All this tosh about wash!!!

flaming said:
Work boats tent to hold straight courses don't tend to come as close, and aren't as often found in leisure boating areas. I've never seen a work boat creating a 4' high wave at the Hamble point buoy for example - which is where we will be busy dropping sails etc. I have seen many examples of MOBO wake that I have been concerned enough about to call warnings to my crew. On some occasions we've been hit by the breaking part of the wake, whilst we've had crew on deck engaged in dropping sails.

However, I'm not especially bothered about that sort of wash, as it's just a minor annoyance and we're all old enough and ugly enough to be able to hold on, and we expect to get wet when we go sailing.

From my personal perspective, the only time I really care about wash is when racing in very light winds. In those circumstances wash can stop us dead - and it can take us minutes to get up to speed again.
We know that the wash from a Ship in the main channel, or a redjet etc will affect the whole fleet - so it's annoying, but it affects the fleet equally and dealing with it is a skill in itself. However, because MOBO wake dissapates faster, and the MOBO may not be holding a straight course like the ship or the red jet, and are often closer, it's quite common for the effect to some of the fleet to be much worse than to others. Which has just affected the racing in a way that is not fair to all competitiors.

I'm a competitive guy, I get my fun by competing against, and hopefully beating, other sailors.
My fun rarely has any noticable impact on your fun. It doesn't spoil your day to have to alter course to go around me.

However, your fun can impact on my fun by wrecking my race.
Click to expand...

But your fun also impacts on our fun. :D
 
Well, here's just one example when the wash of a mobo got me seriously pissed off: between Pula and Losinj, dead calm sea, very light airs. Very large mobo comes thundering up from behind and passes some 20 metres to starboard, causing our boat to crash into the trough between the waves he caused and making the boom swing violently. Breakages below, and if someone's head had been within range, it would have been curtains. And it was totally unnecessary: we were visible from miles: a 2° turn to starboard would have sent him well away from us. But then he probably never did see us... Another aspect is the noise pollution Mobos cause too, but let's keep to the thread. Can anyone justify the behaviour of this 'skipper'?
 
solitaire11 said:
At the end of the day it's the sea! like it or lump it... if you don't like it, don't do it. get a narrowboat! seems about the same mentality to me.. :P
Click to expand...

With narrowboat ownership comes the unfolding of a protein that activates a little known gene that fits you with a flat cap and makes you wave a fist at any passing boat yelling "Bl00dy slow down".

As for commercial boats, anyone who ventures on the Tideway in daylight will recognise the frequent wall of water supplied by any tug, or tripper, or commuter boat, or Police launch, or PLA launch, or pilot boat or... and that includes those who sail. You learn to anticipate and cope, its not supposed to happen, speed limits etc, but it does. No room for leaving a wide berth.
 
Andrew_Fanner said:
With narrowboat ownership comes the unfolding of a protein that activates a little known gene that fits you with a flat cap and makes you wave a fist at any passing boat yelling "Bl00dy slow down".
Click to expand...

I'm glad someone else has noticed that as well as me.
The smartie-tuber mentality is, "if it's not moored up it's going too fast":rolleyes:
 
Metabarca said:
Well, here's just one example when the wash of a mobo got me seriously pissed off: between Pula and Losinj, dead calm sea, very light airs. Very large mobo comes thundering up from behind and passes some 20 metres to starboard, causing our boat to crash into the trough between the waves he caused and making the boom swing violently. Breakages below, and if someone's head had been within range, it would have been curtains. And it was totally unnecessary: we were visible from miles: a 2° turn to starboard would have sent him well away from us. But then he probably never did see us... Another aspect is the noise pollution Mobos cause too, but let's keep to the thread. Can anyone justify the behaviour of this 'skipper'?
Click to expand...

What about the noise pollution from the rigging on yachts whilst moored up in harbour/port?

Does that not count?
 
