On getting "waked" / vandalism

[rwidman]

If the boat being passed is making 7 knots and the boat passing is making 8 knots it's going to be a long, uncomfortable pass. I'm usually the one being passed so if asked, I slow down, they pass and I pull into their wake and speed back up. On the few occasions where I am the one passing, the slower boat has usually agreed to slow down.

My experience has been the newer and bigger the passing boat, the more likely it is to fly on by pushing the largest wake possible.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by NYCHAB III

While I can believe "driver obliviousness" can apply occasionally, I simply cannot believe that this is always the case.

Always the case? As in 100% of the time? No, probably not. But my guess would be that obliviousness accounts for ALMOST all cases. Probably more than 99%.

There are a just a whole lot of REALLY oblivious people out there. I mean, 5 minutes on the roads should make that obvious!

[Boydski]

You know that it is going to be bad when you can see the wake of a big container ship coming on your radar?





This particular ship was flying and so did some of the gear left out in the Saloon...

[hmason]

"I simply turn at the right time and let the wake pass under my stern with nary a motion felt."

Do you turn your stern to the wake? It's been my practice to turn bow into the wake.

[Ski in NC]

Originally Posted by Boydski

You know that it is going to be bad when you can see the wake of a big container ship coming on your radar?





This particular ship was flying and so did some of the gear left out in the Saloon...

About the hardest hit my boat ever took was from a container ship wake in the Cape Fear river. He was running pretty fast, probably some strange ground effect as river is only about 45' deep. I've never seen a wave shaped like that and it launched my little boat!!!

[IMG2]

A lot of it is perspective. I've been waked more than once by a slow moving trawler when I was in an even slower moving sailboat. Than I look toward the shore and see a fisherman in a tiny aluminum, flat bottom boat who is getting waked by most everything. I like the way someone put it, it's just a hello from a passing boat and some shout it louder than others.

[Vashon_Trawler]

I get waked ALL the time on the Florida ICW--seems to be a big problem in south Florida from what I've read online. Luckily my boat can handle the largest of wakes when the bow is turned into the wave but I have been forced out of a narrow channel after turning into a wave; and with a 3'3" draft I nearly ran aground one time! You need to learn how to boat defensively in the ICW. One boater got dangerously close to my boat while passing I briefly considered hosing him with my salt water washdown--wifey wisely convinced me otherwise!

I've been cruising the Florida ICW since the late 70s when I was a kid and this has always been a problem. I remember my dad's 26' Outer Reef getting slammed by large Sea-rays and Bayliners almost every weekend. But I have noticed that boat operators have become less considerate and more oblivious to the potential damage/injuries they can inflict. I once got waked in a bridge and nearly collided with the wood fenders. It didn't matter that I had a child on the deck who was very visible--the incident put my family at risk. I firmly believe, however, that he was completely oblivious rather malicious.

Maybe I am getting crotchety but boaters seem to have less seamanship today than years past--anyone EVER use a horn to pass? How many operators would know what two blasts meant? I rarely hear traffic on channel 16 other than the USCG. Walk around your marina and look at the knots for example! Yikes!

[NYCHAB III]

Thank you all for your very helpful responses! As you may discern (and as explained in our intro), we do not as yet own a Trawler. Our goal is the "Loop" and consequently the AICW and GICW. We also have never been to the East Coast and our only boating exposure there is via the good people populating this Trawler Forum.

My personal experience with "waking" is on the rivers and lakes of the PNW. East of Portland there are not very many "trawler-size' vessels to share the water with. Getting "waked" though is annoying until you realize the "waking" boat is often towing a wakeboarder or tube and a big wake is "necessary". Then I just "get over it" and learn how to cross a wake and even try to take some pleasure from the experience, if possible.

My Moonstruck, thank you for the link. I have read it and it was very informative.

Mr. Jleonard, your experience in Canada sounds similar to the stories I have read about. I guess, that would be and area to exercise caution in.

D.

[FF]

>If the boat being passed is making 7 knots and the boat passing is making 8 knots it's going to be a long, uncomfortable pass.<

A nautical mile is about 6000ft, passing a 60 ft boat at a 1K speed difference is not that long.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by hmason

"I simply turn at the right time and let the wake pass under my stern with nary a motion felt."

Do you turn your stern to the wake? It's been my practice to turn bow into the wake.

I just turn 45 degrees to take it on the stern rather than 120 degrees for on the bow...plus a little surfing and it's less time consuming and I don't have to slow down to turn or take the wake...same results...better for continuing on quickly (important to me at 6.3 knots.)

You just have to plan to have enough room to make the turn towards the edge of the channel.

Kinda like the myth about taking the oncoming wake 45 degrees like boating safety courses teach you...it depends a lot on the boat and situation. Lot's of better ways to do it once experienced enough.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by FF

>If the boat being passed is making 7 knots and the boat passing is making 8 knots it's going to be a long, uncomfortable pass.<

A nautical mile is about 6000ft, passing a 60 ft boat at a 1K speed difference is not that long.

