Should I give Yachts a wide berth ?

[DAKA]

I hope to be cruising this year in the Solent area in my 30 Knot stinker, most of my experience is from the North Sea.
Last weekend in the Solent I tried to keep well clear of any Yachts but I found the Solent to be so crowded once I altered course for one boat another Yacht or fisherman stood up in a dinghy was there.
I completed much of the journey at 6 knots even in open waters and never got an acknowledgment so I wondered if everyone just accepts wash in the Solent or should I continue to try to avoid making wash near large Yachts ?


Each time I come off the plane it costs £3 or so to power back up and I don't want to waste money if most skippers dont mind a bit of wash anyway, maybe enjoy it as the RIBs do /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Judders]

Personally I enjoy it, it gives me more amunition to whinge and make sweeping generalisations about inconsiderate lotto winning baseball cap wearing mobo chavs...

Actually its the noise I dislike.

 

[bobgosling]

In my admittedly limited experience I have observed that a powerboat planing produces less wash than when going past at displacement speed ( when it can be ridiculously choppy ! )

I "expect" there to be some wash when a MoBo goes past and provided I have seen it coming I can brace myself accordingly. It can be a real b'stard when fiddling with fenders though because generally both hands are occupied at the time.

Nice to know that you are making an effort not to offend Raggies /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[RupertW]

Most people appreciate somebody as courteous as you were trying to be and should show it.

There are a lot of discourteous boaters around of both types - typified for me on Saturday in the very open waters near Brighton where two moboers went past me on the plane when I was trying to keep sails full in very light winds where the odd wave makes a real difference. No problem with them being on the plane, but their wash was significant to me and wouldn't have been if they'd just gone a few hundred yards to seaward or landward of their long straight line course. I waved in a friendly way anyway and just got two faces staring rigidly ahead.

In anything windy I don't mind washes at all, and in the Solent you've got to expect a lot of close quarter stuff.

 

[DAKA]

[ QUOTE ]
inconsiderate lotto winning baseball cap wearing mobo chavs...



[/ QUOTE ]

Long way from a description of me in all respects, if I was inconsiderate I would hardly be sticking my neck out here !

Noise ?
Can you hear the engine noise ?
or do you mean the p*ss heads drinking until early hours , again not I.

 

[DAKA]

Obviously I would go past anyone putting fenders in/out or getting in/out of tender at zero wash (2-3 knots) it is more the open waters where yachts are already in full sail.

Bob, a few hundred yards was mentioned , in a 24 foot yacht ?

This is really helpful and perhaps I should have reworded my question

Can I pass a 30 ft boat at 200m at 24 knots with out spoiling his day ?

100 m at 24 knots off a 40 ft ?

 

[RupertW]

It's not so much the length of the boat - my little 24 footer could have waves crashing all over it without any damage. The only hassle in open waters comes in light winds where you have sails set up to catch the smallest bit of wind and the sea itself is dead calm. It's all a bit of a game, I admit, but when a wash comes in the boat rocks, sails spill wind and you stop dead for a few minutes whilst you set it all up again. In a larger boat it would be even more hassle.

Once again, you'd just have to put up with it in crowded water but when there's just you and a couple of motorboats as far as you can see then a small course alteration would make it more pleasant for everyone.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Daka,

Assuming this is not a wind up (you never know) one important consideration is how windy/choppy it is.

Generally speaking on a bouncy sort of day with plently of breeze, one mobo wash more or less doesn't make a whit of difference (providing it is not stupidly close).

OTOH, in near calm conditions when yachts are creeping along with sails hardly filled the further away and the less wash, the better. In those sorts of conditions, even the wake from a mobo a quarter of a mile away can rock the boat, and shake the wind out of the sails.

Thanks for your consideration so far, please keep it up!

PS - at 6 kts, you should consider swapping the mobo for a rag'n'stick!

 

[JasB]

you asked nicely here, so as far as I am concerned, you can splash me.

 

[DAKA]

Thanks twister, this is not a wind up, I could think of more amusing things than this, I was concerned I could be in for a rough ride and appreciate all the advice that is offered.
As for returning to sail, yes there barely passes a weekend when I dont miss it but SWMBO wouldn't come /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
we sailed in the Humber which put her off, there are so few boats out there you are pleased of the company.

1/4 of a mile outside the Solent on a calm day I would consider too close anyway but last week end in the Solent I dont think I could see 1/4 mile of clear water to head for.

 

[Sans Bateau]

DAKA, welcome to the Solent.

