Surfing Hardy - how to handle?

stuartwineberg

stuartwineberg

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Just come back from a session in the Cowes Sealift - highly recommended, very helpful and not in any way clock watchers. Ended up coming over in a 6 going up 7, following sea wind with tide. The boat (heavy S/D, wide transom) kept getting picked up by a following wave and then corkscrewed as it surfed. Nose was trimmed slightly up and never dug in. What's the best technique for minimising this - should I slow down to let the waves pass under or speed up to stay ahead - just a new bit of technique for me
 
You'll probably find more answers from raggies - as we're used to this at our slower speed ...

I've found the best way to steer through these is to turn down the face of the wave - you have to anticipate this slightly though - so a good view aft is important ...

unless you're prepared to speed up and go over them of course!!
 
Thanks for all the comments - "trimmed up" - sorry a better way to put it would be not trimmed down - she has eltrim tabs and she is shaft drive - I just had the trim tabs all the way "up"
 
There are many variables here.

If you have enough power to really be powering up, and powering down the other side without stuffing or slewing sideways, then this is the most fun option ... but as the wave sizes increase there will be a point where you are surfing "out of control". This is is where it gets a bit scary, because you realise that twiddling the helm going downhill is doing NOTHING, and hence a good point to back off / slow down and let the waves go gently under you before you end up either sideways to a big one, or stuffing forwards.
 
I delivered a Hardy last year from Falmouth we cruised fine and dandy at 19 knots all went well until the Hurst Narrows ,she started to roll in the rough stuff so found throttling back to D/S speed gave more control and a better ride.

She had the grunt to drive over and keep on the back of the wave in front but became very rolly and was fitted with EVC so quite hard to work the throttles with the time lag.
They are fantastic boats and seem happier in the rough at D/S in my opinion.
Tim
 
If you have enough power then I'd try to park myself on the upslope of the wave in front of you and stay there. I think that's the safest place to be but you need to concentrate on the throttles. Oh, and trim tabs should be up, as you already know.
The only downside to this, as far as I'm aware, is a lack of forward visibility in really big waves.
 
What a fantastic response - thanks all. Consensus seems to be to line up with the speed of the waves and try to settle on the back of one. I also have the eletrconic throttles and they are indeed slow to react. Also the autopilot seems to be a heck of a lot better than me at holding a steady course
 
Basically the worst case scenario in this situation is a broach where the bow digs in to the back of a wave and the wave behind it picks up the stern of the boat and turns the boat sideways on to the waves. This is not good as there is a danger of capsize if the waves are large enough. The accepted wisdom to avoid this is to keep the flow of water over the rudders as fast as possible to retain as much control over the stern as possible. This would suggest that you try to go as fast as possible and, certainly, in a planing boat, you would do just that providing you weren't burying the bow into the waves in front. However, every boat has it's most comfortable speed in any given condition and it's a case of finding that speed where the boat is most comfortable and you feel most in control so you have to experiment a bit. Certainly SD boats with their big keels get pushed around more in a following sea but I would be very surprised if a seaworthy boat like the Hardy cannot handle a F6-7 following sea in the Solent. You will never get rid of that corkscrewing feeling altogether just find a speed where it feels more controllable. You don't say whether the boat was on autopilot. Certainly the motion would be worse with the boat on pilot because the pilot can't make steering corrections as quickly as you can. If you are going to use the pilot in a following sea, you should turn up the response to max and, if it's a big sea you should be steering by hand anyway so that you can react quicker if the boat starts to broach. In a very big following sea, it may even be better to alter your heading to a safer one and proceed in a zigzag pattern
 
Ah, good. Trim tabs not employed.


As Deleted User says " you should be steering by hand anyway so that you can react quicker if the boat starts to broach. In a very big following sea, it may even be better to alter your heading to a safer one and proceed in a zigzag pattern"

I think this is good advice as whilst the auto pilot might gnereally steer a better course than you can its the speed of your own response with throttle and helm should a broach situation occur.

I have to say its alarming to all (not just the helmsman) when you have a following sea throw you about and you cannot control the heading with any accuracy. But, that said a combination of throttle and helm ought to save the day in a well found boat....!
 
My experience with semidisplacement is Halmatic 34 and Aquastar 48.

If you run with it I use the autopilot when I can but be prepared to hit stop and helm by hand.

The autopilot can move the rudder faster and more accurately but cant get a feel for the wave .

When the lumps get really big and the boat is surfing ( at normal rpm 19 knots) up the back of the wave 12 knots and surfing up the face 24 knots I tend to be prepared to cut the power sharply if required when surfing. If scared cut back on the power so that you dont surf.

I have not broached yet, but i overheard a phrase relating to fear on a ski lift in north america whaich is apt : when your cheeks start to spread steer carefully and hold the throttles and be prepared to throttle back.

In my experience you need to get a "feel" for the boat in question.
 
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