From 300' behind to 300' ahead is 6 minutes. From 500' behind to 500' ahead is 10 minutes.

Neither probably an issue with no traffic, but when you're on a busy waterway with approaching boats, it is lengthy. Often not time to clear before meeting another boat. Just all depends on what else is going on around.

To me far more complication with those going 12 knots. They put one in a situation where it's hard to pass without creating a wake. Consider approaching such a boat from behind at 20 knots. Often the choices are (A) They continue at 12 knots, we pass at 15-20, quickly but with wake or (B) They slow to 8 knots, we pass at 10-12, no wake, then speed up after passing.

We have one non trawler type that we can go around 10 knots with minimal wake, at 12-20 however we have a substantial wake, at 40 knots we have very little wake yet often people are upset if you pass at that speed. But if a boat maintains at 15 knots or so as we want to pass, our only choices are open it up to minimize wake or pass slowly creating a large wake. On the other hand if the boat being overtaken slows to 6-8 knots we can pass at 10 and give no wake.

One of the funny things is to be behind a boat which is creating a very large wake itself. The likelihood is strong then at a passing speed, assuming they maintain speed, then you're going to create a large wake.

[markpierce]

Last week this ship passed us traveling at about 10 knots, making hardly a ripple:



If the wake is sizable, I normally turn into it and cut the throttle to idle.

Seems tugs without tows throw higher wakes than those with tows:



Following tug Bob down the Napa River showed it had reduced speed to "no wake" while passing the boat docks along Edgerley Island (here shown subsequently in Mare Island Strait.)



The 38-knot ferry in the extreme left of the photo runs at reduced speed in the strait, but even then we need to turn into its wake to avoid extreme rolling.

[jwnall]

When we were cruising on the sailboat, we took our dog ("Cindy the boat dog!") with us on the four-year cruise. She could spot a wake coming long before I could, and would jump down to a secure spot to ride it out. Wakes are just a part of life if you are on a sailboat, and no more use to fret about them than to fret about jellyfish in the Chesapeake. I memorized the Serenity Prayer. Also did a lot of target practice with an imaginary rifle.

[BruceK]

Originally Posted by hmason

"I simply turn at the right time and let the wake pass under my stern with nary a motion felt."

Do you turn your stern to the wake? It's been my practice to turn bow into the wake.

Either, as convenient to the situation.
Problems arise when neither is an option, due to shore, other vessels in proximity, etc. The overtaking vessel should do so with safety and courtesy.

[READY2GO]

We have been in Boot Key Harbor (Marathon FL) for about 4 months now, almost every day at least one person if not 3 or 4 are on the radio complaining about the wake of somebodies inflatable dingy. It is all I can do not to get on the radio and ask them how long they have lived on a boat and tell them to never leave this harbor lest they be killed by some sort of monster wake or sea creature.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by READY2GO

We have been in Boot Key Harbor (Marathon FL) for about 4 months now, almost every day at least one person if not 3 or 4 are on the radio complaining about the wake of somebodies inflatable dingy. It is all I can do not to get on the radio and ask them how long they have lived on a boat and tell them to never leave this harbor lest they be killed by some sort of monster wake or sea creature.

[healhustler]

On the ICW, I've been waked on both sides at once many times with speeding boats. Last time it was 3 on port and four on strbrd in a very narrow area entering Jupiter. Sometimes, the channel is too busy or too narrow to turn bow or stern to.

[Richard W]

From my experience on Saint Lawrence Seaway and 1000 Islands, making a wake and being waked is part of the life here. Just not enough room to get away, and too many boats to avoid it. Besides, boats make waves, and boats roll and pitch ... I got used to this in my younger years while sailing.

I sure observe the "no wake" zones as they are to protect marinas, swimming areas, sensitive areas, and prevent erosion where it matters. I try to be as considerate and keep my wake as "shallow" as I can in any given circumstances ... but that can mean skimming the water while planing well trimmed at 30MPH rather than going 15-20MPH in semi displacement mode with huge bow wave and stern in the hole (see the 5th picture below).

Some pictures to illustrate this ...

Ah, nirvana ... usually after the season is over in October.


Main shipping channel somewhere between busy/touristy places in the season.


All types, bigger and smaller ...


... and really big.


This guy did me a favor when passing and slowed down ... unfortunately!


This guy did not care much about his wake or who is a stand on vessel ...


The best wake maker in the neighborhood ... and there is 5-6 of them operating in season.


I often meet one of GBLs here as they go back to Gananoque for their next tour. Real fun getting caught well into the narrows when GBL peeks from around the corner!


My wake at well trimmed 30MPH is really nothing compared with GBL's ... trust me ...

[Northern Spy]

Waves and wakes are all part of being on a boat...

One could consider using museum wax to fasten down ones sailor figurines, miniature brass anchors, lighthouse collectibles, and smallish lapdogs.

[Richard W]

... or this ...