Quote:
Originally Posted by Acres per Second
Not quite.
As Woodsy pointed out a couple of years ago, a boat will increase its wake while either accelerating or decelerating. The ability to make a monster wake increases with horsepower—all other things being equal.
Not only that, but an especially dangerous wake can be produced when accelerating—and at the same time— turning! 
Even excluding all that, the difference between 100 and 1000-HP puts the weight towards the transom: This is a weight that must be overcome—indicated by a "bow-high" attitude of the boat while accelerating—somewhat less-so, while decelerating.
The same effect can be duplicated by placing all movable weight aft. (Fuel, gear, and passengers). "Wake- surfers" use this ski-boat practice to produce their huge wakes.
To prove it, just loan me it for just one weekend, and I can really churn things up!
In the absense of any proven damage, I'd be doing it legally!  |
Good point APS.
Displacement and weight are big factors when it comes to how large a wake a boat will generate. I wasn’t exactly clear, and my example was also exaggerated to make a point (100 -1000hp). That is my bad; let me see if I can explain my point little better.
While weight and displacement are factors, they are not the only factors. Many other variables can come into play and actually overcome weight and displacement.
A small block weighs about 1050 lbs (engine, transom shield and drive). A big block weighs in around 1260 lbs (engine, transom shield and drive). My point was the difference in HP/torque may help the heavier engine get on plain quicker and therefore shorten the time the boat is in transition (creating less of a wake).
I realize this is a simplistic way to look at this. There are many other factors involved here. My point is, just because a boat is large and has a big engine, doesn’t necessarily mean it generates big wakes.
So once again I am going to use extreme examples to prove my point. High horsepower, large heavy ships, small wakes.
