Big wake!

neilda · 28 June 2009, 19:46

Got caught rather by surprise today - not by this fellow, but an earlier one. A massive wake, we ended up riding one wave for quite a while. I have to say it was a bit unsettling to be on a wave quite so high in the air! It's worrying when you come down the other side of it too. I'm not totally sure what the technique should be, I should have a hunt here for tips and tricks....

Jizm · 28 June 2009, 19:47

where-abouts were you?

Hightower · 28 June 2009, 19:51

The Solent perhaps?

The biggest wake I went over was from the cross channel sea cat at full chat....Hairy!!!

Mollers · 28 June 2009, 20:10

We've crossed the wash of some really big ships rounding Lands End when we're coming back from the Scillies. I'm surprised how little wake they kick-up these days. Perhaps it's modern hull design.

codprawn · 28 June 2009, 20:11

More than likely they are running below hull speed to save fuel.

Hightower · 28 June 2009, 20:30

Talking about wash.

I was cruising though Haslar Marina yesterday on my way to the slipway and with a BIG tide race running I was only traveling at about 4 knotts. This twat popps up and says mind your wake, slow down, starts waving his arms and running up and down the jetty.......What a snotty W Anchor!

Wasn't you Pete was it?

Mollers · 28 June 2009, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Talking about wash.

I was cruising though Haslar Marina yesterday on my way to the slipway and with a BIG tide race running I was only traveling at about 4 knotts. This twat popps up and says mind your wake, slow down, starts waving his arms and running up and down the jetty.......What a snotty W Anchor!

Wasn't you Pete was it?

That type spend a lot of time on jetties rather than at sea.

Pete7 · 28 June 2009, 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Talking about wash.

I was cruising though Haslar Marina yesterday on my way to the slipway and with a BIG tide race running I was only traveling at about 4 knotts. This twat popps up and says mind your wake, slow down, starts waving his arms and running up and down the jetty.......What a snotty W Anchor!

Wasn't you Pete was it?

Yes, you lot are worse than Jetskiers, sausages rolled out of the pan, fried egg all over the dog, Mrs fell out of bed, total disaster

Pete

BruceB · 28 June 2009, 21:39

I think the strange thing is most RIBs draw a larger wake at displacement speeds than when planing. Maybe we should ask for dispensation

Hightower · 28 June 2009, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

Yes, you lot are worse than Jetskiers, sausages rolled out of the pan, fried egg all over the dog, Mrs fell out of bed, total disaster

Pete

That's what you get for not offering any

BrAinZ · 28 June 2009, 22:19

Back on topic..

Isn't the technique to hit the wake square on, and at full throttle Neil ?...
(Or is that when we are on the Jetskis?)

Heart-trouble · 28 June 2009, 23:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrAinZ

Back on topic..

Isn't the technique to hit the wake square on, and at full throttle Neil ?...
(Or is that when we are on the Jetskis?)

square on, mostly yes.
full thottle, mostly no.

Hightower · 29 June 2009, 01:53

Are you hitting it as a following or an on-coming wave?

Could be a different tecnique for each.

Bigmuz7 · 29 June 2009, 07:35

If its coming at me , and its a biggun, I take it square on, and at rest, but if I'm overtaking it, I go at an angle at moderate speed, not too much to avoid a 'take off' though, but the more narrow the angle of approach, the faster you will be able to travel.

Ofcourse .. rule number one is paying attention and spotting a biggun from far enough away to handle it properly in the first place, when you are going flat out

In some narrower areas of the Clyde, they can appear quickly, and be multi directional.

neilda · 29 June 2009, 07:36

I was on the Solent near Browndown Battery and the wake was following me. Came as a real surprise and was really very big indeed, it was pretty much running parallel with the shore and really unsettled some yachts that were closer in. I wouldn't like to say how many feet each wave was, but it was bigger than I've seen before and, having the kids on board, made me feel edgy.

Having read here some tips on riding wakes, I accelerated to the top and then found myself riding the wave high up so stayed there for a bit, came slowly down, and then the same again up.

If I'd been on my own I might have been a bit more aggressive!

m chappelow · 29 June 2009, 09:28

one of the most dangerous ships wash or waves that i have come across was a large tug going outbound at full ahead ,sea was flat calm but it put up a standing vertical wall of water about 3 meters high but which was very slow moving and nearly stationary ,i was in my other hard fishing boat at the time and we just submarined into it, boat seemed to take a lifetime to come back up to the surface, lucky it has a cabin at the front with very small windows which held out ,but we were swamped out bad style in the open end of the boat .inside the cabin it looked like a scene from the film DAS BOOT ,any how we bailed out the water and apart from a few bruises we were ok and carried on with fishing but anyone in an open boat would have been totally sunk .

neilda · 29 June 2009, 10:51

Will a RIB sink if swamped like this? I assume the engine wouldn't be too happy, let alone the electronics (VHF, SatNav etc).

Poly · 29 June 2009, 11:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilda

Will a RIB sink if swamped like this? I assume the engine wouldn't be too happy, let alone the electronics (VHF, SatNav etc).

Search for "stuffing" here - you shouldn't be able to sink a rib like this but damage to tubes, electrics, windscreens and crews have all been reported...

Poly · 29 June 2009, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilda

Will a RIB sink if swamped like this? I assume the engine wouldn't be too happy, let alone the electronics (VHF, SatNav etc).

Search for "stuffing" (or "stuffed") here - you shouldn't be able to sink a rib like this but damage to tubes, electrics, windscreens and crews have all been reported...

chewy · 29 June 2009, 11:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Search for "stuffing" (or "stuffed") here - you shouldn't be able to sink a rib like this but damage to tubes, electrics, windscreens and crews have all been reported...

Unless you drive it into the side of a moored RIB.

Seriously though you'll do well to sink it even if you rip the tubes off at the bow.
As for hitting waves if you want to take off hit it at full throttle, you should be able to take most waves bow on in tickover if you have any doubt?