Boat wake issues - need advice

[ktcanuck]

Calculated hull speed does not yield the smallest possible wake. I know you know that. Idle speed does if you want to maintain control. I find that idle speed on my 42 does not give me much control as my rudders are very small in area. I suspect your 55 is much the same but at a higher speed.

It is a balance for sure trying to disrupt the passed boat as little as possible while passing effectively. Making the effort to do so goes a long way.

 

[northern]

Last fall we were near Seattle. A large freighter was in his designated shipping channel be was going 15 to 20 knots. We needed to cross by him. I know enough that no matter what speed you have it is not wise to cut in front of them. We slowed down ran half a mile behind him and cut into his wake. Those were big waves probably 8 to 10 feet and close together. We run the boat at all times secure. IE if it falls it will not break. Based on freighter wake the wake from one of our boats is small. If people do not want to spill their drinks in a busy area secure them. Once on way to Alaska a 130 cruiser doing 25 knots got on radio and advised she was come through an area. Based on boats in area she advised her route and time she expected to pass each boat. Her wake was very small compares to freighter.
Sail boats are designed for wind but most run them as motor boats. Very under powered and very slow.

 

[HUMPH]

On the Delta there are so many fishermen that I can't slow for all of them. If they are at anchor I slow as I pass. If they are underway, they know how to turn into my wake and don't complain. Passing slow boats I give a lot of distance when possible but if it is narrow, I slow down. I often run at 7 to 8 knots so I get passed A LOT and get rolled pretty good. Our club monitors a separate channel and we always call each other to pass, asking which side works best for the stand on vessel. When the sailing club blocks the entire river in Stockton, I have to pick a line and power through otherwise I will be hit by these idiots that take advantage of their right of way. I wake the help out of them and don't give a Damn. They don't even leave 50' on one side of the channel (yes it is a ship channel) for boats to pass. They race on Sundays when there are no ships running. Did I mention I'm hate those sailors?

 

[Billfletcher]

I wake the help out of them and don't give a Damn. They don't even leave 50' on one side of the channel (yes it is a ship channel) for boats to pass. They race on Sundays when there are no ships running. Did I mention I'm hate those sailors?

I used to own a sailboat in my younger days. I respect anyone out there doing it, because it is ALOT of work. In general, most blow boaters are knowledgeable and generally know what they are doing.

unfortunately, I don't think they give the same respect back to power boaters.

when I bought our 44 a few months ago, I had a guy in a sailboat a few slips away offer to give me lessons. Ok, disclaimer, there are folks on this site who are much better Mariners than me, but I have spent thousands of hours working on commercial fishing boats though high school and college and then some time on ships in the 80's. I know what the hell I am doing, and can put a twin engine boat in the tightest of spots. But, because I had a power boat, this "sailor" figured I was clueless. Just a simple, one off story to illustrate a point, and I realize it's a generalization and not all blow boaters are like this. Ok, I will get off my soap box now.

 

[1956olds]

I have had plenty of sailors come across my bow while i was at idle speed in a marked shipping channel,they were under power not sail.Only a few have tried that while sailing or when i was on plane.They do get rocked eventually.

 

[JamesT]

While most sailors never turn their VHF on, most of them have encyclopedic knowledge of seamanship and maritime rules. Give them the port/starboard toots and then slow pass. You'll earn a LOT of respect from sailors, and get more than one hat tip or friendly wave.

Sorry Z-Worthy but earning respect from sailors should not be anyone's goal. I believe in being respectful and courteous to all boaters, but I abhor having to bow to sailors and look for their approval. You'll never get it from them without a mast and sails, and even then probably not. I'm a former sailor too and I will say that most of them really tick me off. Sailors like all boaters should have their VHF tuned to channel 16 at all times. In my experience 8 out of 10 don't. Most, not all, sailors are a weird bunch. Fussy, cheap, quick to complain and what's worse is they themselves don't follow the rules that they expect everyone else to, especially when it serves them and their boat whether they have the ROW or not. Do as I say, not as I do. As for ROW, the rule is that if a sailboat has sails up and its engines running, it's considered to be nothing more than a power boater. In my experience more than half of boaters don't know or follow that rule either. As for wake in general, I believe we are all responsible for our own wake and I will say simultaneously that if you can't stand to get rocked by wake, you should sell your boat and stay off the water.

 

[ImpulseIII]

You guys can ***** all you want but the cold hard reality is that you are responsible for you wake regardless of the situation. Ignorance on the part of the boat being waked is no excuse and you are responsible for damages, personal injuries, or anything else that happens as a result of your wake. Sad but true. Whining about those damn sail boaters or ignorant fishermen in the channel is just wasting breath.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Frank, you're absolutely correct.

However, that being said, if a boater is going to use his boat and cruise slowly or anchor near traffic areas, he's going to get waked. My boat, even at idle, creates a wake that will rock most boats. If a slow boat is cruising along and I need to pass him, my wake is going to be large enough that he'll get waked. There's just no other way around it.

 

[Do Over]

The whole thing is a waste of breath.......if your in a boat your going to get waked.....come on LOTO some holiday weekend.....you guys will have a hissy fit...it's like a carnival ride.

 

[JamesT]

I agree, if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Sorry if someone posted this already, but this is from the USCG website. This whole subject leaves a lot open to interpretation. Look at the last sentence. If you damage person or property because of your wake, that doesn't automatically make it illegal. And I hope no one here thinks operating a boat that creates any wake at all means the operator is automatically negligent if someone else gets hurt as a result. We are only responsible for our own wake within REASON and based on the facts of the specific situation. As far as damage to person or property, let's face it that rarely happens. Almost always, the only things that gets hurt is the wakEE's ego or feelings because somebody rocked him when he didn't want to be rocked. Many of these fisherman that sit in the middle of a narrow channel outside of no wake zones and flip everyone the bird who doesn't crawl past them are looking for trouble (literally, I mean looking for it). And the same can be said about a lot of other boaters.


10. What are the regulations concerning wake effects, wake damage, and responsibility? Regarding one's wake, vessels over 1600 Gross Tons (GT) are specifically required by Title 33 CFR 164.11 to set the vessel's speed with consideration for...the damage that might be caused by the vessel's wake. Further, there may be State or local laws which specifically address "wake" for the waters in question.

While vessels under 1600 GT are not specifically required to manage their speed in regards to wake, they are still required to operate in a prudent matter which does not endanger life, limb, or property (46 USC 2302). Nor do the Navigation Rules exonerate any vessel from the consequences of neglect (Rule 2), which, among other things, could be unsafe speeds (Rule 6), improper lookout (Rule 5), or completely ignoring your responsibilities as prescribed by the Navigation Rules.

As to whether or not a particular vessel is responsible for the damage it creates is a question of law and fact that is best left to the Courts. For more information, contact your local Marine Patrol or State Boating Law Administrator.