Worst Wake Ever !

[OrangeCrush]

I had one of the most unpleasant boating experiences of my life today coming through the Cape Cod canal in my 1978 Pearson 26. We were soaked last night in a series of thunderstorms and we had our lifelines full of drying clothes today while motoring towards Buzzards bay with a strong current. While cruising out of the canal at over 10 knots (current included), a large powerboat traveling at least twice as fast cut over hard and crossed our bow within about a boat length. He curved around, creating a huge circular wake that compounded on itself and crashed over our bow with a gigantic crash. All our laundry was soaked with salt water, which also poured in the open forward hatch, even making it back to the cockpit and soaking all of us. *All of our luggage and cabin cushions got soaked. I don't think I have ever been so mad in my life, and it honestly seemed like he did it on purpose.*

It took me a long while to get things down below wiped down and rinsed off with fresh water and laid out once again to dry. *Then I went for a *swim to cool off, literally and emotionally, and to my dismay I found that the wake had actually taken off some large chips of the bottom paint on my bow.*

Besides venting about this maddening ordeal, this leads me to my question. How can I touch up the bottom paint without having my marina do it? Two of the chips, about the size of silver dollars, are right at the waterline. I could weight the boom to heel the boat and touch up with anti-fouling paint. The other chips are a little farther below the waterline, about 6 vertical inches perhaps, almost at the centerline of the boat about a foot back from the bow. They are three linear chips about eight inches long and an inch wide each. These ones seem harder to get to by weighing down the boat, although I could try getting a lot of weight in the stern an leveraging the boom as well.*

Any suggestions on this? It's only July and my boat will be in the water for three more months, and marine growth is a really big problem where I am (Brooklyn, NY). I really can't afford to have the marina fix this for me right now. How about letting the boat sit on some sand at low tide so the waterline drops about 6 inches and touching it up then?*How long does bottom paint need to air dry before it's ready for the water? If anyone does suggest using the tide, how exactly do I execute this procedure safely?*

Any tips are greatly appreciated, along with anything else you can say to restore my faith in humanity.*

[OrangeCrush]

Forgive the punctuation I am writing on my phone thanks!

[David M]

Its really too bad some people have to be like that. Are these the same people who weave through traffic 30 MPH above the traffic flow? I bet he also had gold chains, greased back hair, mirror glasses, an aloha shirt buttoned down to his navel and perhaps a white nylon windbreaker...uh huh...I know the type.

For future reference, people are legally responsible for their wake. The damage he caused is his financial responsibility, not yours. Next time be sure to have the ability to quickly take down the registration number or name, description and port of registry. A waterproof camera with pictures taken of the jerk, his boat, his wake and any damage would also be helpful if you need to go to court.

Bottom paint only needs to dry an hour or two before you can splash it. Greasy cheese balls in power boats?...you can splash those immediately.

[Christian Van H]

Crush...Did you get a name on the boat? You should try all you can to get that bastard in trouble. All boaters are fully responsible for their wake. Make him pay!!!

[daddle]

Garbage cans on the stern - full of water. In a pinch an hour of drying on the paint works. No matter the quality, it sure beats barnacles and grunge.

[djmarchand]

Well, it could have been worse. It could have been a whale!!

As the previous post said, bottom paint doesn't need to dry very long. Marinas routinely remove the last jackstands, slap on some paint in the bald spots and splash it.

You might even try getting a brush really wet and applying it underwater. It just might work.

But having said that and if the missing bottom paint is in a regular line, is it possible that your many year old boat has some delamination at its keel that caused the paint to pop off?

David

[OrangeCrush]

I think it would have been impossible regardless because of his speed, but I was too busy reeling from the impact of the wake to see anything. I would be willing to bet he is a repeat offender at this type of thing. Hopefully karma is a real thing.

Any thoughts on the problem of the paint chips?

[David M]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

I think it would have been impossible regardless because of his speed, but I was too busy reeling from the impact of the wake to see anything. I would be willing to bet he is a repeat offender at this type of thing. Hopefully karma is a real thing.

Any thoughts on the problem of the paint chips?

Yes, just lean the boat over, hit it with some Scotchbrite, tape it off and paint right over the bare spot.

[Drew13440]

Paint will dry quick, do what ya gotta. Don't be underway with open hatches. If it's not a powerboat it'll be something else that gets you. Don't ship a gun, but do keep something on hand you can throw, hard, like eggs, at these SOB's.

[OrangeCrush]

Well it's probable that the paint popped off because of hull flexing, but the paint chips are well above the keel/hull joint. I'm definitely wary of keel issues, especially since my keel met an unexpected reef last year. That's an old story, though. Everything has been checked and double checked and I'm pretty confident it's sound.

[delmarrey]

I see these jerks all the time. Last time I was out there was a 40+ cruiser gaining on us about 6 boat lengths abeam, then he crossed over and passed by us doing about 20 knots throwing a huge wake. Then he has the gall to wave as he goes by which I throttle back and let'm go. Catching the name as he went by. I had a stink pot swamp my 23'er one time and now I take action if it looks intentional.

Sometimes I'll get on the radio and do a "Sécurité, sécurité, sécurité" "Hazard to navigation" and give the name and description of the boat, lat. & att. and hope the CG is within range. Maybe someday these guys will get caught.

[cla6665]

There should be more CG boats out there to ensure safety in the water. I grew up in Italy and I have to say that we do have a lot of SOB's there as well, but there are also a lot of CG vessels ( They are called water police there). You can very easily get a big fine or loose your license for being" irresponsible , ( we are required to have a license if you want to put a boat in the water).
IMO every boater should have a license in the US, that way if you do stupid things " say bye bye to the license".

[Drew13440]

Eggs! Really old ones! As hard as you can!

[BubbleHeadMd]

It's wierd that a hard dive cause paint to pop or flex off. I've never heard of this, but that doesn't mean anything. The only thing I can think of that would stop the paint from curing rapidly would be high humidity.

Just paint it, get something on it and then do it right when you haul out for the winter.

And...sorry to hear about your "Close Encounter of the *******-Kind".

[CarlF]

While I am in no way condoning the jerk powerboat, I've taken green water over the bow on more than one occasion coming out of the Cape Cod Canal into Buzzards Bay -- in a considerably bigger boat.

When an outgoing 5 knot canal current hits the famous Buzzards Bay 25 knot sou-wester afternoon sea breeze, it can form an astoundingly steep chop right off the Onset buoy that continues past Wings Neck. That chop is why Herreshoff designed the "Buzzards Bay Boys Boat" (otherwise known as the Herreshoff 12) in 1914 with a full keel, high coamings, and decked bow.

After the calm of the canal. the chop can be quite disorienting and the channel is narrow with little maneuvering room.

If there's a southwest wind, we always put everything away, dog the hatches and bring out the weather gear">foul weather gear as we pass under the railroad bridge.

Carl