Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

[FluffyChicken]

I've always thought im a pretty good "boater" and have had a 20footer (I/0) out in 6-8 footers and was able to navigate with full control and safely. I now have a 25ft trojan with a flatter bottom and an inboard and trim tabs. We were moving it from our storage area this last weekend and on the way into our channel (wind was at our back. about 3-4 footers but low and fast) and we were getting pushed all over the place. I couldnt keep the darn thing straigt. One of the trim tabs is sticking so that may be part of it but, its just odd. I felt like I had not control of the thing. Every time a wave would hit us from the back it would push us off atleast 45 degrees. Am I a horrible boater or is this common in high winds from behind with an inboard?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

while i'm not the pro. i think my short answer is gonna be that ya need to ride the back of a wave and stay there. probably no tab deployment.
keep the bow high. don't overtake a wave and don't let a wave over take you. you stay on the back side of a wave (like going up hill all the time). if ya had an i/o, i'd even think trim out some to keep the bow high...

i'm a lake boater, so take my notion with a grain of salt..

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

its normal for big waves/swells to push the boat off to the side at an angle. It wont "surf" straight down. There was a thing about this on deadliest catch the other night too.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

I remember that episode. they were going through that channel and it was 12 feet deep on each side.. crazy! they said there was sand in the waves cause it was so shallow. i see so i was going too slow. cause the waves were over taking us like crazy. that makes sense. i'll give it another go some day.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

yep, thats the one I saw too. Ive been out at sea in a 40' boat in 18-20' swells with a following sea, and it does suck...pushes you all over the place. You come down the face sideways and by the time you get straightened out, you get pushed sideways the other way by the next following swell. not desireable conditons to say the least. sounds like the same thing was happening to you on a smaller scale maybe.

 

[FluffyChicken]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

Yep you nailed it right on the noggin.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

its normal for big waves/swells to push the boat off to the side at an angle. It wont "surf" straight down.

with a following sea, and it does suck...pushes you all over the place. You come down the face sideways and by the time you get straightened out, you get pushed sideways the other way by the next following swell. not desireable conditons to say the least.

i'll agree it's normal and not desirable. more than that it's dangerous. it can lead to pitchpollng or broaching. pitchpoling is when a boat is racing down a wave that is overtaking a boat, stern high, the bow can stuff into the trough and put you end over end. broaching is when the prop and rudder lose contact at the crest of the wave allowing the bow to dig in, the stern to come fwd. and the boat becomes sideways and the possibility of turning over is high.
again, running on the back side of the wave, if you can maintain the speed is good. or, you can run a 45* and slow down at the crest of a wave, letting the wave pass and hopefully control the boat at the crest that is overtaking you. it is a very dangerous condition.
i missed the tv show, bummer. but i have been instructed on it by power squadron. also i have chapmans seamanship and boat handling book (a great resource, get this book) and these conditions are discussed there also.

also, fix yer trim tab. that can't help at all.

ps, google is your friend, google pithpoling and broaching.

 

[rbh]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

I have also found it easier to crest and ride the wave at a 45*, it may pitch the boat around alot but you dont get that slamming as much.
(waves were on a lake no more than 4 foot)

 

[eli_lilly]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

while i'm not the pro. i think my short answer is gonna be that ya need to ride the back of a wave and stay there. probably no tab deployment.
keep the bow high. don't overtake a wave and don't let a wave over take you. you stay on the back side of a wave (like going up hill all the time). if ya had an i/o, i'd even think trim out some to keep the bow high...
i'm a lake boater, so take my notion with a grain of salt..

That's exactly how I do it here when I'm coming in an inlet with huge boils. The only time it gets weird is on standing waves right at the mouth...

-E

 

[Boatist]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

I agree with Ziggy 100 percent.
With a following sea you need to stay on the back of the swell but high enough up that you can see over the swell.
There could be a boat coming out or a rock or channel that you need to be able to see.
Trim tabs all the way up and motor trim netural. Swells will travel about 20 miles per hour.
If you go over the top you will surf down the face and bury the bow in the next wave and pitchpole which is deadly.
If you fall behind the swell behind can break on you and fill the boat with water.
You may surive that but the boat probably will not.

So you stay on the back of the swell with one hand always on the throttle.
You can move to port or starboard to matain direction you need.
With big swell do not go into shallow water as the swell will peak up and break.
Better to go farther and stay in deeper water.
Best of all get in before it gets too bad.
For our 21 foot boat we will not launch if the swells are over 8 feet or less that 8 seconds apart.
Having said that we have been out in 9 foot every 6 seconds and no one got wet but not much fun and we came in way early.
We have also been out is seas over 10 feet but 20 seconds apart and that was safe and fun.
That was an day with no wind but big storm far out to see, per forcast about 250 miles.
With big swells far apart like that day important to stay out of shallow water because the swell will break if the wave bottoms out.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Any articles on how to handle a power boat in high winds?

I learned this one the hard way. New boater at the time, running a 21' W/A outboard. I was stuck in a channel behind a 40'-er running at 15 mph and throwing a big wake. I couldn't stay on plane and finally pulled out to overtake on his port side.

Clueless, I gunned it and hit his wake at about 25 mph. At the moment I crested I realized what was going to happen but it was too late to correct. I shot down the other side and buried the bow. 25-0 mph in a second. The boat went sideways and my passengers went flying (all remained in the boat, thank goodness). The wheel was ripped out of my hands and the bridge of my nose came straight down on the top of the windshield. I still have a divot in my nose where it hit. Nearly knocked me cold. I had just enough sense left to chop the throttle.

Blood everywhere, calls for help and a marine cop piloted my boat back to the dock. 4 hours in the ER and my nose plugged for a couple weeks.

I was very, very lucky to be the only one on the boat to pay for my ignorance. One of the passengers suggested I name the boat..

"Now He Nose"