big cruisers & safety

[loony]

The safe boating thread reminded me of how unpredictable boating can be.

Last season I had a bizzare experience with a huge cruiser (biggest I've ever seen on the lake) near the mouth of meredith bay. I was traveling from the east, rounding the corner into the mouth of meredith bay while a HUGE cruiser was coming out. We passed each other, cruiser to my port- at least 250ft appart. The cruiser seemed to be travelling rather slow (perhaps an illusion) - I saw no wake. I thought nothing of it until a few moments later I saw an enormous roller heading towards me - I immediately turned into it as the wave crashed over the bow of my 20ft bowrider. I was shocked!! As I stood there with the bilge pump running, I tried to figure out what had happened. The only thing I can think of was that because I was in shallower water, the wave grew as it headed towards me. I didnt think this could happen from a surface wave.

Has this happended to anyone else on the lake????

[Paugus Bay Resident]

The worst wakes I can remember were the ones thrown by the Marine Patrol when the used the Coast Guard UTB. One of our friends hit one with a 21' boat. His wive had multiple lacerations on her face, and was lucky she didn;t break her jaw.

The wake seemed almost invisble until you were right on it.

[Dave R]

The wake from those big boats can be quite huge but in that area of the lake it may have been a combination of two or three wakes that caused the monter roller you dealt with. It's a busy spot. Another thought: Maybe the big cruiser had just come off plane prior to you rounding the point and the wake was residual from prior speed. Betting the boat was that 53' Carver I see now and then. It's huge for this lake.

I have taken water over the bow from a wake once. I was at headway speed heading eastward in front of the Wolfboro town docks. A 30+ foot performance cruiser came out from the docks off my port bow and accelerated at full throttle as soon as it was clear of the docks cutting me off at close range ( I had to engage reverse to prevent an accident) while sending a huge wall of water over my bow. Thought it was quite rude of the boat captain to not give way and to go so fast so close to the docks and other boats. I'm not a violent person but I think I could have become so at that point, given the opportunity. Especially since the captain was looking right at me when he did it.

[fatlazyless]

Hey, YO YO YO......like WOW....one of my FAV things to do is go find a big live-aboard cruiser thats out cruising and do what I call wake crawling. The MP's battleship-of-da-fleet, their 41' steel CG motor launch puts out a huge wake what w/ its' two diesels. Anyway,whay I do, although not with the MP's is to take my 16' fishing boat w/ the 40 Rude and go hang ten over their wakes and follow along behind. Up on plane at about 15mph and maybe three feet of air under the bow as I follow along behind maybe 100 yards some big cruiser's wake. If you are determined, you can go all over the lake in a 16' aluminum boat, even on weekends.

[ApS]

One afternoon, it seemed as though somebody was beating on my front door with a 2X10. It woke me out of a sound afternoon nap.

I opened the door, looked around -- and around the corner -- and saw nobody.

A glance at the shorefront showed leaves, pine needles, and muddied waters within ten feet of shore.

I may be the first person on Lake Winnipesaukee to have ever "answered" a cruiser wake!

[camp guy]

Poor "acres per second", it's getting harder and harder to take an afternoon nap. !!

[KBoater]

ApS,
Could you have been a victim of the first Winnipesaukee tsunami??

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by loony

The safe boating thread reminded me of how unpredictable boating can be.

Last season I had a bizzare experience with a huge cruiser (biggest I've ever seen on the lake) near the mouth of meredith bay. I was traveling from the east, rounding the corner into the mouth of meredith bay while a HUGE cruiser was coming out. We passed each other, cruiser to my port- at least 250ft appart. The cruiser seemed to be travelling rather slow (perhaps an illusion) - I saw no wake. I thought nothing of it until a few moments later I saw an enormous roller heading towards me - I immediately turned into it as the wave crashed over the bow of my 20ft bowrider. I was shocked!! As I stood there with the bilge pump running, I tried to figure out what had happened. The only thing I can think of was that because I was in shallower water, the wave grew as it headed towards me. I didnt think this could happen from a surface wave.
Has this happended to anyone else on the lake????

I agree that boat wakes are largely a surface phenomenon and so growth due to shallower water isn't the answer. Did you not really see it or was it just larger than expected ? Slow moving boats (>NWS, less than on-plane) can throw large wakes. I've found the mail boats (Sophie C, Doris E) to make the largest wakes on the lake. I recall losing a windshield off the ole 14' Glastron but that was due to some, hmmm, deliberate action on my part rather than being caught off-guard. Dad was less than pleased that day

[Silver Duck]

loony

I had something similar happen in about the same area, but in my case there wasn't any other boat even close!

I was moving along at a fair clip and a large wave came out of nowhere. Before I could come off plane I actually buried the bow and wound up with a solid wall of water going clear over the bimini top on a 24 ft cruiser.

I wish I could have seen it; it must have been impresive! To this day, I have no idea of where the wave came from.

Silver Duck

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Silver Duck

loony

I had something similar happen in about the same area, but in my case there wasn't any other boat even close!

I was moving along at a fair clip and a large wave came out of nowhere. Before I could come off plane I actually buried the bow and wound up with a solid wall of water going clear over the bimini top on a 24 ft cruiser.

I wish I could have seen it; it must have been impresive! To this day, I have no idea of where the wave came from.

Silver Duck

Was it shortly thereafter that Ms SD decided the 2600 would be a nicer boat ?

[Silver Duck]

Good guess! But truthfully, it had a lot more to do with the 2600 having AC, which the 2400 didn't. That was the year we had the very hot summer...

Silver Duck

[Will]

I know on the lake on a weekend I have taken out a few 20' bowriders and have no problem burying the bow into a 3'. Kinda fun though, just trim down and SLAM!!! the bow just buries.

Will

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Will

I know on the lake on a weekend I have taken out a few 20' bowriders and have no problem burying the bow into a 3'. Kinda fun though, just trim down and SLAM!!! the bow just buries.

Will

Get a jetboat and you don't even need a wave. Just be on-plane and pop it into reverse. Bow drops like an old Lincoln under heavy braking and voila, you're taking on water Anyone know where I can pick a used SeaDoo Sportster ???