Waves breaking over Bow.

[Mark42]

Last week while out on the bay, while crusing at about 15 mph, we ran into a choppy section where the wind had picked up and was throwing a bit of spray around. Not a big deal, but when i slowed down to try to reduce the rough ride, water started coming over the bow, sometimes what looked like a full bucket of water was tossed right at the windshield. This is the first time I have had water constantly coming over the bow and hitting the windshield. We were going only 5 mph but bouncing up and down like a cork on waves that were probably only 1' to 1.5' height max. Changing course did not help any.

After about 30 seconds of being beat up by these apparently small looking waves that behaved like big waves, and being very confused as to why the ride was not getting better, I opened up the throttle and hopped up on plane to about 10 or 12 mph. Much better ride. Still a bit rough, but the water stayed on the outside of the boat and we were no longer bouncing around like a "low rider".

So I learned something: Sometimes its better to be on top of the water that to be wallowing through it.

I'm sure the wind had a lot to do with those conditions, but I'll be darned if I know why the water behaved like that.

Anyone have similar experience?

 

[QC]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

So I learned something: Sometimes its better to be on top of the water that to be wallowing through it.

Yup. There are many good rules of thumb, but their are also certain combos that defy them. There are definitely rough water situations where my boat is better at 40 MPH than at 5 or even 20 MPH. You say changing course didn't help, did you try wallowing over them at 45 degrees? Should have eliminated the wave over the bow, but the wind as you noted could've still blown a lot in . . .

 

[tommays]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

Well the tide is super high right NOW so i would say the areas on peconic bay were the current really rips are at there fastest of the season

I have seen the south tip of robins island look like a section of white water rapids many times were it gets shallow and flows over the rocks there

Most of the time on the Great South Bay every afternoon i need the full top up because the chop is big we get soaked

Been a bunch of days its was to windy to even go out this season

And i gotta say it has stayed really windy this year it usally calms down in august

Its been a great season for sailors


Tommays

 

[Mark42]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

This season I have seen the water conditions change quicker than ever before.

But the strangest thing I have seen is high wind and calm water. I was cruising at WOT in 5 - 10 mph winds doing 28 mph and the water had only ripples at 6 to 8 inches.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

" I have seen the south tip of robins island look like a section of white water rapids many times were it gets shallow and flows over the rocks there "

I keep telling my brother in law that there are rocks there, I've seen them poking out of the water at low tide. He doesn't believe me.... One of these days his prop will convince him there are hard things under the water there.

Late July I was rounding the end of Jessup neck where the channel marker is way out there to clear the sand bar. So I round the marker and the water goes from calm to raging river rapids just because the tide was in full swing going in or out. What a ride that was in my little boat! Strange how water acts when it gets stuffed through a "funnel". If that was bad weather I could have been in real trouble. As it was I was nervous and rode very close to shore even though I knew there were big rocks there. If I started to get swamped, I would have run it right up on the beach, regardless of it being a restricted bird sanctuary.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

Mark,

You're boat is a 14 footer as I recall. That's part of your problem. BTDT

Big water where the wind likes to run rampart (Every lake in Texas, every day :%) makes for big waves and the shallower, the closer they are together.

A bigger (longer) boat would help you breach the waves and running faster would be smoother.

But I have always felt that for the size, the MFG hull design was tops in rough water.

Mark

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

sometimes in a short chop you are just better to get on top, and skim across the chop. here in northeast Fl. we have the StJohns River, about 7 miles across, max depth is around 50', but the average depth is 10'. we get a good wind, and get a 1- 1/2 ft chop with about 3 ft. intervals, it will soak you and beat you to death, if you don't get on top.

 

[eeboater]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

Mark,

I had a similar experience about a month and a half ago. I had a heavier load in my boat (at capacity weight-wise) and I was travelling across one of the larger lakes in Wisconsin. Well, the wind had picked up to the point that we were getting some decen swells on the water.

At several points in the trip waves crashed over my bow. It was a bit nerve wracking as its seemed about 5-10 gallons of water splashed into the boat and rolled back to the transom.

