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| Message Subject: Handling Dangerous waves: hull length and boat construction | |||
curdmudgeon |
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Posts: 123 | How does one determine the limitations of a boat hull to handle various wave heights, periods, and steepness? I located a rule of thumb: • Adlard Coles’ Heavy Weather Sailing by Peter Bruce, “During the model tests that were carried out to investigate the problem, when the breaking wave was 30 percent of the hull length high, from trough to crest, it could capsize some yachts, while waves to a height of 60 percent of the hull length comfortably overwhelm all of the boats we tested.” Various hull design elements may significantly alter the wave height danger threshold of 30% boat length, for example, transom height and deadrise angle (deep V, modified V, flat bottom). Is there a way for a Musky fisherman interested in big-water fishing to quantify the wave parameters a particular hull can handle? Wave height and wave steepness seem to be the most important variables. Could this be boiled down to rating number(s). Edited by curdmudgeon 6/17/2012 1:45 PM | ||
| Almost-B-Good |
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Posts: 433 Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | I've been out in some crappy stuff and I don't think the boat has as much to do with handling waves as the ability of the driver. It's possible to have the best boat out there and put in the hands of a fool, it's a recipe for disaster. Charts can't compensate for that. Of all the boats I've had, the common theme is this: they all handle much more than I can. I've been on LOTW-Sabaskong Bay in an Alumacraft deep V 18.5'er when they forcast 35-40mph wind with gusts 50-60mph later in the day. It was a waste of time. The only places we could fish weren't the places the fish were, and even with good planning so we could ride the wind home, it wasn't much fun. Yeah, it was barely doable, but why? Early 80's I was on Lake Michigan in building waves, slightly whitecapping 4-7 footers at the end, in a tiller 16' Ranger 1600V. Caught fish in the big rollers but again, thinking back on it, not much fun at all, especially the part where we wrapped the prop up in line while fighting fish on both sides of the boat at the same time. Leaning over the back with the long shaft motor up trying to untangle the prop was a real trip. I do remember a 24' cruiser with canvas top next to me that disappeared every other set of waves and it wasn't more than 100 yards away at times. I was even on Superior's Keewenaw Bay in a shallow draft 14'er with a six horse trolling in six foot rollers. Light breeze where we were but there was one heck of a storm out on the big lake somewhere sending us rollers that wouldn't quit. It was fun and games trolling with the rollers, but on the trip back we'd loose half our speed climbing the rollers and then go racing down the back sides with the motor sounding like it was going to fly. Unique experience for sure. A lot has to do with the water you are fishing. Lake Michigan and Superior get those big rollers going and that isn't near as bad as that nasty short chop on Winnebago. Erie was similar to Winnebago, the shallower open water is just different than the deep stuff with the wave frequency, and frequency is a lot harder to compensate for than wave height some times. So I don't see how there could possibly be any kind of chart to figure out what a boat can handle safely, too many variables. I think the best way to find out what you can handle is take the boat out in rougher conditions till you hit your limit. If you are trying to find a boat to buy, check out what all the other fishermen are running on the lake you plan on fishing, bum a ride and check them out. Or get a test ride on a good rough day? | ||
| curdmudgeon |
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Posts: 123 | Thanks very much for the insight! I agree the skipper's seamanship is perhaps the single most important ingredient and that fishing in the big stuff just isn't much fun. Mostly interested in the topic because I love big water Muskies (e.g. remote parts of Georgian Bay) but don't like the idea going in the drink while fishing 20 miles from any other boat. Planning a far future boat purchase and don't want to get a 28' boat to be safe, hence trying to determine what is the minimum for specific conditions. | ||
| Almost-B-Good |
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Posts: 433 Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | I fished from an Alumacraft 185 Competitor (150HP and 15HP kicker) for 17 years. It was an OK boat for being out in the open water of the Great Lakes or on the big Canadian waters, and was not great but functional on smaller waters too. At the time I bought it, the boat was the best fit for my fishing. Big area in the back for multiple anglers to work riggers and dipseys, fight fish and net them all at the same time. The front deck was smaller and cramped for tryiing to get two musky fishing, but I hardly ever did that so why worry about it. The boat handled 4-5 footers a lot better than I did (at least the boat didn't turn green) and with a 150 on the back it was easy to run in the bigger waves, always had enough to hold the wave crests without sliding back or surging forwards if that's what it took at the time. Also super stable, you could have three on the same side musky fishing and it wouldn't drop too far to that side compared to deeper V's that weren't 96" wide. I gave up on salmon/trout fishing when the launch fees got stupid and the fish size dimished, so the dream boat wasn't the best fit anymore. I went to a higher performance glass hull (19.5' long and a little narrower),and the benefits were using much less gas at higher speeds, easier boat control with the bow mount, and a dance hall in front for casting. The drawback is that it is a handful in rougher water as it wants to run faster to maintain planing attitude. A four blade prop helped, but still, it takes more work to keep it on the wave crests. So what it boils down to is it needs more HP to keep it riding the waves the way I want it to, unless I want to reprop with a pitch a couple inches lower and give up the top end and economy. Plus it is a lot more sensative to weight distribution. The old aluminum was more bargelike, load here-load there-ehhh... The glass boat starts leaning a bit if you get the load wrong until you get it up on the pad which isn't always what I want in waves towards 4 feet tall. So what I'm trying to say is if you are looking at glass, make sure it is designed for rough water rather than mainly for speed in calmer water like bass boat types. Lots to think about for sure. | ||
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