Rough water handling guidelines
 

Hi folks,
I've been spending the last week or so on Lake Michigan and some days are smoother water than others. Could anyone share some wisdom with me on how to handle some of these 2-3-4 foot waves? Eg, angles, speeds, thrust, trim?

I boat in the Pacific Ocean often making the 30 mile trip between Los
Angeles Harbor and Catalina Island, at last count a hundred times or so. We are lucky here to be able to put the boat in all year long so I have seen everything from severe calm to 12' swells with 3' wind chop. I think the most important thing is to be safe and don't boat if conditions are beyond your experience. If you are out in rough water make sure you are wearing your life jackets and if your boat has an emergency cutoff switch that it is connected to the driver securely. If you have a radio know how to use it and make sure you can determine your position if you need help. Always check the weather before you go.

That said I have found my Z250 can handle the 2-3' wind swells depending on the direction by trimming the drive up and adjusting the speed for the best ride. This keeps the bow from pounding into the swell and gives a somewhat drier ride. 4-6' swells are comfortable also if they are not too close together and the wind is light. Try not to run directly into or away from the swell. Take them at a comfortable angle even if it means a somewhat longer distance. Coming back from Catalina I often run up the island 5 miles or more in order to put the swell on the aft port quarter rather than run parallel with the swell. If you are running with a large swell match your speed to the swell. You do not want to broach the boat by running into the swell ahead. If there is much wind you will get wet no matter what you do:yes_grin:

Often larger swells further apart are easier to navigate than smaller confused seas. I lived in Buffalo for awhile and remember that Lake Erie could get quite rough with the wind chop. Sometimes trimming the bow down slightly will help the bow cut through rather than fly off the top of the chop and banging down on the back side. Keep the bow up in larger seas to prevent burying the bow and taking on water.

I took a 16 week Coast Guard approved boating course and highly recommend it even for the casual boater if you are going to venture far from shore. There are endless articles about safe boating you can check out and if you have the chance to safely try out some rough conditions it will be invaluable when you get caught in rough weather unexpectedly.

Good Luck:rolling_laugh:

Lamita hit it pretty much on the head. The only problem with all that is that lake MI doesn't often have nice consistent rollers (read large swells). The term "smaller confused seas" is more appropriate. Waves seem to come from every angle.

My only advice regarding that is to be aware of what's around you. My boat is 20', so on the lake when I'm going from A to B , I rarely drive it in a straight line (unless it's calm). I'm constantly changing direction slightly depending on where the next wave is coming from. You don't have to drive like a maniac zigging back and forth for every wave, but taking that wave on the corner rather than head on or completely parallel makes them much more tolerable.

I think this can be said for any of the Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie, it's the most shallow. The swells can come from any area in any direction. I've had a hard time finding an appropriate speed and trim at times, so being alert and attentive always helps. Don't be in a hurry, take your time. I tend to keep the boat around 2500-3k RPMS, and try to cut the waves at about a 30 degree angle. In smaller swells (less than 3ft), I keep the bow down in the water more than usual just for comfort. This keeps the porpoising and the overall "beating" of the ride to a minimum.

Get a VHF Radio, keep it tuned on Ch 16, and listen for any calls, pay close attention to "Securitae-Securitae" messages from the USCG. They will warn you of any important information, including navigation alerts, distress calls, and small craft advisories. If you hear a small craft advisory, DON'T take your boat out. These are severe weather warnings which can prove to be hazardous to mariners. Before you go out, you can check NOAA weather ahead of time to make sure there aren't any existing warnings out. http://www.weather.gov The Great Lakes are known for rapid weather changing patterns, and I've been caught in a few "squalls" where it's clear out, and 20 minutes later, there's 5' swells and 40mph winds. Most VHF radios have NOAA weather radio built in as well. Sailboats are usually a great indicator too, (if they're around the areas you'll be in). Sailors follow the forecasts religiously, and usually prepare for things in advance. If you see a few sailboats dropping their sails, and firing up the motors, there's usually a very good reason why.

However don't be intimidated by the Great Lakes. About 90% of the time you'll never have any issues. In the situations where it might be questionable, just remember to have your VHF radio on, your safety lanyard attached, and a lifevest. I bought one of those type V manual inflatable ones, so I don't ride around looking like an Orange Spongebob Squarepants.

Both lomitabob and blockp have great suggestions. A USCG approved boating safety course sponsored either by the USCG Auxilliary or the Power Squadron would be a great start. Don't do an online course, go to the actual classes, you'll learn more. Plus the education will be more tailored to the specific region. You might be able to meet some helpful people, maybe even a USCG licensed captain who might be willing to give you helpful tips, or maybe even accompany you for some lessons.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the excellent responses guys... Indeed, the sensation I get is of small confused seas. Seemingly random swells and chop from every which possible size, direction and speed. There doesn't seem to be any purpose to zig-zagging to avoid a straight line.

I guess my main goal is to avoid hammering my hull too much and providing a reasonably comfortable ride, all while providing myself plenty of core exercise while trying to brace myself against the faux-Neptune of Chicago.

I don't feel like we've ever been in jeopardy, and I do avoid SCA's like the plague. I guess I'll just have to keep going out and once I splinter the hull, I'll know that I've pushed her too hard. =)

Or maybe take a course this winter to fill the boating void in my life for the next 5 months. :(

I don't think you've got anything to worry about there either. Mariah offered a lifetime hull warranty on their boats. Now granted it doesn't do much good now, but back in the day, I heard from an inside source that only around 5 boats were ever brought back in for hull repairs under warranty. That says something about their durability! :wink_thumbup:

Fine, maybe I won't splinter the hull... maybe I'll just break the outdrive off. =)