Dealing with a wake from boat passing from behind

[Andrewc]

I was cruising down the intracoastal toward Charleston yesterday. There were a couple of guys fishing up ahead on a small skiff. Behind me I noticed a coast guard boat (40-50 footer) moving up behind me at a good clip. I slowed considerably as I passed the skiff. The coast guard vessel did the same. I was still slightly ahead of the coast guard vessel when he decided to go full throttle and pass me. I saw the large wake heading toward my starboard side. I turned toward it. My boat wallowed but went over the wake. Bow dipped and I struggled to gain control. I did and got her on course again. My question is what could I have done to better control my boat. I was worried about turning away from for the wake for fear it would push me into the shallows. Thanks for any advice!

 

[rslifkin]

Speeding up a bit would have probably helped. You still would have rolled and dug the bow in, but you'd have more rudder authority to make it all less messy.

 

[TBill36]

I would have called the CG on the radio and politely told him what an a--hole he was.

 

[Arc]

When possible and safe I make sharp turns into the wake. Even if it requires 90 Deg. It makes a huge difference and you don’t get that repetitive push

 

[psneeld]

If you don't have enough room to turn away (yet most times you do if going slow enough even though you think you will be outside the channel a wee bit).....you have to turn into it or slide in closer to the passers path that will also help if a full turn can't be done in time.

There was a recent thread on the same subject and many experienced cruisers and I too have just learned to be prepared for the occasional severe wake. Not preferred, but inevitable.

 

[Andrewc]

I almost did hail him on the radio! Another 2 minutes at a slow speed and he would have been past me. I could be wrong, but it seemed that his wake was even worse because his stern sunk low with the initial throttle surge.

 

[psneeld]

I almost did hail him on the radio! Another 2 minutes at a slow speed and he would have been past me. I could be wrong, but it seemed that his wake was even worse because his stern sunk low with the initial throttle surge.

Its absolutely the worst time for a deep vee, fast boat to accelerate.

You are right the wake (hole) is much worse.

It is something every boater should learn .....but alas even USCG coxswains make that mistake in their learning curve...or there is another reason that he/she did it and we just don't know the reason.

 

[jimdavi]

Steer as close to 90 degrees of wake as possible.

 

[psneeld]

Steer as close to 90 degrees of wake as possible.

Depends on your boat and how tall and steep the wake is....on some boats you might stuff the bow when you don't have to.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

When possible and safe I make sharp turns into the wake. Even if it requires 90 Deg. It makes a huge difference and you don’t get that repetitive push

This is what I do. Big ships on the Columbia River have good size wakes. However in Puget Sound when those ships are going 20kts, I have seen them about roll a blow boat. I have had those wakes break my favorite scotch glass. Pissed me off. Is there no respect for my scotch glass.....

 

[mvweebles]

If you don't have enough room to turn away (yet most times you do if going slow enough even though you think you will be outside the channel a wee bit).....you have to turn into it or slide in closer to the passers path that will also help if a full turn can't be done in time.

There was a recent thread on the same subject and many experienced cruisers and I too have just learned to be prepared for the occasional severe wake. Not preferred, but inevitable.

Agreed - it's gonna happen sooner or later. Hang on and ride it out. Certainly reminds you what wasn't secured.

When wake is from overtaking boat, it's hard to turn into the wake - the wake curves a bit so you have to turn well over 90 degrees. Pretty easy to end up beam-to the wake which is worse. Bear away slightly and take on stern quarter. Still not pretty but youre done in 3 waves.

No need to hail CG. They know what they did. If you want mill pond conditions, boat on a mill pond

Peter

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I almost did hail him on the radio!

I had somebody pass me in a boat that was dangerously close and really hogged. Kind of on plane, but too many people onboard to really get on plane. I was rounding a day marker and had no place to go and no time to cut into his monstrous wake. I read (here?) where somebody had a "Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan, hello all stations. Be advised that a XXX is northbound at XXX and throwing out a dangerous wake. The boat is XXX and says XXX on the stern." They might not have had a radio or been sober enough to listen.

My guess is that your rogue CG boat was monitoring 16. "The boat has a red bastard stripe on the bow" should get their attention.