I've never been concerned about wake from others when underway, sailing or motorboating.
Haven't had the real problem that occurs when "becalmed" because if I can't make 4kts under sail I turn the engine on!!
What does annoy me is when folk (usually mobos) don't appreciate the wash they are making and the mayhem they are creating where boats are moored to buoys, pontoons, or more seriously alongside quay walls. Real damage can be caused in those circumstances and the common excuse of "I'm not exceeding the speed limit" just demonstrates how thick these people are.
I just wish that HM's could more easily penalise miscreants based on no/low-wash areas and did so, publicly to "wake up" the rest.
Have to admit that occasionally I've been a sinner due to lack of concentration.
 
CX54WEK said:
What about the noise pollution from the rigging on yachts whilst moored up in harbour/port?

Does that not count?
Click to expand...

Yes it counts, but less and for one full and two half-reasons: it can't be heard from miles away, we prefer to go out to sea to play, not stay in the car park and besides, it's evocative! (grin)
 
flaming said:
I'm a competitive guy, I get my fun by competing against, and hopefully beating, other sailors.
My fun rarely has any noticable impact on your fun. It doesn't spoil your day to have to alter course to go around me.

However, your fun can impact on my fun by wrecking my race.
Click to expand...
That might be true if somehow the wash only affected you - but it doesn't, it affects everyone in the race. Sometimes you will lose out because of it, other times you will will because of it.

Next you will be complaining that God spoils your fun by making the wind change direction and ruining your race.
 
lovezoo said:
That might be true if somehow the wash only affected you - but it doesn't, it affects everyone in the race. Sometimes you will lose out because of it, other times you will will because of it.

Next you will be complaining that God spoils your fun by making the wind change direction and ruining your race.
Click to expand...

Read the rest of my post.

And yes, we do frequently complain about the wind Gods, but they don't have a forum where I can tell them about it!
 
flaming said:
Read the rest of my post.

And yes, we do frequently complain about the wind Gods, but they don't have a forum where I can tell them about it!
Click to expand...
I did read the rest of your post, and my point still stands. Sometimes you will benefit from wash and sometimes you will lose out, its just the luck of the draw and in any competitive sport you need luck to win.

Don't blame us if it isn't your day to be lucky.
 
lovezoo said:
Don't blame us if it isn't your day to be lucky.
Click to expand...

Not the point. I don't want to win by luck any more than I want to lose by luck.
Nor do I believe a MOBO blasting through a near becalmed race fleet has anything to do with luck, more with a reluctance to deviate from the path indicated by the chart plotter, coupled with a lack of understanding as to the results...
 
Metabarca said:
Yes it counts, but less and for one full and two half-reasons: it can't be heard from miles away, we prefer to go out to sea to play, not stay in the car park and besides, it's evocative! (grin)
Click to expand...

It may well be evocative to you but whilst laid in bed wishing the noise would go away it really aint evocative to me.

Now the sound of a pair of big diesels being wound up, that is a different prospect. Music to the ears.
 
flaming said:
Not the point. I don't want to win by luck any more than I want to lose by luck.
Nor do I believe a MOBO blasting through a near becalmed race fleet has anything to do with luck, more with a reluctance to deviate from the path indicated by the chart plotter, coupled with a lack of understanding as to the results...
Click to expand...
In that case, its tough luck. :D
 
Does there exist anywhere a legal definition of excessive wash? This definiiton thus not open to (mis)interpretation by aggrieved parties, either because their cocoa was near to spilling or because they have been made to alter course and speed to no apparent purpose.

It does rather suggest that the answer is "no". Inland the definition can be "breaking wash" but that is in water that is neither mathematically deep nor wide and is therefore a very artificial situation. A rowing boat can acheive an element of breaking wash with some application, as can a sailing dinghy.

Gentlemen: the floor is yours. Let us have an agreed definition of excessive wash, agreed by all parties, so that debate can then be held as amongst rational adults. I'm not currently throwing my hat into the ring. I will lay some ground rules.

1. Excessive does not mean "any disturbance of the surface of the water" any more than it means "no actual tsunami conditions"
2. Differing hull shapes make differing amounts of wash at differing speeds. That's how boats are made. If your craft makes least wash at 65knots then objectors nneed to accept that.
3. Moaning about "raggies" and "stinkpots" brings nothing to the debate and entrenches positions.
4. Remember what happened to the boy who cried "Wolf"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top