How Do You Like Being Overtaken by a Power Boat ?

[lorenzo b]

Strange to me how sailors can sit around drinking beer and endlessly telling stories about thrilling sailing adventures in 10 ft seas and 25 mph winds and then turn into little old ladies when they are under power in a channel or asleep in their bunks 50' off the ICW.

[Hudson Force]

There is a counterpoint to the consensus above that a greater distance is best. The closer the pass, the less duration of the wake. A close pass often results in two quick waves, while you can be rolling through many more waves for a longer period of time for a more distant pass. I much rather turn into a quick short event after a close pass. I typically request that overtaking power vessels maintain their speed when they inquire by VHF when overtaking.

[twistedtree]

Originally Posted by GordMay

The passing boat comes off plane directly astern of the slower boat, quartering his wake to either side. At the same time, the boat being passed goes into neutral, greatly slowing down.
The overtaking boat then passes at his best displacement speed.
As soon as he is past, the passed boat turns into the passing boat’s wake, and both resume their former speeds.

It doesn't hurt for the slower boat to indicate that he will be going into neutral, upon the faster boats approach & radio contact.

I think that's the ticket when you are in any sort of a confined waterway. Where space permits, more distance is better. And I totally agree with keeping it way down for anchored/moored boats.

And by the way, I think all this applied no matter what kind of boat you are passing or waking in an anchorage. Rude is rude, and a wake will toss all kinds of boats around.

From a sailor, now in a power boat.

[captain58sailin]

All due respect Gord, the overtaken vessel is supposed to maintain course and speed, the overtaking vessel is supposed to keep clear until well past. With regards to the wake, be courteous and reduce your wake when overtaking, you know your vessel and what kind of a wake you throw at what speed, so do your best to not bounce people around too much, if you can.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by sww914

When I'm sleeping aboard, please slow to 1/2 a knot, turn down the Van Halen, put the Morning Bud Light in the cute little foam thingy that says World's Greatest Boater so it doesn't bang around loudy, and whisper as you pass at 300 yards. If I'm underway, anything goes as long as you don't hit me.
Thanks.

Wow that about sums it up. At least we are beyond generalizations here at CF.

[S/V Antares]

Yes, thanks for asking. Simple... Call on the VHF and ask . I normally ask you to maintain your speed. As a frequent ICW traveler in the later months we have limited daylight. Add up all the passing and I can loose an hour or two and that can be a lot for a slow boat. I missed the Sisters Island bridge (and had to wait 2 hours) last year by 3 min. after slowing for 5 trawlers who slowed all the way down to 3 knots! They could not make a wake at flank speed but ignored my pleas to throttle up. It was only when I started to pass them again did they get it. Must have been a "Rag bagger" in a earlier life.

If the passing boat cannot see your name MAKE A SIGN and hang it on the dink in the davits so they can call you by name. " aaaah... This is _____ calling the white sailboat on the ICW" On high power this could be anyone within 20 miles!

You want a slow pass? Do it like Gordy says. I think the power boaters are normally more polite than the blow boaters... if you answer them.

[Bella Sera]

Assuming "far away" isn't an option (like along much of the ICW), sailboat should slow to bare steerageway and powerboat to 2-4 knots more than the sailboat when they are a few boatlengths apart. This allows powerboat to get by relatively quickly while still allowing sailboat adequate control to turn into the wake as powerboat passes (and powerboat should hit the gas as soon as past so sailboat can turn into wake). Nothing worse than slowing the sailboat and having the powerboat blast by! When approaching from ahead, powerboat should slow to minimize wake, whatever speed that is for that boat....generally pretty fast or pretty slow, but not in the middle. Have seen many slow to high displacement speed with stern dug in which is significantly worse than going by on a plane. Basically, take a look behind you and think. Thanks for asking.

Speaking of asking, heard a sailboat (man's voice) on ICW a few years ago ask the powerboat to blast by and leave a huge wake as a test. Watched spreaders almost hit water as boat rolled. Heard woman's voice come on and say "Well, we won't ask for that again".

[captain58sailin]

A radio call by the overtaking vessel is just common courtesy. It also enhances the safety of the situation and removes doubts about the others intentions.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

Strange to me how sailors can sit around drinking beer and endlessly telling stories about thrilling sailing adventures in 10 ft seas and 25 mph winds and then turn into little old ladies when they are under power in a channel or asleep in their bunks 50' off the ICW.

You're right. I should be eagerly awaiting the jerk who's going to come through an anchorage and flip my dinner to the floor.

I wouldn't be cooking in a storm.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

All due respect Gord, the overtaken vessel is supposed to maintain course and speed, the overtaking vessel is supposed to keep clear until well past. With regards to the wake, be courteous and reduce your wake when overtaking, you know your vessel and what kind of a wake you throw at what speed, so do your best to not bounce people around too much, if you can.

I agree. If you have a big, powerful boat, tolerate the fact that some of us picked relatively easy-to-roll-around sailboats, and pass us in the way that's courteous for your boat. Please don't flip my dinner to the floor.

[rtbates]

First thing is to learn your own boat's behavior, wake wise. Watch your wake vs speed and determine at what speed is your wake at MINIMUM. Use that speed for passing ,crossing ,etc. It ain't rocket science!

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

Strange to me how sailors can sit around drinking beer and endlessly telling stories about thrilling sailing adventures in 10 ft seas and 25 mph winds and then turn into little old ladies when they are under power in a channel or asleep in their bunks 50' off the ICW.

Well you just identified yourself as one of the inconsiderate. Big seas and big winds are not the issue but having you keel slamed into the sea/river bed by a passing motor boat at full noise is not nice and could be very expensive.
Oh and have you ever noticed how slow and well behaved the power boaters become in the anchorages when the coast guard are around.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by daddle

Across to bow is always better.

I disagree. Strongly.

If I'm sailing and you cross my bow, you rob me of speed. Even though my boat displaces 15 tons, 5 of which is in lead ballast, in light air I've had large powerboats stop me dead in the water with their wakes.

If you pass behind me, your wake propels me faster.

Think of it this way: if I'm moving forward at eight knots, and your wake is traveling at ten knots, if you pass before me my relative speed crashing into the wake is 18 knots. If you pass behind me, however, the relative speed of the wake overtaking me is only two knots.

[HopCar]

My boat has a down east lobster boat hull. My idle speed is between 4 and 5 knots and I make minimum wake at that speed. If I have to pass another boat in close quarters I need to go a knot or two faster than the boat I'm over taking. If the overtaken boat is going along at seven or eight knots and I have to go faster than that, I'm going to be pulling a pretty big wake. The slower the overtaken vessel is going, the less wake I'll make when passing. The point being that the overtaken vessel has some control over how big a wake I'll be making as I pass. In open water it's no problem, I don't come close to other boats. This applies to all boats, wether they have a big stick on them or not. My boat has soft chines and if a big wake hits her just wrong, she'll roll the fillings out of your teeth.

[Alecadi]

The Miami way:

In the Dinner Key Channel (quite narrow in some place) power boat in general have a very peculiar way of passing you.
More than once I have seen a power boat arriving full speed.... and a few yards behind my stern dropping her speed and coming along very slowly.. and then , just when they are at my bow level: full speed again !!! With nice hellos and smiles.............!!!

I would have rather the contrary