bumpy ride

[Powersalt]

Having just returned from a very rough crossing where we found even the hangers had jumped off the rails and cupboards had flung open during a rather short sharp sea which we had to head into. A serious question occurd to me about the possibility of damage to the boat or its fittings. So

Has anyone out there had problems with their motor yacht when trying to move forward into heavy seas and having circa 10 ton crashing down. What is the professional consensus of opinion.... and am I right to believe the boats are built to take it?

 

[rich]

[ and am I right to believe the boats are built to take it?]

Some do, Some don't

 

[andy59]

I find that my underpants are a good judge of what my boat can handle !!!!!
( well its worked so far )

 

[AndieMac]

The hull, deck and superstructure all seem to fair very well, but the things that are attached to them internally seem to do worse. Cupboards, glass showers screens will open, even when latched shut (10mm sliding latch).
There is potentially a fair bit of flexing involved.

Free falling off "backless" waves (head seas) more than 3 or 4 metres, depending on the size of boat, will usually do it. Doesn't matter how big they are (boat size), they still flex and doors fly open, when the waves get big enough.

The biggest concern is engine bed mounts sheering off and prop shaft mis-alignment, resulting in subsequent engine room flooding. You need to be doing some pretty serious continual free falling for this to occur, but it has happened in our local commercial fishing fleet.

 

[peterandjeanette]

If your boat is in good condition, the general thought is that you will give up before your boat.

All down to common sense. If you feel it is too rough for yourself and your crew ( don't forget them) then either don't go out, turn and run before the seas or zig-zag so you don't meet the waves head on.

The only time I have heard of any damage is many years ago when a friend of mine went out in his boat with other friends. They pushed him to carry on in seas that he would turned away from. Thinking they knew better he was led into a position he knew was wrong. Result - major damage to hull and stringers. Moral - you know your boat. Trust your own judgement.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

a friend had a similar experience on his Fairline 37 Targa
she was 6 years old when this happened and the sea was a Force 6 South Easterly 3 metres 8-10 feet waves coming head to the port beam, the trip was a sixty mile trip from Sicily
with Easterly we normally have this short chop too here in the central med
I think in these circumstances it is important to slow down and have respect to the sea and the boat...

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Having just returned from a very rough crossing where we found even the hangers had jumped off the rails and cupboards had flung open during a rather short sharp sea which we had to head into. A serious question occurd to me about the possibility of damage to the boat or its fittings. So

Has anyone out there had problems with their motor yacht when trying to move forward into heavy seas and having circa 10 ton crashing down. What is the professional consensus of opinion.... and am I right to believe the boats are built to take it?

I think this is *******s put about by boat salesman. Yes the basic structure of the boat may survive jumping off waves but the internal bulkheads and mouldings for cabins and furniture are relatively lightly bonded and may eventually fail and stress cracking may develop around window frames and other apertures.
IMHO it's not much fun and nor is it conducive to the crew feeling secure if cupboards and drawers are flying about or the contents of the fridge deposited on the floor during a rough passage. When I was new to boating, I used to believe the sales hype and the insides of my boats used to look like warzones after rough passages but now I'm a bit older and wiser, I think it's kinder to the boat and the crew to find a speed that the boat feels comfortable at in rough conditions. After all it is supposed to be fun not torture

 

[dsw]

have you got enough ballast in her to stop her slamming?

 

[[2068]]

These days I just slow down to whatever speed is comfortable. "Semi planing mode" (15-16kts) will cope with most conditions with doors and bulkheads still attached, but if that doesn't work, I just drop off the plane and bimble along at 8kts. You do get there eventually, and it has the advantage that most of your teeth remain in their original positions.

dv.

 

[powerskipper]

I have seen and heard of

Having just returned from a very rough crossing where we found even the hangers had jumped off the rails and cupboards had flung open during a rather short sharp sea which we had to head into. A serious question occurd to me about the possibility of damage to the boat or its fittings. So

Has anyone out there had problems with their motor yacht when trying to move forward into heavy seas and having circa 10 ton crashing down. What is the professional consensus of opinion.... and am I right to believe the boats are built to take it?

Boats can develop stringer damage from very rought seas, normally where the boat have hit some big pot holes, [thats the big drop behind a big wave,] Stringers are the frame work that keep the hull the shape it is, bit like a fish bone arrangement. If these weaken or crumble/break they allow the hull to flex more than its meant to; which leads to either hull cracking or internal bulkheads moving or both.
Also where the boat is banging for a long time, this is when it hits the wave hard and you think your back bone is about to pop out the top of your head. this is normally a sign that you need to slow down.

I have heard over the years of nearly every make of boat , bar concrete and steel hulled boats , that have had some kind of hull damage, its not that common so don't get all wound up and think your boat is about to fall to bits every time you hit a wave,its very very very unlikely, it's normally older boat that have been driven hard and BADLY.

I have been in all kinds of boats in all kinds of seas and so far we, the boat and peeps on board have all got back un damaged.

Well there was that time I picked up a boat that was coming back for some warranty work and the first small wave, only a meter or so, we hit and 3 cabin doors fell off, but that was a warranty issue, not a boat issue.