Had a heated discussion the other day over when are wakes to be considered a normal part of boating. Most sailboat and trawler people I know think power boaters should never make any wakes anywhere near them under any circumstances! However, I contend that a power boat should never make an excessive wake under the following situations: Near marinas, anchored vessels or drifting boats, no wake zones, over taking another vessel, near boats that are smaller than me whether overtaking or passing in the opposite direction, sailboats of any size under sail only in any crossing situation. The one exception I make is if a sailboat is under power only and is heading in the opposite direction and is of equal or larger size to my vessel, then a normal modest wake should be Okay. Also keeping in mind I am always responsible for my wake regardless of the situation.
Wakes
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Overtaking, you may not have any choice unless the other boat is willing to slow down.
Sailboats can usually handle your wake better if they're under sail. All that weight aloft makes them terrible rollers unless they have their sails to steady them.
Sailboats can usually handle your wake better if they're under sail. All that weight aloft makes them terrible rollers unless they have their sails to steady them.
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If I followed your guidelines I might as well never leave my marina.
If you are anchored in the bay fishing, you are going to get waked
Drift fishing in the bay, you are going to get waked
Crossing a sailboat? Seriously? Sometimes all I do is cross sailboats - they will get waked
A boats wake is a fact of life in the open water.
If you are anchored in the bay fishing, you are going to get waked
Drift fishing in the bay, you are going to get waked
Crossing a sailboat? Seriously? Sometimes all I do is cross sailboats - they will get waked
A boats wake is a fact of life in the open water.
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Edited: IMHO: The size of a wake is directly proportional to either how poor of a design a boat is or how poorly it is being operated. The latter is the more common issue.
To clarify; I'm not talking about a wake that's a foot or two being made by a vessel that's 1/2 mile or more away. I'm talking about a vessel throwing off a large breaking wake that passes within a hundred yards or less and makes no effort to minimize the consequences to another vessel.
I've been toying with adding this to my signature: Your wake is not my problem; it's yours. Deal with it.
To clarify; I'm not talking about a wake that's a foot or two being made by a vessel that's 1/2 mile or more away. I'm talking about a vessel throwing off a large breaking wake that passes within a hundred yards or less and makes no effort to minimize the consequences to another vessel.
I've been toying with adding this to my signature: Your wake is not my problem; it's yours. Deal with it.
Anyone who wakes me is a jerk, but if I wake them it's because they're somewhere they are not supposed to be! 
Seriously, I've never seen a wake thread that solved anything and they usually lead to name calling and insults. We can treat others as we would like for them to treat us, but some folks don't know and some don't care.
If you're going to boat, you better know how to take a wake and be prepared to take one.
Seriously, I've never seen a wake thread that solved anything and they usually lead to name calling and insults. We can treat others as we would like for them to treat us, but some folks don't know and some don't care.
If you're going to boat, you better know how to take a wake and be prepared to take one.
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quote:
Originally posted by rawidman
Anyone who wakes me is a jerk, but if I wake them it's because they're somewhere they are not supposed to be!
Seriously, I've never seen a wake thread that solved anything and they usually lead to name calling and insults. We can treat others as we would like for them to treat us, but some folks don't know and some don't care.
If you're going to boat, you better know how to take a wake and be prepared to take one.
Popcorn time?
Nice bunch of replies! My argument with people who dislike wakes of any kind anywhere near them is whenever you go to sea you should stow your gear properly and keep a watchful eye for any and all potential hazards including big wakes or rogue waves! Grow up or stay off the water.
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I agree with you. There is nothing worse than a boat that's half-planed. As for your first statement, I need to modify mine to include yours: IMHO, the size of a wake is directly proportional to how badly a boat is designed or how badly it is being operated.
The size of my boat's wake is directly proportional to it's speed through the water. There's no "getting on plane". I don't think it's appropriate to say it's a bad design. My boat is designed pretty well for its intended purpose.
That said, I normally operate my boat at a speed that doesn't produce a large wake.
That said, I normally operate my boat at a speed that doesn't produce a large wake.
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All right!! the first "Wake" thread for 2012!. next will be the first Portable Generator thread!
