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Dangerous Wakes Revisited

15K views 62 replies 41 participants last post by  ArcherBowman 
#1 ·
What can be done about the dangerous wakes large boats on or near plaining speed are doing to us slowing moving vessels?
I operate my sailboat on the Intercoastal Waterway in SE Florida in confined waters and have experienced and hear on the VHF radio other boaters asking for a "Slow Pass". Most (9 out-of 10) will slow but others continue on like they don''t care what their wake does to you. Some have even laughed as they passed. I and my wife have been injured and little can be done even if you report it to the Water Police. What value is there in having laws that say "You are responsible for your wake" if no one can prove who did the damage? The police know of the problem but don''t do anything about it, even if they see it happen and in most cases they are no where around. If you file a report nothing is done about it except you get to keep someone in the government employed.
I usually don''t advocate taking the law into me own hands but the practice of "Waking" must be controlled. What laws are there for protecting yourself and property on the water?
Can anyone help?
 
#2 ·
If you think you get repeat offenders. Or it looks like their wake is going to cause property damage. (Your boat and land owners). Then you could SHOOT THEM !....With a videotape recorder (lol)...;-).

Boaters are legally responsible for thier wakes. Take the tapes to law enforcement and see what they do (or home owners where docks are getting trashed) and hire a laywer. Maybe those thoughtless boaters will think twice next time. Maybe some lawyers could add to this.
 
#3 ·
I was helping deliver a 60'' power boat up the ICWW a few years back and the captain was in a hurry to get to the marina at Hilton Head, SC, before nightfall, on our way north.

We were about a mile or 2 away from the marina, he''s going too fast and people on shore are yelling at him/us to slow down because their docked boats are bouncing all over the place.

He ignores them and us and keeps steaming almost full speed ahead. Two local guys get into their boat and catch up to us and start yelling at the captain to come back and look at the damage he''s caused.

The captain is trying to navigate, drive the boat, respond to these guys yelling at him is now getting very distracted. He runs the boat aground very hard and we are stuck!

He then loudly mutters something about getting his gun from his cabin loud enough so the 2 local guys can hear and they take off laughing at him/us.

It was not a pretty sight. Fortunately we ran aground (contradicion of terms, there) at low tide and were able to back away without a tow, in about an hour.

The captain was very much in the wrong and unfortunately didn''t go back to appologize and didn''t offer restitution for any damage. This is hard to understand but this guy did everything his way, and rarely took advice from anyone.

Later, I saw him do something like this when he was behind a sailboat in a narrow channel leaving Mystic, Conn. and thought the sailboater was delibertly blocking him.

Bizzare behavior!!!

I gave the captain the nickname, "Dangerous Dave".
 
#4 ·
I sail a little Freedom 21. On open Lake Michigan why in the world does it seem like so many 30 foot plus power boats go out of there way to get closer? Is it because they can''t believe such a little boat can be out there? I would think 200 yards would be close enough but some come within 50 yards. "Hang on dear, a big wave is coming".
 
#5 ·
FIrst, sorry you are constantly having such problems. I know how it is. I did not at all blame the guy who was actually arrested last year or year before, can''t remember, when he pointed a starter''s pistol at a jet ski enthusiast who had been tormenting him.

Videotaping seems to be an excellent idea. And if the police won''t pay attention to the tapes, then perhaps the environmental societies all thru southern FL will!! It made me so sick during one trip south because 8 of the 11 manatees I logged had huge gashes across their backs, most likely from props. And at least every few miles in southern FL, you are going through a protected area, yes?

Or another idea along the same lines would be to take photos of the offenders in the commission of their stupidity and enlarge and then post them at local marinas. You''re bound to find the one they belong to, if they do, sooner or later. And if they trailer, they will be at least known as people to watch out for. Surely it isn''t libel if it is only a photo of someone actually breaking the law, with no derogatory comments involved.

Just traveling through, I had no idea that reports to the Marine Police went unnoticed.