I ended up trimming up my outdrive slightlight and putting a little extra throttle into it. This lifted my bow slightly, preventing the waves from crashing in.

Sean

 

[QC]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

Waves over the bow in a bow rider are fun, huh Sean? BTDT :^

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

ee,

I have learned to do what you said. Couldn't do it years ago but last 2 boats have/had power trim. I trim way out, forcing the bow up and get right at planing speed or just under, quartering the waves when I can in zig zag fasion. Gives me 6-8' of bow out of the water for handling those big babies and it works great.

QC. I know you are jesting.

We were out one day on a Texas lake trying to fish one day and it got windy as usual as the day progressed. I had an 18' bow rider tri-hull and bro-in-law had a 15' of the same type. Decided to head for home and I was to go first to smooth out some of the roughness for him and he would follow 50ish yards behind me.

Worked fine for awhile, then out of nowhere came this enormous wave, so big that we couldn't see his boat. Crashed over his bow and nearly sank him. Course he had his bow cover off and windshield open like a dummy.

Yeah, great sport. :/

Mark

 

[QC]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

I have "poked one" seriously once in all three of my boats. I would not call any of those experiences fun . . . The first one was a closed bow and the whole dang thing made it up and over the short windshield. At least the bowriders just swamp the boat not necessarily the people, last time I ruined a $400 camera.

We sometimes line boats up by size four and five deep to smooth out the water for the smallest guys. I sure appreciated that with my last boat, although I was usually last in line and begging them all to stick with the deal. Makes a huge difference. The wife used to always bitotch "the water looks smoother over there, I don't know why you insist on staying behind them." For some reason she understands when she is on a water ski . . . Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

When I do 5 day races on my inflatable, seldom side winds and waves will come over the boat, as we go in one direction we can't take the waves head on otherwise we will lose time and area ..... luckily the water just runs over the boat and out the back ... no worries ....

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

Hey dee, scuse the french, but man I think you're nuts. :%

I know this world has to have all types, but your fun things are way too bazarre for me.

Hopefully you will survive all of them.

In gest.

(Still can't get over that pic your wife took of you in your inflateable, 15' in the air telling us that you came down nice and smoothly.)

Mark

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

hahahaha, your not the only one that think so .... just the only thing that makes me feel free .... if i die, it will be with a smile ..... my life insurance is very high ... lol ...... I'll get a video on the landing of the boat over those waves .... then you'll see ... it is like a horse jumping over a gate, same kinda thing .... must go and find the vid somewhere ...

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

hahahaha, your not the only one that think so .... just the only thing that makes me feel free .... if i die, it will be with a smile ..... my life insurance is very high ... lol ...... I'll get a video on the landing of the boat over those waves .... then you'll see ... it is like a horse jumping over a gate, same kinda thing .... must go and find the vid somewhere ...

8) LIve lfe large and have fun, i only wish i could go back to my youth or better said still have my youthful bones and body being able to take that kind of punishment.

Unfortunatly that is gone and now i need a quite sane smooth ride (most of the time anyway.......:devil This ill give you though, you will learn and pickup experience that is invaluble, playing in large waves remeber it ,some day you to will get..... ummm a little older and you will have a great play book to get yourself out of trouble.

Recently on a run up the columbia i came across a large barge , i came directly up behind her (lots of traffic) It looked rather low in the water but not having experience with them i had no ideal what was going on.

About 50-75 ( not real sure about that) feet from her i went to the outside and had the schock of my life, i found myself ontop of a 6' wake (maybe pressure wave better said) and there were 4 or 5 them It was just instinctive i slammed it down (throttle) and barely stayed on top till i was out of the wake, perhap's the dumbest thing i had done knowningly. (coming up behind that close) Had i cut the throttle i would have taken a rather abrupt dip ....... very abrupt.

I never been in a situation where i am in a boat and a 1-2 foot chop comes over the top........... there must have been some serious current there. From the watre's i boat in now that would also indicate some serious rocks or a bar present.

