www.iFourWinns.com

What is the best way to take the wake when overtaking a larger vessel in a narrow channel? Had plenty of room, couple of blasts from the horn and moved as far as possible to the edge of the channel. Situation where this vessel was impeding traffic and needed to be overtaken. I was the 3rd boat to do so.

Took the wake at an angle and the boat (288) got very squirelly. Rolled to the point that it was uncomfortable. Cut my speed back, still on plane however when I took the wake.

I am sure there is a better way to do this.

Thanks,

Jay

I can't quite envision the circumstances. Overtaking a larger vessel in a narrow channel on plane, just doesn't seem right to me. How fast was the larger boat travelling? How wide is this "narrow" channel ?

For me where I boat, most narrow channels are no wake zones, so for me, I would have approached the larger boats' wake nearly perpindicular, at a speed only great enough to plow through it, useing the bow and your boats weight to break the wake, rather than approaching on plane. Thus you minimize any side to side wallowing, which as you say, is uncomfortable.
Then once outside the wake, increase your speed slightly to overtake the boat.

There are numerous variables involved in crossing a wake, such as your speed, the speed of the boat you are overtaking, size of the wake, weight distribution in your boat, wind conditions, currents etc. So it his hard to say what is the best way.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

The channels Jay are speaking about abound in our area. For example, Sarasota Bay has long stretches of channel that is not idle or minimum wake. Everyone runs at planing speed, for most 20 - 30 kts. The channel is perhaps 100 ft wide, maybe. We have quite a bit of shoaling around. At low tide birds with t their ankles wet will be standing 10 -20 feet outside the markers. We have plenty of "big" boats down here that can be very inconsiderate of smaller vessels. I love those 40 footers plowing water in one of these narrow channels throwing a 4 ft wake.

Jay, I haven't found a single way of doing it. Sometimes I think I've got it down and then I take another and all hell breaks loose. Usse your best judgement is all I can recommend.

_________________
Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

JValich,

Exactly. You know the area well and understand what I was facing. Perhaps I will take the wake at more of an angle (as much as the width of the channel will allow) next time as CapnMorgan suggested and try to plow through.

Thanks to all.

Jay

Ouch, sounds like a real pain. Just how long are these channels? Is everything in "that much of a hurry" that it's a problem to follow along?

As for dealing with big wakes, judicious application of the throttle is often your friend. But you've got to have enough power to really get faster than the boat ahead. Come up to the edge of their wake, power up to cut it diagonally and then get out in front REALLY FAST. Trouble is you're now going to be throwing more of a wake directly at them (and the shore) and probably cutting a bit close on margin of safety. The distance you'd have to close on their stern doesn't allow for much should they back off their speed. And the tightness of the turn you'd need to cut out of the wake, and then straight ahead would be tricky in a narrow channel. Should anything go wrong you'd be a going a lot faster than you'd want (as in running hard aground).

And I take it there's little response from the boat ahead when you sound the horn? Any response on the VHF? Might not hurt to try asking about coming around them.

Personally unless the boat ahead's going less than 15-20 mph I'm not sure I'd be in all that much of a hurry to take the risks of passing in a narrow channel. I'm out there to relax, not get stressed over passing someone else.

The channels are long, but not channels, I'm guessing that you are usaed to. We have channels running through a bay that is perhaps 2 - 5 miles wide that just outside of the channel can be 1 foot deep at low tide! You see this great expanse of water and very little of it is usable other than being nice to look at.

15-20 for Jay and I is painful. That's the threshold of planing for our boats as well as a very uneconomical speed for use to run. My best economy is 34 mph. Jay's should be similar.

As to calling the boat ahead, unless he is a professional Captain or a real seaman you generally get no response. As to the horn signals, from most that gets me a single finger salute. We have lots of rich "holiday" boaters around here that use their boat to show off thier wealth. They very rarely seem to use them and their inexperience and many times arrogance is painfully obvious.

_________________
Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"