Years ago, delivering a 45 footer up the Erie Canal we were surprised one morning by a man screaming and cursing at us. Seems that even in our almost imperceptible wake, his little fishing boat had hit his dock. We turned around and got as close as our draft would allow. By the time we went on our way, we had found out that he had to come out of his house every time a boat came by. He didn''t know what fenders or mooring whips are and he had no protection at all on his little dock. He was very, very apologetic when we left, and very grateful for the old, almost ratty fender we tossed him to tie to his dock until he could set up something else. So it does pay to try at least to make things right. We never would have imagined the story - it was a very nice section of the canal, and the guy lived in a very pretty two-story house - but still, he was tired of having to come out each time to check on his boat when there was really no need, probably, if he had any protection at all. Poor man, he''d had the boat 8 months and we were the first people who had stopped.

Best of luck to you. Stay safe!! Don''t be taking pictures and fall overboard when the wake hits!!

Mary
 
#6 ·
some need sinking

We were making an overnight run on our O'Day 40 to Santa Barbara Island off the coast of California and were just about five miles off the west end of Catalina when I spotted red/green lights holding a steady relative bearing headed towards my port quarter. I tried to hail the vessel on 16; no go. I could see the bow wave getting larger so I adjusted my course to port by 15 degrees; still a steady relative bearing. I turned on the engine and put the prop in gear to speed up a bit. No change in bearing. I put the spot light on the main sail, revved the engine to max RPM without affecting a change his bearing. It seemed like he was trying to run me down. This 50 foot power boat came with in a few yards of my stern, drenched us, filling the cockpit with his wave, and sped away. My Brother-in-law was just coming up through the companion way curious as to why I was yelling profanities when the wave hit, knocking him to the cabin floor. The wake bounced our stern so high out of the water that the prop was spinning in the air and made an awful sound. Needless to say I really wished I had an RPG or anti-tank missile on board that night; I would have used in without regret.
 
#8 ·
If you do that, use a white or green flare to attrack his attention. Red is for distress only.

Over where the oil field boats are working, they will give you a slow bell whenever you ask them too. Also they slow near any marinas, anchored boats and the weekend warriors out in their bass boats.

Good manners is a sign that your parents brought you up right and good manners are returned in kind.
 
#9 ·
crap, this is a problem here too. on this past 4th of July, i had two 70+ tripple deckers pass me within 30 sec on bothsides around 15ft from either side. i swore my mast was going to hit the second boat from the wake on the first!!! i was cussing them out.... they thought it was funny....took all i had to not pop my flare in through thier open slidding glass doors
 
#12 ·
Boasun is right, you'll find much more consideration from the commercial captains than the recreational ones. Ask any of the small-boat people making a trek on the Mississippi river. The huge towboats always reduce to clutch speed for the lightweight boats and canoes, provided they can see them. It's karma, they've all been in the situation when they needed a dead slow bell from someone else.
 
#17 ·
Not sure I agree with this. Up here the lobsta men refuse to respect the "no wake zones". I get woken up every morning at 5 AM by the lobster boats going out, pushing wake enough to violently rock the boat in the slip.

We also see way to many idiots with more money then brains flying past smaller boats, sail boats, kayaks, etc. in side and out of the no wake zones. This past week end we were in the process of setting our sails in the no wake zone and this idiot comes up flying towards us. I was pointing at the no wake buoy and shouting at him. I finally gave him the finger and his response was to give me the finger and speed up. Waking our friends about a 1/8 of a mile in front of us worse.

Our new boat came with a RAM mic at the helm and I have already been yelled at by the coast guard for cursing at someone over channel 16 for waking us.

Even though it goes against everything I believe in, I am starting to support licensing for boaters.
 
#20 ·
Just wondering, how do you all define a dangerous wake?

I have frequently rode through wakes from both pleasure and commercial craft, sometimes 8ft crest to trough, on the beam, on the bow and in between. Not pleasant but I would not call it dangerous.
 
