Crossing Wakes / Waves

[Marc]

Any one who knows me and my boating skills and escapades will remember why I\'m asking this question,

I have always crossed them after being told and shown (RYA course power boating level 2) to cross waves and wake at a 45 degree angle applying power at a low speed. No problems so far and I\'ve crossed some BIG wakes!!!!!!!!.

Today I was told by a \'experienced boater\' ( not a NESA member) to cross them or head into them at a 90 degree angle.

Altough I\'m tending to go with the 45 degrees training method shown to me as I\'ve never had a problem, baring the Queen of Scandinavia that is, It\'s just in my mind now that I\'ve been doing it wrong.

Any thoughts on the best way or the right way to do it.

Many thanks,

Marc

 

[Charlton]

Would really depend on what type of waves they are, big rollers you can take at almost any angle and any speed. Breaking waves anywhere from just off head on to 45 degrees, power on as you go into wave, as you hit the summit power off. If it was a short sea, waves close together slow speed from just off head on to 45 degrees. If you get caught out in a big sea would try and keep boat as close to but not head on as possible. Going into waves head on gives a rather bumpy ride.

 

[Marc]

Thanks Alan,

What about as I\'ve experienced a couple of time before, the river looks OK until you get out a few hundred yards from the piers, and the sea isn\'t what you thought is was ( comfortable ). and you need to turn around and get back in to the safety of the piers / estuary,

Is it right that the big waves come in \'waves\' of seven.

I was told to count the waves, wait for the big one then turn on the seventh as this is the smallest?

Although to I found the level 2 power boating course excellent, is there any other courses of this type or better for actually learning the state and condition of the sea baring actually getting out there and experiencing it for yourself. I would rather be prepared before the event than after it.

Cheers

Marc

 

[CJS]

Hi Marc, down er\' East Anglia, on the river Orwell we negociate fast pilot boat wakes all the time, as they ferry the Pilots to an from the container ships running in and out of Felistowe docks. Neaver had any formal training, but to meet a wake at an oblioque angle rather than head on is a lot gentler. Head on seems to produce blue water over the top, \'wets-vill\' for those in the cockpit te-he ! ! ! . . . :hallucine: Serously dangerous, easy to get washed overboard, as the hull slams into the wave, its like hiting a brick wall or slaming on your brakes in a car.

I find something between 45 and 90 is about right and not to fast. Get out there and have a play, use your own wake, you will find what is most comfortable for your boat, but some sort of angle is best. :yltype: CJS

 

[Norman]

Aye marc, I tend to agree with most of previous posts, if you take the wave at an angle you stand a chance of riding it up and then down the back, 90degrees will slam, so generally best somewhere between 45 and 90 ......... however it deoends on the wave If it`s a particular big un i head at it about 80 and slow right down ......... anyway why you askin, your the most experienced ferry wave taker we got lol

[Edited on 11/9/2004 by Norman]

 

[LING_BASHER]

\"and slow right down\" my a**e lol its hand to the floor all the time with you Norman

Marc you running out of lives like m8? Last weekend when we headed out, whitburn was alive with gun fire on the rang (not the streets that normal ) we looked for you but could not see you. Expected to see you in between the yellow boys mooning them

 

[TC]

Are there no rules (or even boating \"etiquette\"), that requires a minimum wake to be created when approaching other boats.......ie slow down ???

I\'ve often seen small boats almost swamped by wakes created by other boats hammering past them in the Tyne harbour.

I think it was the last trip out I had with Dave on Poacher (before he got Dolly)......we were in the harbour heading out , when the Tynemouth lifeboat, of all things, came thundering past us - passing us on the port side only a few yards away.......we got thrown about all over the place.