 

[Lou_tribal]

Usually I prefer trying to take the wave on the bow so when seeing a cruiser coming by I divert myself wide enough to be able to turn and take it as much as possible on the bow. When other boats are around or don't have enough space I take it to stern and surf it.
Once an idiot with a big cruiser (somewhere around 45 feet) was coming at me, as we were reaching a S pass just before a bridge he slowed down and stayed behind me. I was thinking good, at least one who cares about others and security. This moron just waited the last moment before the bridge to go full throttle without notice, he made a huge wake just port from us, not being able to do anything I got it right on port and it almost throw us on the bridge pillar. My wife was sitting left to me, she felt from her seat and finished head down in the dashboard.
No need to say that he was lucky my boat was not equipped with a canon!

L

 

[Comodave]

Calling the boat may or may not change the coxswains behavior. Calling his station Commanding Officer will help change his behavior. I would call the local station and ask to speak to the duty officer. Report the behavior and if you were able to get the boat’s number give them that. But if you have the location and time they will most likely be able to figure out who was the coxswain. Unless the CO or Officer in Charge know that their coxswains are operating improperly they can’t change the behavior. You can also contact the sector where it happened.

 

[gotfw]

Slow down and offer a slow pass.

 

[SteveK]

I was cruising down the intracoastal toward Charleston yesterday. There were a couple of guys fishing up ahead on a small skiff. Behind me I noticed a coast guard boat (40-50 footer) moving up behind me at a good clip. I slowed considerably as I passed the skiff. The coast guard vessel did the same. I was still slightly ahead of the coast guard vessel when he decided to go full throttle and pass me. I saw the large wake heading toward my starboard side. I turned toward it. My boat wallowed but went over the wake. Bow dipped and I struggled to gain control. I did and got her on course again. My question is what could I have done to better control my boat. I was worried about turning away from for the wake for fear it would push me into the shallows. Thanks for any advice!

You saw both the skiff and CG boat in plenty of time. In that position I would and have after slowing down done a circle in the direction that would point the bow 90* into the oncoming boat wake, allow them to pass, ride their wake to center, complete the circle and carry on following their path.

 

[BruceK]

You saw both the skiff and CG boat in plenty of time. In that position I would and have after slowing down done a circle in the direction that would point the bow 90* into the oncoming boat wake, allow them to pass, ride their wake to center, complete the circle and carry on following their path.

andrewc,sadly, based purely on the above, it was all your own fault. You should have predicted the CG boat would suddenly increase speed throwing a huge wake, and that CG would know nothing of the adjacent shallows which were your only alternative course.
We moved our boat off Sydney Harbour after a 50ft cruiser passed us fast and close enough to send green water into our cockpit. All my own fault too, I suppose.
For us, it was the last straw of misconduct on the Harbour. Commonsense and courtesy on the water would go a long way to making boating safer and more fun.

 

[SteveK]

andrewc,sadly, based purely on the above, it was all your own fault. You should have predicted the CG boat would suddenly increase speed throwing a huge wake, and that CG would know nothing of the adjacent shallows which were your only alternative course.
We moved our boat off Sydney Harbour after a 50ft cruiser passed us fast and close enough to send green water into our cockpit. All my own fault too, I suppose.
For us, it was the last straw of misconduct on the Harbour. Commonsense and courtesy on the water would go a long way to making boating safer and more fun.

Bruce my stalker trying to rile me up. Welcome to the ignore list.

 

[BruceK]

..... Welcome to the ignore list.

Thank you.

 

[FF]

IF the passing coastie boat is big enough , simply dip your ensign , and hold it down as a salute .
Since they should respond they are less likely to do a WOT acceleration , and dump a crew member on his or her butt.


For a brain dead white boat , cut into the wake as quickly as you can and ride in the wake.

 

[jleonard]

I usually just hold my course unless I have a lot of room to turn. Gonna get slammed somewhere, so we just prep the boat before we cruise.
If you're trawlerin' your gonna get waked. I learned that.
Period.

 

[psneeld]

Also important to picture that much of intracoastal cruising is in areas where maneuvering is difficult at best (like the area mentioned) and with oncoming traffic, turning into wakes may be impossible as you would be turning into an oncoming vessel (well, at least look like you are).

 

[Fletcher500]

These wake threads are always interesting. Wakes happen, be ready for them.

