How to handle wakes from large boats...

[koko1]

I have been boating all my life and have owned my own boat for 4 years now. 3 of them was a older bass tracker and I just got a Tahoe about a month ago.. Have taken it out a few times and really like it. Well yesterday my girlfriend, some friends, and I were out on the lake just after a little rain storm passed through. Great conditions, very calm lake and I decided to open it up a little since the previous times the water was a little rough. I was going along in between 40-45 when we came up on a very large boat that was going the opposite way about 100 yards away. At 1st the wake looked like a normal size wake but it grew as it came closer, I trimmed down and throttled back to around 25-30... As I did that we approached what was really monster wake waves. When we went over the 1st my hand was still on the throttle and as we slammed back down it hit the throttle forward again but luckily I was able to pull it back.... My question is has anyone else encountered any wakes that looked normal but grew to monsters as the approached? What did you do and what did you learn from it? I was always taught to drive into a wake at a 45 degree angle but in this instance the wake was up on me so fast I probably hit it at a 20 degree angle which probably is why we got bounced around the boat pretty bad... Luckily no one got hurt, just rattled and the boat was not hurt.

 

[tkrfxr]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

The bigger the boat, the bigger the wake, and the farther away from the boat, the lesser the effect on your boat...but you must slow down to a reasonable speed. 45 degrees is reasonable for modest wakes, though bigger ones will still shake you down.

If you see the wave getting bigger, sometimes it's better to steer away from it and catch it when it gets smaller, as it runs out of energy.

 

[koko1]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

Ya I agree.... The thing is the wake looked like it was dying down but in reality it was getting bigger..... Running from it was not an option in my situation, I was in between the large boat and land, which was around 150 yards away. This happened a few hundred feet from a small island, which was ahead of me, so I had to drive into it... I didn't have much time to react but thinking back I knew I didn't want to slow the boat down any more as I think it would have swamped it.... I think what made it so bad is my hand throwing the throttle forward as we landed hard off the 1st wake going onto the 2nd.....The women were pretty shaken up and I was also a little as I have never experienced a wake quite that big before... I just wish I could figure out what I did wrong to prevent in the future...

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

you won't get swamped by slowing down as long as you stay on the power when crossing the wake or wave... for big stuff slow down till you are about to fall off plane and power through it keeping the bow high... when dealing with a couple hundred feet of space before running aground 15 might be a better speed to meet another boat

 

[HollaGeo]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

You have to angle yourself into it. I used to have a 19 foot boat and could take on any size wake that came towards me, without slowing down. A little turn of the wheel into the wake is all you need.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

it obviously depends on the boat, but 45 degrees is often a VERY bad angle to meet a wave. It ends up smacking the wave right into the broadside of the front of your hull. I know on my current boat I avoid hitting a wave at 45 at all costs.

also, first mistake was trimming down. You want the front end UP going through waves. The higher the bow, the bigger the wave you can go through. As others mentioned, when you have to hit the really big ones, let it fall off plane and plow water.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

For moderate size waves i usually just slow down to a few MPH above plane and hit them straight on. I find this is the most comfortable way to handle and you have more time to slow down if the waves are bigger than you thought.

I encounter the wake from some huge tug boats on the river I boat in. These things put out very large wake with waves that are close together. No big rollers here just walls of water coming at you. In this case I slow right down and drop off plane to get the bow as high as possible. Then straight through and hold on tight. Often the water will break over the bow of my boat but that can be limited somewhat with throttle control.

As mentioned, the bigger the boat the bigger the wake. If you see a large cruiser heading your way then slow down in anticipation of the waves to follow.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

practice practice practice.

Growing up, wake jumping was its own sport. Still get that gleam in my eye when I seea tugboat....

So go out looking for some wakes one day, and practice going over them in both directions. Oh, and squealing girls in the boat is a bonus.

But be careful with that scoop design you have on your boat; it isn't made for waves. use your bow cover if you have one.

 

[Philster]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

Best advice: Go a few MPH above the speed needed to stay on plane.... Bow up... and work the throttle to climb over and land properly, at an angle that works for YOUR boat, which is usually not head on.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

I've hit some MONSTER wakes in my 20 ft bow rider. The first few times I was going too slow and the waves ended up coming over the front!!

However the next time what I did was I'd slow down and JUST as I was going to this the wave I'd cut the wheel so that my bow was pointed at the boat that was leaving the wake, therefore having the wave come at me from the side......keeping my speed about about 10ish knots. Made for a nice smooth ride.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

Let me add to the last of the previous post... NEVER NEVER aproach another boat close enough that you could be in danger of sliding into the stern.... just like the darn wake jumping jetskis, this is illegal and unsafe.....

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

having the wave come at me from the side.

Good way of getting swamped depending on the wave. You never want to do that.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

Yup, I always enter a big wake somewhere close to a 45 degree angle, maybe a bit more straight-on and slow down to just above planning speed when the bow starts to rise. I'll trim up in advance if I feel it's necessary. Usually cuts right through even the 4-5' stuff in a 20' bowrider with little water splashing up.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

Good way of getting swamped depending on the wave. You never want to do that.

Not sure what kind of boat you have, but on my 20 ft bayliner that would never happen. It allows you to "roll" over the waves from side to side......

I have more of a chance of getting swamped by taking it head on, if it's big enough.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

Was in the mouth of the harbor up in Vancouver. The wake from a ferry hits the shallow water and gets steep! We were extremely lucky we were going in bow first. 24' boat.

There is a reason that when you are in the open ocean and you have a power failure, you throw a sea anchor out to keep the bow facing into the waves. You never never ever want to be broadside to any wave.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

Not sure what kind of boat you have, but on my 20 ft bayliner that would never happen. It allows you to "roll" over the waves from side to side.....

i am curious what body of water you do this on and how big the boats/ships are that we are talking about here.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

summer at least one jet skier found out the hard way.

I get jet skiers always jumpimg my wake. When this happens I just stop and half the time they flip me off before they move on. For some reason many jet skiers aren't the brightest bulbs in the gene pool.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

i am curious what body of water you do this on and how big the boats/ships are that we are talking about here.

Long Island sound, 5-7 foot waves coming off the back...... usually the boat is going 20+ knts so I approach at 10+ and hit the wave as if I'm the RED arrow. Works fine everytime.

 

[180Fisherman]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

This is what I do as well. It really is the best way. No need to slow down at all. It only works in open water though as the angle of entry is such that it could take about 1/2 mile to get through the entire wake. Tight spaces require slowing to a plow with head-on entry.

Long Island sound, 5-7 foot waves coming off the back...... usually the boat is going 20+ knts so I approach at 10+ and hit the wave as if I'm the RED arrow. Works fine everytime.

 

[GXL205 Deke]

Re: How to handle wakes from large boats...

This is what I do as well. It really is the best way. No need to slow down at all. It only works in open water though as the angle of entry is such that it could take about 1/2 mile to get through the entire wake. Tight spaces require slowing to a plow with head-on entry.

I know I am new at some of this but if your the red arrow why don't you just straighten out and go, cuz your already ahead of\outside the wake. Maybe I am misunderstanding this. Or are you trying to get to the other side, or port side of the wake?