[Edited on 12/9/2004 by TC]

 

[Charlton]

Marc
turning around can be one of the most dangerous parts of boating. If you leave a sheltered river and the sea is nasty and you want to turn keep heading out a little bit until you get away from the harbour bar the waves there always tend to be bigger. It is true waves do come insets, onlt hting is you need to know which is the first one to start with. Turning also depend on the sea if it is a short sea, waves close together you will have to be quick, go at wave about 45 degrees aiming for the end of the wave where it is not breaking, get over the top and then power on, turn as quick as you can and outrun the wave coming behind. If the waves are well apart this can be done with a lot less haste and safer. Same applies aim for the end of a wave where it is not breaking get over it and then power on. One thing that Norman has said I do not agree (sorry Norman) with and that is going into a wave and taking the power off, your steering will be very sluggish. If the wave is big enough it will quite simplly turn the boat around and when it is broadside will tip you over. RNLI training is power on going in, power off when over the top.

 

[Norman]

LOL just trying to be gentle alan

 

[CJS]

We have similar problems down her in the Orwell, Comercial boat Pilot Cutters etc., are officialy alowed to ignor the 10kts speed limit. A 48ft Nelson pilot cutter at 18kts is an awsom sight, frightening if you are a dinghy watching it bear down on a close course. Some of the helmsmen seem to do it deliberatly. And certainly, the ferries that work the Scandanavian routs, deliberatly take a head on course only vereing at the last minuit, boats are anchored correctly 10-12 miles off shore. We also, occasionaly have a problem with small coasters, there are corners they like to cut, I have seen one of these coasters cut through the center of a dozen or more small fishing dinghys, to cut a corner. They will only do it on high spring tides otherwise there is not enough water!

And of course there is the HSS ferry, 40kts cruise, sets up a wake of 12ft+. Boats have been swamped, beach anglers have lost their tackle and prominade suvenier and ice cream huts have been damaged. Eventualy restrictions were imposed when and Aquabell 33 was swamped and a crew members, Dave Sibbly, was lost overboard, his body was recovered 6 weeks later. Sad, no one listens untill tragity strikes. DTB :casstet:

 

[Charlton]

Being gentle Norman, when your life is at stake give it stick. Which I am sure you would if the circumstances warrant it. No need to bash the baot around when it is not needed.
Ragrding ferry swells, i nearlt craaped myself fishing in Lock Ryan when they first got those big twin hulled ferries. I was sitting just off lady bay hoping for some big plaice and thornbacks when it came out. What an impressive site it made. Then i noticed the bow wave, as this slow moving wall of upright water came it me almost four feet high and close together with white water on top i thought \"shit\" I thought what the hell am i going to do. I have never unhooked and bouyed an anchor so quick. and you talk about gunning the engine, i pointed the bow straight at these waves and hoped for the best. the roughest couple of minutes i have ever had.

 

[CJS]

Hay Charlton, the HSS is precisly one of said hi speed \'cats\'. That wave at the front is nothing to what happens under the water. Off Felixstowe, we all know what times the cat comes and gowes, the standard procedure is dont be in shallow water at those times, ie fishing the top of a bank. The wake follows behind like a shock wave, small above, penetrateing very deep below. Fine all the time there is 20 or 30 plus feet of water, and there is good distance between you and HSS.

Our banks, the fatel bank, had about 10 feet max covering it. and a depth down to 70 feet. The shockwave travels along through the water the visable wave is a faction of what is hapening under the water. Its like wind, bows along a flat area, hit a hill, cant go through, so it goes up. The action is the same as a tidal wave hitting shallow water after an earth quake, many hundreds or thousands of miles away, it does not even show untill it enters shallow water.

I believe the Ferrie you refer to, oporates in deep water, the HSS to Holland is in shallow water most of the time, with even shallower, bank strewn, heavily used North Thames/East coast waters, sounds like you were lucky. There are even signes on Felixstowe beach warning people of possible tidal waves from the HSS . . . Money talks! Restrictions have been imposed but one day it will all go wrong again, there will be more Dave Siblies.
:casstet: CJS

 

[Charlton]

The ferry channel is very deep, where i was fishing was very shallow hence able to drop and bouy anchor and turn into bow waves. No wonder i took such a buffetting with all that power being channelled into shallow water. I reckon if i had not seen it coming it would have been a swimming session. Never seen waves standing up so straight, nothing to ride over.