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Old 10-12-2009, 07:00 AM   #1
mowtorman
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Default Doris/Sophie wake

A few years ago I was heading from Weirs to the south end of Bear. I met the Sophie or Doris at the pinch at the very southwest tip of Bear, they were going east and I was going west. We were in the buoys out from West Beach at the same time. I cut to no wake, the tour boat never cut throttle and blew right by at peak wake. I should have hit the throttle and put my nose up but I didn't. My 19' closed bow boat went up and down slightly then about 6" of their wake came straight over my closed bow and rolled right over
the windshield and nailed me. At least the windshield withstood the force of the water. It all poured down over the dash and gauges, no electrical problems or otherwise. What would have been the etiquette here when our 2 boats were no more than 30' apart?
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Old 10-12-2009, 07:48 AM   #2
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Commercial vessels are subject to the same ROR and safety rules as any other craft. You would have been within your rights to report it to the MP, write a letter of complaint to the owners or file a lawsuit if you had been damaged. If you wanted to be funny you could have sent them a mock laundry bill for your shorts!

Having said that, I want to say that I have encounterred a few of the lakes commercial vessels and overwhelmingly they have operated correctly.
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Old 10-12-2009, 12:36 PM   #3
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Actually a few years ago I had a similar experience with either the Doris or Sophie. The D/S was headed out of the Weirs up Meredith Bay and I was headed toward the Weirs.

We met about 50 to 75 feet apart, I was running at headway speed with people sunning themselves on the crusier bow and the Doris/Sophie was traveling at its usual crusing speed kicking up a pretty good wake.

When the D/S passed I had to point the bow into the wake and the girls on the bow of our cruiser got a good soaking.

We had a laugh over it but since it was brought up I wonder if this might be the norm in these situations for what my father used to call the PT Boats?
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Old 10-12-2009, 12:43 PM   #4
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Default In all my years

it seems that the Doris and Sophie always had huge wakes. Even moving awayto try to allow the wake to flatten some before trying to cross it just doesn't seem to help much. Certainly don't want to roll with them side to side. I think part of Broadhoppers signature is "What a ride", and it would certainly apply here.
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Old 10-12-2009, 09:24 PM   #5
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Default great for tubing

The Doris/Sophie wake is the sought-after-prize for most teenagers being pulled on a tube.
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Old 10-17-2009, 05:11 AM   #6
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Default "Etiquette" plus...

Quote:
Originally Posted by mowtorman View Post
"...What would have been the etiquette here when our 2 boats were no more than 30' apart...?"
At some point, the other boat would have been 150' away. At 300', you might have sounded five blasts on your air horn. (To signal "danger".) That should elicit some response, unless those boats have "lesser" captains than the Mount—who is the best.

My experience is that the first two waves are manageable, but the third and fourth are the worst waves in a wake.

Slow down, take the first two at a 45° angle, then shift either:

1) more directly into the wake (and get wet) or
2) take a slightly less sharp angle (and get pushed around—but stay drier).

If the wake is curling over at the top, you will have the worst of wakes. This is usually the wake that takes place on the inside of the other boat's turn.

If you have the room, moving away from a wake is a really good idea. (Which is why I've long maintained that powerboats should direct their passage (and wakes) behind a sailboat).

I had an occasional this season where I had to surf a huge wake in order to save my powerboat and passengers from a certain swamping. I never did see the boat that made it, and it's likely that the wake originated from the other side of the Broads.
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Old 10-17-2009, 09:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Acres per Second View Post
At some point, the other boat would have been 150' away. At 300', you might have sounded five blasts on your air horn. (To signal "danger".) That should elicit some response, unless those boats have "lesser" captains than the Mount—who is the best.
They may signal back, but all of them will keep going ahead on their normal route, and speed. The Mount chugs along pretty well between Eagle and Governors as well. When I rode on it, boats ahead of us had to speed up, from headway speed in the NWZ, to avoid becoming fish food




Quote:
If you have the room, moving away from a wake is a really good idea. (Which is why I've long maintained that powerboats should direct their passage (and wakes) behind a sailboat).

I had an occasional this season where I had to surf a huge wake in order to save my powerboat and passengers from a certain swamping. I never did see the boat that made it, and it's likely that the wake originated from the other side of the Broads.
I always try to route behind sailboats for that reason, plus it makes it easier for both boats to stay on course and speed.

Large cruiser wakes will definitely travel quite a ways, and remain pretty large. For this reason, and many more, including being in the Northeast, I haven't owned a bowrider for years. I believe someone in a new Cobalt found that out the hard way
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Old 10-17-2009, 06:50 PM   #8
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We used to love to surf on the Mounts waves......never had a problem with the Sophie.Recently in Ft Meyers,we met a 120' yacht that was doing around 30knots at a narrow place on the intercoastal......throwing up a freaking tsunami......I was able to do a 180 and flee back to a no wake zone.....scary!
Just curious....what's the biggest wake anyone has seen on Winnipesaukee???.
I remember what seemed to be 6 footers with a northwest wind going into Winter harbor
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Old 10-17-2009, 09:30 PM   #9
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Default Sank at the dock

Years ago the wake from the Y boat sank my in-laws' boat at the dock. We had some rain overnight and the boat's transom was probably riding lower than usual. One minute the boat was riding at the dock and a few minutes later the boat was sitting on the bottom.