#24 ·
The wake is considered an extension of the boat. Whatever damage it does, regardless of the size of the wake, the boat attached to it (and therefore the boat's owner) may be held responsible:

From USCG Navigation Center


"10. What are the regulations concerning wake effects, wake damage, and responsibility? Regarding one's wake, vessels over 1600 Gross Tons 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."
 
#21 ·
We all have a story to tell about an outrageous wake. We left a neighboring port one afternoon and were amazed at how the big powerboats jam the throttles forward when they exit the busy no wake zone. A fifty footer digs a heck of a hole in the water and all that water has to go somewhere. After experiencing this nonsense firsthand, we were just a couple miles away from this port when we heard the Coast Guard responding to a call about a 17 foot speedboat being capsized from one of these wakes. We were not surprised.

I've noticed that when these big boats leave the scene of their mayhem, they advertise the name of their boat and their home port in really big letters. I find that very considerate of them. Especially if one of my family members has been thrown across the cabin into the chart table. If there are only 3 marinas in that port that can accommodate a boat of that size, and the marinas are only a half hour drive by car......well, I'm just sayin'.
 
#25 ·
DR

Chapter 10 I assume applies to most commercial vessels. The commercial vessels on the Delaware travel at a speed that is probably appropriate for conditions, but the wake just outside the shipping lanes can be dramatic, probably also influenced by change in water depth and shore line condition.

With a few minutes to prepare if I am keeping a watch as I should, turning the boat to receive the wake at about 45deg off the bow is good enough. If i am in the shipping lane and too close to the commercial traffic it is my fault not the fault of the tug or freighter.

Pleasure power boat traffic, if I keep an appropriate watch requires the same adjustment of bow to wake front. Most power boater will slow down but as Otter observed coming off plane can produce a larger wake.

In no wake zones or within a marina big wakes are only produced by big A-holes.

I have experienced many unpleasant wakes but not anything I would call dangerous.
 
#26 ·
DR

Chapter 10 I assume applies to most commercial vessels.
The second paragraph, and where I italicized it, applies to smaller vessels.

You're correct about being in the shipping lane. All boaters are responsible for avoiding collisions and damage so if you put yourself in a bad position, some of the fault will be yours.

By "coming off plane" you mean the act of coming down? It seems to me that if a power boater causes a larger wake coming off plane, shouldn't he or she make sure that they've throttled back in plenty of time before it becomes an issue? Maybe that means beginning the no wake leg way before other boats have to but it seems that would be the responsible thing to do. It's also about knowing your boat's characteristics.

I'm still smarting from the power boaters passing us at full speed in the narrow channel heading to St. Michaels, MD. Amazing lack of courtesy.
 
#27 ·
I have traveled the long narrow channel from Eastern Bay to St. Michaels, not really an option to turn the bow onto a wake without running out of channel.

The shoal waters outside the channel just make for a larger crest to trough.

We blow-boaters are content with getting to our destination eventually but the stink-potters want to get there now. Is there a middle ground?
 
#28 ·
One thing you can do when you see a powerboat about to overtake you is to slow down to about 2 or 3 knots. If you stay at 6 or 7 knots, you're asking him to be in the low teens to make a pass. Which makes a huge wake. A knowledgeable powerboater, (they exist), will wave a thanks for letting him make a pass at a lower wake speed of around 7 knots.

Most large boats on plane at 30 knots will create less wake than one dragging it's arse in the water at 12, so he may be doing you a favour by blowing by you.

One other thing, and while it's not an excuse, it does point out some frustration that large cruisers may have. Getting up on plane uses a lot of fuel. If a large power boat owner has to do that every 10 minutes, well you can see how frustration mounts.

You might want to google displacement/transition/planing speeds of powerboats. It will give you a good idea of of you can help give a powerboater a decent passing window.

Another thing, monitor 16. While most sailboaters think stinkpotters don't use radios, most cruisers think blowboaters don't either. So someone has to be right. :)
 
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