Solent sailer
Well-Known Member
Fractionally more seriously, I have a good idea of the effect that the wake will have at different speeds and distances, so not much need to look back at every boat passed. In some areas, looking back frequently is a VERY good idea (Poole Harbour: Condor Ferry!)
But also, there's a wake hierarchy.
Being somewhere at the smaller end of the mobo scale, encountering a large Ferry / larger mobo wake means the following procedure: Slow down, "Wake! Hold on!", aim to cut at about 45', power up to keep the nose high, then cue various "yee-hah" sounds as we go up and down with a bit of side to side. Writing a stern letter to the Ferry Company doesn't really come in to it.
Similarly I have had jet skis, and a few smaller ribs that encounter our wake aim for it and go "yee-hah". Again, no stern words exchanged.
But for some reason, sailing yachts aren't part of the wake love-in, despite the water being mostly covered in, errm, waves. (Yes, I know that passing stupidly close so that sails end up flapping, boat rocking, etc. is not good, but that's not what I'm talking about).
I'm starting to think this might be a sheltered water thing.
- Half way across Lyme Bay, or Mid-Channel, complaining about "wake" hardly ever happens, because the place is full of waves anyway.
- On a more typical day in the Solent (F4?), there is this idyllic state where a sailing yacht will proceed well, the IOW is sheltering everyone from the really big stuff, but there will still be some wake tolerance as they're bouncing around in the chop anyway, and are better stabilised by a properly powered up sail.
- On a windless day in the Solent, all the sailing yachts will, by definition, be Grumpy, as they have had to turn the engine on. The smallest ripple from anything with a larger engine produces paroxysms of rage.
The last time I went past Hengistbury Head, I encountered waves much larger than any Ferry wake. I'm in the process of drafting a stern letter to Christchurch Borough Council, requesting that they remove it, and Christchurch Ledge, immediately...
dv.
The problem we have with some less considerate motor boats is when moored / anchored. They are generally just another boat on the water when stopped (loud radios seem more common) but when they decide to go home the press the button to bring the anchor up then head off at full throttle never looking around to see how may tender they have flooded or what is happening to the other moored yachts. This may be because (in my experience)motor boats are so uncomfortable at anchor they assume every one is already hanging on!
Also when crossing something like Poole bay to the Solent in good viability and light winds why is it necessary to pass 10 meters away at full speed when a 5 degree change of course 1/2 a mile back would have put them well clear and made no difference to the passage time?
I put this down to ignorance on there part as I have always find the skippers to be typical of any other people they enjoy being on the water once in the marina. I suspect there are plenty of things sailing types do the upset the motor boats, all that tacking looks like a complete wast of time!
We had a friend who had had speed boats for many years and bought a 14' dinghy. the whole family sailed all the way from Lake Yard Poole to the harbor entrance, turned around and it wouldn't go the sails just flapped, got towed back by the harbor master and gave up sailing!
