dogon dory
New member
Sorry, Folks - Post Deleted By Author
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Handling a Large Wave
- Thread starter Dora~Jean
- Start date
Interesting question. I have no doubt that the analyses are correct.
I'll just throw in my $.02 for whatever it is worth.
My first instructor, back in the fifties, said to always approach waves at the 45 degrees mentioned here.
I followed those instructions religiously for a long time, but for me there are limits to that advice. Depends a lot on the size and type of boat, as well.
I would probably have followed the 45 degree course as advised here, but at some point, particularly in a C-Dory which has no keel worth mentioning, I would opt for the straight-on approach, perpendicular to the wave at slow speed with increasing throttle up the incline.
I would rather take the pounding from cresting the wave and dropping, as opposed to being unable to maintain my angle up a really steep, high wave and falling off on the low side and rolling. I believe the C-Dory is strongest and least likely to be damaged in a head-on encounter.
On a similar sized boat such as a Shamrock, which has a pronounced keel, I would stick with the 45 degrees. It wold be less likely to fall off.
Just my opinion.
I'll just throw in my $.02 for whatever it is worth.
My first instructor, back in the fifties, said to always approach waves at the 45 degrees mentioned here.
I followed those instructions religiously for a long time, but for me there are limits to that advice. Depends a lot on the size and type of boat, as well.
I would probably have followed the 45 degree course as advised here, but at some point, particularly in a C-Dory which has no keel worth mentioning, I would opt for the straight-on approach, perpendicular to the wave at slow speed with increasing throttle up the incline.
I would rather take the pounding from cresting the wave and dropping, as opposed to being unable to maintain my angle up a really steep, high wave and falling off on the low side and rolling. I believe the C-Dory is strongest and least likely to be damaged in a head-on encounter.
On a similar sized boat such as a Shamrock, which has a pronounced keel, I would stick with the 45 degrees. It wold be less likely to fall off.
Just my opinion.
Lots of good thoughts here!
The whole discussion reminds me of my sailing/racing experiences:
You can read all you want to about some aspect like this, but only time on the water will teach you what to do intuitively without having to think about it.
And there is absoloutely no substitute for that experience.
But the reading about the choices and possible outcomes will set you up to learn more quickly from your experiences, savinga lot of time, eliminating a lot of trial and error, and maybe saving your day and/or life.
Joe.
The whole discussion reminds me of my sailing/racing experiences:
You can read all you want to about some aspect like this, but only time on the water will teach you what to do intuitively without having to think about it.
And there is absoloutely no substitute for that experience.
But the reading about the choices and possible outcomes will set you up to learn more quickly from your experiences, savinga lot of time, eliminating a lot of trial and error, and maybe saving your day and/or life.
Joe.
Also, maybe I spent too much time in deep V hulls, but the thought of using trim tabs around really big, steep waves gives me the willies. :shock:
It's questionable whether or not they can be used for positive effect on the front of a wave, and absolutely scary to contemplate on the back side.
It's questionable whether or not they can be used for positive effect on the front of a wave, and absolutely scary to contemplate on the back side.
You can take a rolling wave in just about any position, they are not the dangerous life threatening waves that a vertical or breaking wave is. I defy any of you to describe a situation with a vertical or breaking wave that it is better to take it in any other position than head on. Quite simply put, the closer the wave is to vertical or breaking the more important it is to take it head on. It is pure physics. Having a wave break against the side of your bow is going to violently throw the bow parallel with the wave. That is not the position you want to be in. There is no disputing this. A breaking wave hits with tremendous force. It is imperitive that a breaking wave hit the pointed end of the boat rather than the side.
Larry you summed it up nicely.
I was placed in a position a few years ago in the Fraser River, BC Can. that shocked me at the speed things happened. I was heading up river and was just about to pass through the piers of the Patullo Bridge. A deep draught, ocean going tug has cast off the dock-side mooringing lines and was facing upstream, but was wanting to go downstream. He must of given his vessel a full throttle kick with the helm hard over to bring her around. I was about 200-300 feet away and the wave that came up off her stern as she swung was amazing. I swung head on to the wave and cut the throttle to just maintain steerage. My boat was the 16' Angler and the wave looked steep and high. I said to my passenger hang on this is going to be rough. As the wave rose up I hit full throttle and hung there for a split second, then cresting the wave, I pull right back on the throttle, skated down the other side and slammed in the (very short) next wave, which through spray right over the cabin leaving the cockpit wet. The lady with me was knocked right off her seat with the impact from the second wave. Neither of us had life jackets as it was a quite days cruise on the river up until then.
Conclusions: The Dory will take a short steep wave but you will get pounded which is to be expected.
I was placed in a position a few years ago in the Fraser River, BC Can. that shocked me at the speed things happened. I was heading up river and was just about to pass through the piers of the Patullo Bridge. A deep draught, ocean going tug has cast off the dock-side mooringing lines and was facing upstream, but was wanting to go downstream. He must of given his vessel a full throttle kick with the helm hard over to bring her around. I was about 200-300 feet away and the wave that came up off her stern as she swung was amazing. I swung head on to the wave and cut the throttle to just maintain steerage. My boat was the 16' Angler and the wave looked steep and high. I said to my passenger hang on this is going to be rough. As the wave rose up I hit full throttle and hung there for a split second, then cresting the wave, I pull right back on the throttle, skated down the other side and slammed in the (very short) next wave, which through spray right over the cabin leaving the cockpit wet. The lady with me was knocked right off her seat with the impact from the second wave. Neither of us had life jackets as it was a quite days cruise on the river up until then.
Conclusions: The Dory will take a short steep wave but you will get pounded which is to be expected.
Blueback, great report. Your situation with that accelerating tug while turning is similar to the tanker we encountered. I'm positive the wave off her stern was accentuated by the fairly steep turn she was making while accelerating as well. I believe I would point my boat much closer to perpendicular next time, the force of the SECOND wave was very strong and violent when it hit that forward quarter, essentially broadside to the wave at that section.
As Joe and others have said, best to get the experience under your belt in less treacherous situations before getting 'over your head' in bigger situations.
As Joe and others have said, best to get the experience under your belt in less treacherous situations before getting 'over your head' in bigger situations.