base in NC. Call on the radio or horn signal? Not a chance. I'm guessing they were going 50 MPH and waked all of us.

The trawlers usually call on the radio. Sailboats don't usually pass me. The ICW is used by local boaters and they typically just fly on by without a signal or a call. Sometimes they will speed by me turn around and speed by me again and then repeat.

 

[rwidman]

Yeah, do you? This all started with the OP being injured by the wake of a pleasure boat. But it has since morphed into a discussion of all manner of things. I didn't enter into the back and forth about whether the OP is a whiner or not, just opined about wave heights from PLEASURE BOATS.

Yes, I understand. It doesn't matter if the wake comes from a pleasure boat or a commercial boat, the effect is the same.

Once you venture off a farm pond, you will have to deal with wakes. It's a fact of boating. You need to be aware of your surroundings and ready to deal with wakes and other issues.

 

[78puget-trawler]

Yes, I understand. It doesn't matter if the wake comes from a pleasure boat or a commercial boat, the effect is the same.

Once you venture off a farm pond, you will have to deal with wakes. It's a fact of boating. You need to be aware of your surroundings and ready to deal with wakes and other issues.

I don't disagree at all with that.

 

[Mule]

Well guys, I am pretty well healed up. I have two Ortho appointments to tell me what this old telephone man frame has too look forward to. The back shows the effects of Author....ridias... bum knee with some ligament damage that might need an overhaul. As it stands now not going to do anything, but I want to know where I stand...or falls as the case may be. This getting old does suck, however, not as much as not getting old...well up to a point.

Next, I spoke to a FPL Officer, Game Warden if you will. He agreed with my thoughts on burning down 911. He went on to say that almost certainly 4 or more calls will warrant a "safety check". They heavily patrol the Inlets and especially on weekends.

I am going to make every effort to be more aware to protect myself, people and my boat. I will, if I see irresponsible behavior, do my best to set up the offending boat.

 

[markpierce]

... bum knee with some ligament damage that might need an overhaul. ...

Based on a couple of personal experience, it takes 1 to 3 years for badly strained knee ligaments to heal.