Around that same time we had a small daysailer. I was trying to sail through the markers at the north end of Mark and either the Doris or Sophie went by. They didn't slow down and the wake was enormous. I bobbed so violently I thought the mast stays were going to snap.
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Old 10-18-2009, 03:37 PM   #10
John A. Birdsall
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Default Wake or Wave

A wake and a wave while made from water are caused by many different causes. I had an 11 ft boat and about 1962 or 63 we were over in behind sleepers island visiting. The morning was great, but then the black clouds came and the wind. We had to get two boats back to Echo Point. My dad was driving a 16' Lyman with a fifty horse. My brother and I were in the 11 ft with an 18 hp. we tried to keep within 50' of each other, but we in the little boat were taking a beating. My dad signaled us to go on and away we went but them waves had to be 8 to 10' high I did not see my dad get the lyman in the boat house, but he did, We ended up almost in the driveway.

the lake can be dangerous, and sometimes people can be reckless.
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Old 10-19-2009, 10:11 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SAMIAM View Post
Just curious....what's the biggest wake anyone has seen on Winnipesaukee???.
I remember what seemed to be 6 footers with a northwest wind going into Winter harbor
Biggest I can recall was from a black Regal cruiser, at least 40' long. It was transitioning to on-plane when we passed, if memory serves, in Meredith Bay. The wake was much bigger than I expected (and I was expecting a big one) and very steep. I dropped to about 15 MPH and got the bow up in preparation, and probably got airborne when the trough dropped out behind the first wave. My boat is 25' long.
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Old 10-19-2009, 11:24 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SAMIAM View Post
We used to love to surf on the Mounts waves......never had a problem with the Sophie.Recently in Ft Meyers,we met a 120' yacht that was doing around 30knots at a narrow place on the intercoastal......throwing up a freaking tsunami......I was able to do a 180 and flee back to a no wake zone.....scary!
Just curious....what's the biggest wake anyone has seen on Winnipesaukee???.
I remember what seemed to be 6 footers with a northwest wind going into Winter harbor
I have seen at least 6 to 8 feet just leaving Wolfeboro Bay and heading up by the neck. A few days of a NW wind can create some huge rollers by the time they reach Wolfeboro Neck. I have dunked my nose on occasion in a 27 foot boat. If you misjudge your speed and the wave frequency. A nice wall of water in your face.
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Old 10-30-2009, 05:27 AM   #13
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Default From the Rock and Bullwinkle show....

And now it's time for Mr. Knowitall!

'Wanted to chat about how to best handle high seas (waves).

First, we are confronted with two types of waves up here on the Lake. God made and man made.

The man made ones are difficult to deal with because they are unpredictable. They come in various sizes and from all directions. You must be alert for these as you pass busy places such as the Weirs.

The God made ones can be bigger on our Lake but they are more predictable and you can "hide" from them by staying in the lee of islands, etc. The waves from a NW wind (that is FROM the NW) are legendary at Parker Island and Winter Harbor. They can get pretty dicey blow'en down twards Eagle Island from Meredith. The bottom line is that we have to deal with big waters in small boats.

Question: What do we use to control our boats?

Answer: A rudder and a propeller (screw).

This is key...In order to maintain control of your boat you MUST keep the rudder and screw in the water. They must be wet at all times.

When taking a big wave on the bow do NOT drive straight into it. Your boat may climb the wave and as the bow starts to drop your rudder and screw can be lifted out of the water. You can now not steer or control your speed. Boats will often shoot straight down into the trough and burry the bow. This is known as pitchpolling. This can sink a boat.

So what do you do? Take waves at an angle (Maybe 30 to 45 degrees). The boat will go over the wave but the angle will keep the rudder and screw in the water. You can steer and control your speed. You can throttle down to slow the boat. At the bottom of the trough your boat will rise at this angle and you give it more throttle to climb the wave and you will be in control to repeat the maneuver for the next wave.

You may have to "tack" your power boat like a sailboat does sailing into the wind to get where you are going.

If you are going slower than the waves and they are coming from behind you do the same with your stern. Take them on the port or stbd. quarter. If a big wave (or series of them) hit your transom square, you can be pooped.

It is good to practice this when times are good and the seas are not too rough.

End of lecture, I didn't mean to preach.

And now back to the show. "Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat".

Misty Blue.
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Old 10-31-2009, 08:07 AM   #14
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I loved your informational news break and had to laugh with the Bullwinkle reference. Thanks for the smile!
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