 

[Benthic2]

.... Another 2 minutes at a slow speed and he would have been past me.....

If I was taking on water or headed onto the rocks, I'd want the CG to wake someone to get to me faster. They do things where 2 min can make a big difference.

 

[Baker]

Slow down and offer a slow pass.

This right here. And the replies on this thread confirm that almost nobody knows this. I am part of a large local cruising association. We do sometimes (very) large cruises going to one place. One particular cruise had around 140 boats. This means it is a large pack of boats of different sizes and speeds. During the Skipper's meeting I stood up and instructed on how to to do a slow pass. My suggestion was met with complete stunned silence like I had 3 heads. Sounds like the folks on this thread would have offered the same reaction...except gotfw.

The OP said the CG slowed down initially. And many of you offered a similar experience with other boats. There is a chance the CG was waiting for you to slow down to minimum steerage so they could give you slow pass. When that action was not taken, the CG, or anyone else in this situation has two choices.
1) Do not pass and stay back there and go 7 knots until eternity
2) Pass you. And there is no way to pass somebody that is doing 7-8 knots within the next 4 hours without making a wake. So then the choice is, do you want him going around your at 11 knots(max wake speed) or do you want him to hammer down and still wake you and not as bad? It sounds like he made the latter choice.

I run my 41 foot boat on plane. I try to be as courteous as possible. But courtesy is a two way street. Your part of being courteous is to slow down all the way to minimum steerage way to allow that person to pass in the most expeditious manner possible without waking you. If you don't, then that is likely what you will get. Just because you choose to go slow does not mean I have to. BUT we can work together so everyone is happy. Keep your radio on and AIS makes things even better. I always call someone I am coming up on. Most cruising powerboats have their radios on. Sailboats are hit and miss as many have radios down below at the Nav station. I also don't try as hard(not as patient) if we are bow to bow as a wake on the bow is not as bad as a wake on the stern....especially of a square assed boat. ANd yes I go through the "charades" of holding up my radio mic if they are not asnwering. My verbage:

"Hey (boat name). If you could please slow to minimum steerage so that way you can help me help you give a slow pass with minimum wake".

I do a LOT of ICW crusing on the Texas coast. I am literally teaching folks one boat at a time. And the TMCA group is coming around after 10 years of being a member and many times offering that same speech at the Skipper's meetings.

 

[SteveK]

The OP said the CG slowed down initially. And many of you offered a similar experience with other boats. There is a chance the CG was waiting for you to slow down to minimum steerage so they could give you slow pass.

Thanks Baker, I read it the same but tongue tied did not convey as well as you did.

 

[High Wire]

Slow down and offer a slow pass.

X2
I don’t even wait for the call anymore. If no call on the vhf, I just move over and pull back to 1000 rpm. The slow pass gets initiated by me. Most cruisers get the hint. Maybe one a day will blow on by thinking they’re doing you a favor.

 

[Shrew]

Passing from behind should put the wake on your stern quarter. You'd have to do a U-turn to try and take it on the bow. If there was enough room for a 40-50 CG boat to power up and for you to make a you turn, then I would have turned away and taken the wake more on the stern. Ranging from quarter to beam to, it can get pretty rolly.

Normally, I just brace and hold course if passing from astern.

 

[Benchmark]

next time you're faced with this situation, try slowing right down, regardless of what the passing vessel is doing. If there is sea room, bear away slighly as well. The idea is to let the wake pass longitudinally under your your boat....you should experience a slow but comfortable corkscrew type motion. The squarer you can take it on the stern, the more comfortable. Try to avoid taking it abeam or on bow quarters because these impacts are much more violent.

 

[ProMaritime]

Note type of CG vessel, any numbers displayed, number and description of CG personnel on deck, date and time of day, and a description of evasive action you determined was necessary, etc. Then file a complaint with both the local CG station and the National Maritime Center.

As the vessel being overtaken, you have the right-of-way (aka stand-on, maintain course and speed) until the overtaking vessel is safely "clear ahead." Clear ahead means that you may maintain your course and speed and should not have to take any kind of evasive action whatever. Safely clear ahead can be a few boat lengths or a mile depending on the overtaking vessel's need to go to full power or engage other maneuvers.