Spring is officially here!
As for me, If I see I am going to make someone really uncomfortable or, worse, in danger, I slow down. I doesn't take that long and, who knows, maybe the wakee will learn something.
But, then again, I'm usually at 6-8 kts anyway.
Bob
Spring is officially here!
As for me, If I see I am going to make someone really uncomfortable or, worse, in danger, I slow down. I doesn't take that long and, who knows, maybe the wakee will learn something.
But, then again, I'm usually at 6-8 kts anyway.
Bob
I went with a friend to bring home his new (to him) 39' Carver aft cabin boat. This was a 120 mile trip on the ICW from Little River, SC to Charleston, SC.
We pulled out of the marina in Little River into the ICW (pretty much a canal at that point) and the first thing he wanted to do was to see how fast the boat would go.
Well, he pushed both throttle levers forward as far as they would go and away we went. We passed a smaller pilothouse boat and as I looked back, they were bobbing like a cork. I commented and made him look back. From then on, he slowed down when we passed a boat. My lesson for the day - You're not still driving that 27' Sea Ray, you have to think about what you're doing to other people.
We pulled out of the marina in Little River into the ICW (pretty much a canal at that point) and the first thing he wanted to do was to see how fast the boat would go.
Well, he pushed both throttle levers forward as far as they would go and away we went. We passed a smaller pilothouse boat and as I looked back, they were bobbing like a cork. I commented and made him look back. From then on, he slowed down when we passed a boat. My lesson for the day - You're not still driving that 27' Sea Ray, you have to think about what you're doing to other people.
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Since when is a wake the same as a rogue wave? One is made by man and the other by nature. How about either learn how to run your boat or stay off the water?
I don't mind wakes; they certainly are a part of boating. But the bigger the wake, the more water a boat is pushing and the more fuel it is consuming to do so. Thus, it is either a poor design or being operated poorly. What I do really mind is 2-3+ foot wakes off pleasure boats that shouldn't be making them. Sure, if it's out in open water, what's the deal? But it does become an issue in constricted waterways or when a large-wake vessel passes too close to another vessel. I have been waked too many times to count by boats coming way too close to me when there's plenty of room to pass without doing so. So please give me the benefit of doubt when I obviously do not like boats that have large wakes. Yeah, my boat can take it (it's rated off-shore and huge wave's ain't a problem). But I still don't enjoy having to change course to deal with something that shouldn't be my problem. Again: your wake is your problem, not mine.
The bottom line: we are responsible for our wakes. That applies to all of us.
Wow, the debate rages on. On a more serious note, there are injuries that happen from wakes of any size if the situation is unforeseen by the "waking vessel" and the "waked vessel" and I do not know of any boater that would intentionally cause injury to another boater (especially sense they are responsible for the wake damage) I have 43' power boat and even when trimmed up properly can produce a 1' to 2' wake. I have also owned sailboats and in both my power and my sailboats, I have found myself needing to stop and have a look below and check for a potential problem. The last thing anyone needs in that situation is to have a big wake knock us on our ass or worse have a hatch come down on us. It would be nice to be able to hoist a big NO WAKE flag to let others know their wake is not welcome at that time. The hypersensitive wake haters could fly it 24/7 and the rest of us could just fly it when we needed to.
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You're talking about common sense and decency. It's the lack thereof that causes the issues. (read: I think we agree)
Sadly, I know people who have waked boats on purpose. It does happen and it is very, very wrong to do.
Sadly, I know people who have waked boats on purpose. It does happen and it is very, very wrong to do.
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I'm curious what you mean by this. One of the biggest misconceptions of boating is that you are always responsible - financially, legally, or any other ly' for your wake, no ifs, and or buts. It's simply not true. If I'm out in the middle of a shipping channel in a cardboard box, and your 2 inch wake from a PWC makes my box sink, was it your fault? obviously not a realistic scenario, but meant to demonstrate at some point the responsibility shifts from the person making the wake to the person/property injured by the wake.
There is no law or regulation I've seen, coast guard or any state, that says you are responsible for your wake no matter what the situation. If I'm wrong, please point one out.