MS 34 Trawler broaching

I think the OP was really looking for help with something that is only occasionally an issue, and which does not involve too much in the way of action once the s**t starts to hit the fan. Especially if one is sailing short-handed, or with a nervous spouse. Messing around with sea anchors and drogues and even trailing warps, with all the risks associated with propellor fouling, is not what I suspect the OP wants to hear. Same with messing with rudders, adjusting A/P, and hand steering. He's considered all that, for sure.

That's why I have raised the issue of weight redistribution, from for'd to aft, as something that can be planned ahead of time, done in the calm situation of a boat at the dock, experimented with over time, shouldn't cost much, and because, from personal experience, (like that old, but iconic Honda ad), "it just works..!"

I had the same boat . I do my boating in the North East around Nantucket sound to Block Island sound . The water conditions can go from calm to around 6'- 8' in a short amount of time . I had been out a few times when the conditions changed a distance away from any safe harbor . I have never had a boat that felt so dangerous , I work in the marine industry and have owned more boats than I can remember but the Mainship 34 really was an evil thing to drive . I sold mine and replaced it with a 36' Sabre sedan which handles big water very nice . The only advise that makes sense with the MS34 is to be diligent with your weather reports i.e. wind direction compared to the direction your going to travel .

I offered up towing a warp because it is quick and handy and because weight redistribution in a small Mainship is not something you can really do well, if at all, and certainly not on the fly when weather pops on you. I really do not see the potential for fouling lines warps towed astern any more than I see fouling towed fishing lines. Heck, you just about have to do something stupid like backing down to accomplish that feat.

I agree a towing warp or a sea anchor would most likely keep the boat a little straighter when your surfing . It would be worth a little experimentation as the boat drives very well except in a moderate following sea . I'm also a sailor so I had no problem tacking or finding a different anchorage to keep myself and the boat safe .

Peter B said:

That's why I have raised the issue of weight redistribution, from for'd to aft, as something that can be planned ahead of time, done in the calm situation of a boat at the dock, experimented with over time, shouldn't cost much, and because, from personal experience, (like that old, but iconic Honda ad), "it just works..!"

Click to expand...

rgano said:

I offered up towing a warp because it is quick and handy and because weight redistribution in a small Mainship is not something you can really do well, if at all, and certainly not on the fly when weather pops on you.

Click to expand...

I think you missed this bit.

I agree about the concept of moving weight aft, but if the 34 is anything like my 30 Pilot, it is simply not doable in a practical sense - there are just no options in the small hull outside of moving passenger weight (which would only be short term and possibly dangerous to the pax) and having full water and sewage tanks for about 450 pounds worth or maybe 200-plus pounds beyound, say, an average half tank levels. More effective in these smaller boats would be running trim tabs all the way retracted and powering to somewhat below the planing point which brings my boat way up.

I'm sure every boat responds differently so my technique may not work for you. I make sure that my trim tabs are in the full up position. I try to keep up with the following wave speed and avoid going over the crest. If I can't achieve that speed comfortably I slow way down and let the waves roll under the boat. If the waves are breaking I will turn around bow to the waves and ride it out or find a new destination.

With 30 knot winds and the waves you are describing, when the sea breaks under the boat, the water is moving on the order of 13 knots. If you are traveling less than 13 knots, your rudder is all of a sudden reversed (ie. 6 knot boat speed, 13 knot water coming from the stern, your rudder is facing a 7 knot current from the stern). Best way to overcome this broaching is to speed up to at least 13 knots. Alternatively, turn your rudder the opposite of the way you want to go. Good luck

Ardell said:

With 30 knot winds and the waves you are describing, when the sea breaks under the boat, the water is moving on the order of 13 knots. If you are traveling less than 13 knots, your rudder is all of a sudden reversed (ie. 6 knot boat speed, 13 knot water coming from the stern, your rudder is facing a 7 knot current from the stern). Best way to overcome this broaching is to speed up to at least 13 knots. Alternatively, turn your rudder the opposite of the way you want to go. Good luck

Click to expand...

This makes sense—-turning opposite. It is so counterintuitive that trying it would scare the crap out of me.

I once had a fishing trawler(net drager) stop in front of me in the Cape May canal. I hailed the skipper and asked what was wrong and he said he was aground. I went to panic mode not wanting to go aground. He chuckled and said to come around him he drew ELEVEN FEET, his trawler was 40 to 45 ft. Our boats are referred to as trawlers, NOT. They are compromises to provide reasonable speed and ride somewhat flat in reasonable seas. My boat sat on a mooring through Irma at ground zero in Marathon fl keys. She survived with minimal damage. I would not have wanted to be on her.
30+ knot winds and 4 ft seas, one or the other is wrong. 4 ft seas about 12-15 knots, 30 knots about 9-10 ft in a big mud puddle like Tampa Bay maybe bigger.
Tampa Bay is big and shallow aka big mud puddle. If your wife had been on her feet instead of being on her butt on the sole she may had a head into a bulkhead with a broken neck.

Do one of the following:
Put a hook down and ride it out.
Buy a real trawler that can handle those conditions.
Buy a cruising sailboat.

gyro

daviddraper said:

David, thanks for the heads-up on the auto-pilot gyro; I will check it out. I hate it when my auto-pilot looses its mind. ;-)

Click to expand...

did that work

This is Aron in St Pete Beach my wife and I are looking to buy MS 34 please contact us we would like to visit your boat and ask question. If you would be so kind we live in Tampa but weekend in St Pete Beach on or Watkins 27

DDW said:

There is a positively huge difference in the autopilots from 3 generations ago without solid state gyros, and those that have them.

Click to expand...

This is one of my factors considering replacement of some of my gear. My Simrad setup is pretty old and doesn't seem to be terribly reliable. This may be an added "bullet point" when I start warming up the wife to the idea of spending some serious money on new gear...