When I read your first post I thought, here we go another wind up, another troll, but no you seem genuine. As a rag and stick bloke I thank you for you concern.

I think it unreasonable to expect a power boat not to run on the plane, after all with the way fuel prices are going, you may not be able to do so for much longer!

The clearance distances you have suggested should be more than enough. As some of the others suggest it is when there is little wind do we have a problem with wash. However and I believe you would be conscious of this, wash entering a harbour or marina etc when a crew is taking down their sails putting out their fenders or in an anchorage, is in fact dangerous, after all if you are at your destination yourself, to cover the last 500M at 4knts aint going to make you THAT late at the bar is it?

Out of pure good manners we always make a point of giving a wave of thanks to the mobo that shows consideration to us. Unfortunately the considerate mobo owners will be tainted by those who dont give a sh 1 t, in the same way that the courteous sail boat owner will be cast with the ones who have no manners at all.

 

[DAKA]

I am guilty sometimes in Harbour entrances, usually while trying to navigate wash free and keeping out of the way of a sailing boat some tw** in a MOBO will come in at 10 knots.
Then I have to decide if I want to get knocked about or keep in front out of the way .

I have visited the Solent for a number of years now but this year intend to spend more time there.

 

[Sans Bateau]

Well, you look out for us and come and say hello.

 

[DanTribe]

A bit of consideration is always appreciated and I try to acknowledge, but sometimes a thank you wave could be seen as a rude sign.
Something which is often forgotten is the effect of wash in shallow water.
Several times whilst anchored off a beach, a moderate wash has heaped up and caused waves dangerous to kids in dinghies etc.
The boats responsible were long past and did not realise the effects, but please look out for boats anchored in shallows.
Ta.

 

[DAKA]

Will do.
I think I have been trying too hard to avoid wash and I have been encouraged by some replies, thanks.

I am aware of wash near shallows and I always enter anchorages slowly.

Perhaps a wall of shame is needed

Photos of boats too fast too close posted on the Mobo site.
Chances of someone from the forum being in the photo slim but it would help all learn how close is too close.

Best spoil photo before posting or some may try to get cheap running shots !

 

[JasB]

[ QUOTE ]
Perhaps a wall of shame is needed

[/ QUOTE ]


ooooh! I like!! Me first:

He actually gave me my first soaking on my first boat.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Re: Wall of shame

Wall of shame entries

and

 

[gjeffery]

Re: Wall of shame

A couple of thoughts. First, please do think of the smaller boat when holding them on your nose while doing 20 Kn. To me, having a fast boat holding me on a constant heading is like looking down the barrel of a gun. Beach effects due to shallowing water, such as Chi bar and Soton water have already been mentioned, and not everyone appreciates the effect of wash amplification through reinforcement when semi planing power boats are in convoy, or circle at speed.

Last summer while moored in Soton Water, a power boat circling at high speed reinforced its own wash and caused a complete upset in the boat, the handheld uniquely jumping from rack to cabin sole. Effect on inexperienced crew is unhelpful.

Finally, if I wave to power boats as they pass, frequently in gratitude, and always to be friendly and to avoid power/sail antipathy. Please give me the benefit of the doubt, and wave back!

 

[DAKA]

Re: Wall of shame

Hi gjeff,

Cichester Bar could be an area that I have unwittingly caused a problem.

I would exit past the Yacht club and stoke at 6 knts and increase to 8 at Stoke (100 m past the end of beach), once if the Chanel is clear I power up.

At Chichester Bar Marker I would go between the two poles and power up in an attempt to keep clear of boats entering/leaving.
Or if that was blocked I would go east to deep clear water.

Are you saying even at 200m say that could still cause a problem at the Bar marker ?

I do find it difficult here and Portsmouth narrow west entrance when some boats try to sail out against the wind and tide at the same time a 15 m mobo will come in at 10 knts, ribs at 15knts, the sooner I can get out the mayhem the better .

 

[DAKA]

No pics, but I may as well come clean and explain exactly what made me wonder if I was wasting my time trying to avoid wash around any boats not just Yachts.

At the week end I witnessed several RIBs and Launches operating from various Yacht Clubs around Cowes, transporting crew to and from Yachts swinging.
It appeared no one cared about the wash.
A RIB / 25ft launch creates a more aggressive wash than I do at 10 knts .
My thought was if these Yacht clubs dont care should I ?

We were doing about 6 knots and they were buzzing round us like flies.

I have learned from this thread and I will continue to try to keep wash down, but I have been over cautious in the past.