overtaking sailboats

[yardpro]

Let me start by saying i gravitate back and forth between sail and power boats, have owned several of both.

I currenntly own a 35 bertram. On quite a few occasions i have come up behind a saiboat in the icw. I have a big problem with most of them. I slow to overtake them and they maintain thier speed, about 8-10 knotts usually.

this is plowing speed for me, so to overtake them, i have to be 10-12 knotts, i plane at 13-14 knotts, so at that speed i am throwing the largest wake that my boat can make...

since they dont slow i usually get back up on plane and pass them at about 21 knotts throwing a much smaller wake.

several times i have been yelled at or cursed over the vhf.

I usually try and hail them ask that they slow so i can pass....

these are under power, so are to be treated like a motorboat.

pisses me off that they expect me to burn more fuel by slowing to pass, then getting back up on plane, but they dont have the courtesy to slow and let me pass more quickly.

[billknny]

Originally Posted by yardpro

On quite a few occasions i have come up behind a saiboat in the icw. I have a big problem with most of them. I slow to overtake them and they maintain thier speed, about 8-10 knotts usually.

Wow. Sailboats must be a lot faster where you come from. I have a 53 footer and I motor at 7 knots at cruise and 8 knots full throttle.

If they are out on the water getting waked is just something they have to tolerate. Kind of like you should learn to slow down and tolerate the slow boat in front of you.

Maybe you--and your sailing nemeses--all need to take a couple chill pills before heading out on the water.

[Nicholson58]

We are 58 feet, 40 tons. 6-7 knots is about our best. Personally I would rather have the power boat on plane, minimum wake and shortest time. On the ICW and other regulated waterways this is not likely permitted or advisable. The rules state the overtaking boat should contact the boat ahead and agree to a reasonable plan, conditions permitting. This is very reasonable and as the passing vessel you should want to know the guy ahead knows you are coming and is prepared. At least give me a chance to secure my coffee cup.

[admiralslater]

I took our family catamaran from toronto to florida 40 something years ago, and someone told me that slowing down to allow motor boats to pass would be helpfull as it allows a slower overtake speed. I did and it did . However not all of the power boats responded in kind when I slowed . But that is to be expected

[skipmac]

I'm another boater that has owned power and sail boats. It is somewhat amazing to me how many boaters (power and sail) do not understand the difference between slow speed and no wake speed and that planing makes less wake than slow/plowing speed.

Also think you may have your numbers a little skewed. I haven't seen many sailboats that can motor at 8-10 kts, more typically 6-7 or max 8 kts. Regardless that would still require you to plane or plow to get around.

Bottom line, there's a lot of boaters, power and sail, that are somewhat clueless and are going to get pissed over some perceived problem or no problem at all. Best you can do is just do what is right, smile and move on.

[Jammer]

Call them on the radio.


I always monitor 16. If I'm being overtaken by something that throws a large wake, I like to know, and I will usually turn the bow into the wake and just stop.


I would rather be passed at planing speed than by someone plowing the water. Most power boaters don't seem to understand the difference in the wake they throw.

[Suijin]

Jammer is right. Call them.

The ettiquite on the ICW for sailboats is to slow down and let powerboats pass. The problem is that it is easy to forget to look behind you often enough to be aware of every boat that is overtaking you. If 16 lights up with a warning I’m thankful and throttle back to let them pass as smoothly as possible. I’d rather do that than be surprised and either waked or have to steer into it with little warning.

A month ago I was being overtaken in a narrow straight by a nuclear attack submarine and they hailed me politely to notify me and discuss how to handle it. I really appreciated it. Nice fellas. If billion dollar weapons of mass destruction can do it, you can too!

[GrowleyMonster]

Call. If they don't respond, use your whistle and set the throttle according you your best judgement when they respond with the appropriate whistle signal. If they are motoring then they are required to be able to, and know how to, use their whistle. If not, they obviously don't care very much.

[Badsanta]

The best thing I put on my boat is a rearview mirror.

[Lepke]

Also lots of sail & power time. I look at my wake as a liability. For that reason, I pass other boats, especially smaller boats as gently as I can and as slowly as I can. Same in the vicinity of docks. Even taking one engine out of gear.

It seems most people making the planing/plowing argument are the same ones that pass my dock flat out.

[ranger58sb]

Yeah, YP, you're describing a common situation.

As some have suggested, try calling. In our experience, maybe 75% of sailboats will either not have the radio on (the ratio seems to be about 25% for powerboats), or maybe it's down below at the nav station and they can't hear it, or maybe they just don't recognize they're being called... Or in some cases, you won't be able to read their name anyway, it being either obstructed by a dinghy or whatever, or in an undecipherable script that can't be figured out from a distance while you're both moving.

If that doesn't work, sometimes you can get their attention with your loud hailer.

Or then resort to whistle signals. Many will not have a clue what your signals mean (both power and sail).

Do what you have to do.

We eventually decided to not lose any sleep over it.

And when everything that should work actually does -- many are actually very courteous and responsive -- it's often a pleasant experience, followed by friendly (really!) waves afterwards.

-Chris

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Call them on the radio.


I always monitor 16. If I'm being overtaken by something that throws a large wake, I like to know, and I will usually turn the bow into the wake and just stop.


I would rather be passed at planing speed than by someone plowing the water. Most power boaters don't seem to understand the difference in the wake they throw.

Good advice. Many sailors don't understand that the wake from a planing hull power boat is less when the boat is on a plane and so get freaked out when they get passed at high speed.


I think you need to call and figure out who you're dealing with. Calling also makes sure that they are not caught by surprise -- many sailors don't keep much of a lookout behind. If you call and explain that you'll stay on plane, and why, maybe you can educate a few people.



Obviously, giving as much room as possible helps a lot in reducing wake effects.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

. . . And when everything that should work actually does -- many are actually very courteous and responsive -- it's often a pleasant experience, followed by friendly (really!) waves afterwards..

I think communication is key. If the other boat thinks you are just blasting along oblivious to the effect your wake has on others, they will often be perturbed, and many sailors have this stereotype about power boaters (and sometimes it's justified). But often they may simply misunderstand what you are doing.



A sailboat motoring, being passed by a large power boat, will want to slow down in any case -- not only because the pass will be over quicker, but so that he can turn into your wake with less impact force.

[Sojourner]

Originally Posted by Badsanta

The best thing I put on my boat is a rearview mirror.

HOLY CHIT

Wow. With my center cockpit and AMEL offcenter forward helm position and permanent dodger, that would be brilliant... Maybe one like on a school bus but flip up.... my mind is racing!

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by Suijin

A month ago I was being overtaken in a narrow straight by a nuclear attack submarine and they hailed me politely to notify me and discuss how to handle it. I really appreciated it. Nice fellas. If billion dollar weapons of mass destruction can do it, you can too!

Oh, that's just freaking cool!