Breaking wave (amazing!)...

[tpenfield]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

I know that the boat probably dropped about 40-50 feet, but . . . it does not seem like it should have split in 1/2 . . . :noidea:

 

[jkust]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

I know that the boat probably dropped about 40-50 feet, but . . . it does not seem like it should have split in 1/2 . . . :noidea:

Thinking about that, it is a Donzi meant presumably for extremely heavy off shore use. I was a little suprised at the extent of the damage too. Wonder what a Whaler would have done.

 

[Wind dog]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

The caption said 45' wave--not sure about that; what do you all think?

If you look at how he crosses the second, it proves QC's point about the 45* angle.

i suspect eh was running the beach to show off for the babes, found himself in the trough moving ashore, and panicked. he clearly di d not know how to handle the boat or worse, how the boat handles.

This is why I tell people, here and in RL, to get out in safe conditions and practice crossing big wakes (and other rough conditions) so you will have the confidence and skill to deal with it when you are caught by one you can't avoid.

Plus it's fun--reminds me of the summer days as a 14 year old sitting in the Whaler waiting for yacht and tug boat waves to jump....

No way was it 45', maybe 20-25, maybe. Also the drop out the back would have been maybe 15' (The back of a wave is a lot "shorter" then the face.)
I can just imagine what’s going through the surfer’s heads as they watched this.

 

[QC]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

I know that the boat probably dropped about 40-50 feet, but . . . it does not seem like it should have split in 1/2 . . .

OK. So I think you should go out and test something similar with the SS and get back to us

I think the drop was as significant as you note. No way 15', but that bow is WAAAAYYY up there and if you stop the vid you can see how flat she's coming down. Like a completely vertical free fall seems likely but of course we can't see that.

Edit: Go here: http://www.avenuemultimedia.com/#!videos/ck0q

The last few feet up are in slow mo and she comes 10 ft. off the top of the wave alone. Nasty

 

[saumon]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Onto the wave height debate, some say it's 15', some 30. and others 45'+.

Don't forget the boat lenght is 43' so, for me, the front of the wave look like it's over 50' when the boat "climb" it and the back, wich as said is always shorter, may well possibly be in the 30'-40' range...just my thought.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

as for the crack, and I'm just guessing, but wouldn't most of the weight be in the stern half (motors) and the bouyancy in the bow half, so when it splashed down, unlike landnig on the pavement, the stern half sank while the bow half floated: like dropping it on a curb instead of flat surface. Or it could have bridged the trough.

Anyway I'd send it back to Donzi before they see the vid.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Not a 40' wave?

Took a screenshot, put it in Corel-- The yellow boxes are identical, and obviously represent the 35' length of the Donzi--

That wave is close enough to 40' that I won't dispute it...

 

[QC]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Plus she's 43 ft....

 

[emilsr]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Lots of folks are quick to chastise this guy; "too much money makes him stupid", "he must have been drunk", "if it had been me I would have done x, y, z" ....like that. Not me.

Yes, he got caught inside the breakers and it would have been better if he hadn't, but once he did he had some tough decisions to make. Too much power/speed and he launches to the moon. Not enough and he doesn't clear the wave and winds up getting washed over backwards. Quartering the wave may have been safer but would have wasted time. I wouldn't have wanted to make those decisions. If you ask me, dude did okay just getting them out alive....as bad as it was it could have been worse. A broken boat and injured passengers is way better than a sunk boat and dead passengers.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Oh....and if that Donzi is a $900k boat then my Baja must be worth at least $150k. Any takers? I have the title in hand ready to sign over.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Not a 40' wave?

Took a screenshot, put it in Corel-- The yellow boxes are identical, and obviously represent the 35' length of the Donzi--

That wave is close enough to 40' that I won't dispute it...

Yup, probably 40 feet . . .

It looks like a $900K boat cannot take a 40 ft wave . . . :noidea:

So, I wonder about all these go-fast boats . . . would they all tend to bust in half under similar circumstances :noidea:

 

[Ned L]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

I'll have to agree with emilsr. The guy was just plane stupid to be where he was, and once he crossed the top of that first beaker had literally maybe 5 seconds to find some options (watching the video), but quite frankly made about the best of the bad situation as could be done. Much slower and he would have pitchpoled backwards, and anything like 45? would have broached and gone over for sure, and with either of those scenarios they would have been searching for bodies.

 

[QC]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

I agree with emilsr too, but . . .

and anything like 45? would have broached and gone over for sure

. . . we can't know that. I agree that there is a risk if you approach at too shallow of an angle. I also agree that he had to make a decision quickly. I think he had a few chances to get out before he did though too. All very simple with hindsight, but the discussion is important for all of us.

 

[Quit It]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Nothing structural, looks like cosmetic damages that can be buffed out with a good compound :lol:

Don't forget those impellers

The boat definitely did not ride down the back of the wave, it cleared it like a ramp and hit the trough. The guys videotaping it (the ones who surf those waves every day) are probably right about the height.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Ring, Ring, Ring...

"Donzi customer service, how may I help you."

I hit a wave and got a crack in my boat...........

"I'm sorry to hear that, can you describe the crack?"

It's mid-ship, about 6' long, going through the cap and hull on both sides on the boat

"............silence............"

 

[emilsr]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

Ring, Ring, Ring...

"Donzi customer service, how may I help you."

I hit a wave and got a crack in my boat...........

"I'm sorry to hear that, can you describe the crack?"

It's mid-ship, about 6' long, going through the cap and hull on both sides on the boat

"............silence............"

It had to have hit bottom to do that kind of damage.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

A pic from offshore the guy ended up in a very bad spot..Ya know what had he not had that much power i dont believe he could have climbed that wave..but a a 45 degree attack things would have been much eaiser...that's pretty easy to say sittin here on this comp but i would rather be rollin with a breaker on my side than stuff one and be crushed..That boat was 11,000. lbs talk about power..

One of the reason's i stay out of the ocean it bites you hard when your not looking. Hell you can watching and it bite's you.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

45 degrees on this type of wave does not help, there is to much energy from the wave coming upward to 45 a wave that big, it is safer to approach it close to 90. You can go in at a 90 and turn as you crest the wave to make your landing easier. His timing for one was way off, the wave was almost at crest when he launched himself to the moon.

Also, that boat is good for offshore racing, not offshore mountian climbing. You will never see one of these boats out on a day where the ocean is 10 plus wave height.

You all can go onto the coastgaurd sites and see where they train to go through breakers close to the beach like this guys location. They almost always approach at 90 degrees. Unless they want to practice rolling there there riggs, which they do also.

If you look at the first wave the guy went over at 90 degrees, he was just fine, don't think he thought that the next one was going to be that much larger.

 

[QC]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

OK. I get your point. I'm now going with 60 degrees if the wave is cresting. That's what I am gonna do with my 43 Donzi when stuck inside at Mavericks . . . And that silliness goes to emilsr's point: We didn't have to make the decisions; he did.

 

[Ned L]

Re: Breaking wave (amazing!)...

About that 45?, Thank you Chriscraft254! -- I guess you save me having to ask how many people here thinking that 45? (or there abouts) is the way to go have ever actually been out in BAD weather (as opposed to hearing about it or reading about it here). You won't get a boat up a vertical face like that by going at it at a 45? angle without rolling over (or if you do you're a lot luckier than even that guy).