sudden rough sea: how to handle?

K

kevinnice

New Member
Aug 17, 2009
220
SPAIN
Boat Info
290 searay sundancer 1996
Engines
dual mercruiser 43 lx
when an unpredicted squal comes up and the waves are coming side on to your intended course, whats the best way of dealing with it?

do you tack, running more into the waves then turning 90 degress to make progress? or what? very slow? or pushing at them a little more?

PS just how easy is it to roll a sundancer 290? happened before?
 
You should alter your course to make the ride safer and more comfortable. How high were the waves and how close together?
 
from trough to crest maybe 5 feet (used to flat seas in the med). and distance between waves about 90 feet? there was enough distance between waves to alter course...
 
Hmmm... good question. We experience some very sudden change of conditions in our location. In the mid-morning, it can be flat. An hour later, we are dodging 5 footers. Depending on the direction of the waves/wind, our chances of staying dry decrease quite a bit :lol:

Usually, if I'm only running at 3000 RPMs, to push the waves, instead of ride over them, I keep the outdrive down all the way (to make it heavier.. more drag), and raise the bow with the tabs.

If conditions allow, I'll bring it up to 3300-3500 RPM's (a little below cruising speed), trim the outdrive up to level 4, and also raise the bow.

Both techniques work for us ... but it really depends on the direction of the waves. Usually 21-27 MPH seems to be the best speed for cutting the waves, for us.

Good luck, you really have to try different variations and see what works best. :thumbsup: Stay safe.
 
kevinnice said:
....
do you tack, running more into the waves then turning 90 degress to make progress? or what? very slow? or pushing at them a little more?
.....
Click to expand...

Never tack in a Sea Ray, that's for blowboats:grin:

Seriously like others have said, it depends. Try not to hit the wave at a 90, a 45 works better most of the time.
 
thanks guys - by "tacking" i meant 45 degrees against the sea for a while then a 90 degree turn so that i'm 45 degrees ahead of the sea for a while, so that i dont have to stay side-on to the waves. i wasnt referring to the wind - thats a whole 'nother issue...
 
kevinnice said:
when an unpredicted squal comes up and the waves are coming side on to your intended course, whats the best way of dealing with it?

do you tack, running more into the waves then turning 90 degress to make progress? or what? very slow? or pushing at them a little more?

PS just how easy is it to roll a sundancer 290? happened before?
Click to expand...

Any boat can roll in the trough if the seas are steep enough and if power is lost. Depends on the wave height and period. If they're big rollers, running in the trough is no big deal.
Generally in rough seas you want them at 20-45 degrees off the bow. Speed is dependent on too many variables for there to be a specific answer to your question- it's going to be based upon your hull design and sea conditions at the time. You have to make adjustments as necessary for the "best" ride.

In general terms, you want to be running tabs/drives down in a head sea, and up in a following sea.
 
With the waves 90 feet apart you shouldn't have to slow down or alter course. Sounds like you would be going uphill and downhill about every two seconds or so. Step quartering head seas can be a little nasty but what you are describing sounds benign. We pretty much run cruise speed until things go above 4 feet quartering, steep, on the nose and then drop 4 or 5 knots for comfort while maintaining our heading.
 
bushway9172 said:
Hmmm... good question. We experience some very sudden change of conditions in our location. In the mid-morning, it can be flat. An hour later, we are dodging 5 footers. Depending on the direction of the waves/wind, our chances of staying dry decrease quite a bit :lol:

Usually, if I'm only running at 3000 RPMs, to push the waves, instead of ride over them, I keep the outdrive down all the way (to make it heavier.. more drag), and raise the bow with the tabs.

If conditions allow, I'll bring it up to 3300-3500 RPM's (a little below cruising speed), trim the outdrive up to level 4, and also raise the bow.

Both techniques work for us ... but it really depends on the direction of the waves. Usually 21-27 MPH seems to be the best speed for cutting the waves, for us.

Good luck, you really have to try different variations and see what works best. :thumbsup: Stay safe.
Click to expand...
Are you saying you normaly run with trim tabs down?
 
Woody said:
When you're trying to see how fast the boat will go are they down also?
Click to expand...

No Woody, I raise the bow to create the least amount of drag; However, this thread is about handling rough seas. I don't know about you, but we do not travel at WOT in poor conditions.
 
bushway9172 said:
Hmmm... good question. We experience some very sudden change of conditions in our location. In the mid-morning, it can be flat. An hour later, we are dodging 5 footers. Depending on the direction of the waves/wind, our chances of staying dry decrease quite a bit :lol:

Usually, if I'm only running at 3000 RPMs, to push the waves, instead of ride over them, I keep the outdrive down all the way (to make it heavier.. more drag), and raise the bow with the tabs.

If conditions allow, I'll bring it up to 3300-3500 RPM's (a little below cruising speed), trim the outdrive up to level 4, and also raise the bow.

Both techniques work for us ... but it really depends on the direction of the waves. Usually 21-27 MPH seems to be the best speed for cutting the waves, for us.

Good luck, you really have to try different variations and see what works best. :thumbsup: Stay safe.
Click to expand...

Trim tabs cannot "raise the bow", only lower it. Trimming the outdrive "out" will raise the bow. Trimming in, together with tabs, will lower the bow and allow the boat to plane faster and remain on plane at slower speeds.
 
tobnpr said:
Trim tabs cannot "raise the bow", only lower it. Trimming the outdrive "out" will raise the bow. Trimming in, together with tabs, will lower the bow and allow the boat to plane faster and remain on plane at slower speeds.
Click to expand...

I am aware of this. I consider using the trim switches to retract the tabs (thus raising the bow), as "using trim tabs."
 
This is an interesting topic, I've never had any formal training, but grew up on the lake, spending lots of time in it, in all kinds of smaller boats. What I've found from all this, is you have to read the water. The waves usually (but not always) come in sets, so now I just watch those, and ply thru them in whatever seems the safest /smoothest method, be it 45, 90 or surfing with them (depending on your direction and how the waves are breaking). I usually have my hand on the throttle and adjust it a lot when there are a lot of changing waves. I've actually gotten blisters on my hands during some of these sessions. I find I have to do this much less on my 21' boat, it takes the waves much better than my 185 did, but you still have to keep your eyes on things.

I've had one rare instance, where I ran into a set of 4 huge waves, in a 185 Sea Ray a few yrs ago, those I turned into, and powered up/down them. But those were larger than anything I'd been in before on the lake.

-VtSeaRay
 
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