Anyway most of the boating i do now is on the columbia river and i have gotten a boat that can get me out of trouble or navigate the waters in not so ideal boating conditon's. Here we get some funny chop, try 2-3 footers spaced 8-12 ' apart, not reagular interval's and crazy litte sneakes from some the bigger boat's or barges.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

Dee, I like your freedom. Hang on to it man. Few have what you do.

Tail,

I used to work on tugs and barges on the Intercoastal Canal from Texas to Louisiana to Tenn. When we were running in So. La, the canal was narrow and we were drawing 8-10' of water at 35' wide ( on the barges).

We would literally suck the water from the banks and after we went by dumped it back and it would flood the marshes. Sorta what you experienced.
-----------------

Did you see the accident where a big wave hit the MOJO, a Yacht that George C. Scott and his wife were running out of the Columbia River. Someone got a pic of it, on the www, look for it, and the boat was pitched up like 70 degrees. Article said they were injured and boat suffered severe damage.

Must be some treacherous water at the mouth of that thing. Curious, why?

Mark

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.








Well the columbia is a very fast and very deep water river, I think what you are refering to is the mouth of the columbia, it is one of the most violent freshwater meeting the sea mouth's in the world. Locals will tell you it's the two opposing currents and all the bar's.

This is will tell you on a average day nothing less than a 30' footer dares to go there.............. it's the most intimating peice of water i have ever seen............. lol i have been in a 30 footer coming to a crest of the wave and its a pure 15' drop like a step and the next one's coming......................:'(

The Columbia River Bar is the portion of the Columbia River where the current dissipates into the Pacific Ocean, often as large, standing waves partially caused by the deposition of sediment as the river slows. These standing waves are usually mixed with ocean waves and wreak havoc with small (and not so small) vessels. The Columbia current varies from 4 to 7 knots westward and therefore into the predominately westerly winds and ocean swells creating significant surface conditions. [1] To add to the treachery, conditions can change from calm and serene to life threatening breaking waves in as little as five minutes due to changes of direction of wind and ocean swell.

Since 1792 approximately 2,000 large ships have sunk in and around the Columbia River Bar. The nearby U.S. Coast Guard station at Cape Disappointment is renowned for operating in some of the roughest sea conditions in the world and is also home to the National Motor Lifeboat School. It is the only school for rough weather and surf rescue operation in the United States and is respected internationally as a center of excellence for heavy boat operations. [2]

Bar pilots consider the bar to be the area between the north and south jetties and Sand Island.

As a practical tip, small craft are advised to cross the bar during times of incoming flood tide, staying toward the outside of the navigational channel to avoid the frequent large ships which move at 20 to 30 knots. [3]

The Columbia Bar is part of a set of major marine coastal hazards along the Pacific Northwest Coast, including Cape Flattery at the northwest tip of the Olympic Peninsula and Cape Scott, which is at the north tip of Vancouver Island. Historically this region's nickname to mariners was the Graveyard of the Pacific, and the region is studded with the hundreds of shipwrecks. The "Graveyard" also includes the rocky, rugged shoreline of the west coast of Vancouver Island as well as the shores of the Olympic Peninsula up the Strait of Juan de Fuca.




[edit]
Viewing
The most accessible place to watch ships cross the bar and feel the salty spray is at the South Jetty viewing platform at Fort Stevens State Park located in Warrenton, Oregon. For a more dramatic view, hike the steep 0.75 mile trail to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse at the Cape Disappointment State Park located in Ilwaco, Washington.

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

Sorry Mark, I can't find a video clip, I will get a digital handy cam and take some clips at the next event .....

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Waves breaking over Bow.

Ok Dee. Thanks

Tail, I understand the reason now when you talk about those opposing forces. Funny how things in nature are similar.

When I worked, I was in the electronics business and microwave transmitting devices in particular.

Microwaves had the same kind of problems, course on not as grand a scale, but you had to keep the lines all matched up so that there weren't any rough spots or you would get........"standing waves", which, like in the river, can get very high and very bad if the right timing is involved.

Thanks for taking the time to inform me (and anyone else interested).

Mark