Crossing a big wake.

[Grover70]

Hi fellow boaters....
It doesn't happen too often, but when it does, I try out different tacks with differing results while crossing the wake of a larger boat from astern.
You know what I'm talking about. The boat I'm following may be 30' feet in length, sits low in the water and leaves this huge wake behind it. I approach the wake at a steep angle (near 90 degrees), gun it, and occasionally ride over with without incident. Other times, and I think it's when I'm at too shallow an angle, I pitch and roll and have to fall back to try again.
Would anyone have some advice I can apply to my current system to make passing over wakes from astern less of a roll of the dice and more of a confident maneuver? Not much online I have found that helps me in this type of navigation.
Many thanks!

 

[Sbrown]

I usually try to take large waves at a 45 degree angle. Every class I've ever been in recommends this approach as well. It works for me, but I'm sure others will have their own methods to share.

 

[bronze_10]

I dont do 90 degree to the wave... afraid of stuffing the bow. . 45 degrees i feel is too shallow... somewherw in the middle.. and really working the throttles... enoigh bower to over take the wave easily so u dont get turned on the back side but then back off at the top so u dont go sailing all duke of hazard style.. its easier when there is one large wave... it gets interesting when there are two waves to get through.

 

[Grover70]

I dont do 90 degree to the wave... afraid of stuffing the bow. . 45 degrees i feel is too shallow... somewherw in the middle.. and really working the throttles... enoigh bower to over take the wave easily so u dont get turned on the back side but then back off at the top so u dont go sailing all duke of hazard style.. its easier when there is one large wave... it gets interesting when there are two waves to get through.

That's where I've noticed I get caught, on the two waves. The timing and the throttle control have been the key but it's hard to replicate what I did right! I've been experimenting with the angle of attack. You're right about not too shallow, and not too steep.

 

[druppert]

I’m guessing you don’t have a Cobra Jet steering system. The exact thing you described was the most annoying, unnerving, embarrassing, and frankly dangerous part of transitioning from an outboard to a jet boat for me. One time I was “rejected” by the wake of a 30+ ft fishing boat & almost hit a channel marker @ 30 mph.

After switching to the Viper system (specifically designed for single engine Yamaha’s) that symptom is completely gone. I can cross wakes @ any angle without any push back. The difference is shocking.

I prefer to take waves of this size across the beam so I just roll over them slowly & don’t crash & splash through them and I certainly don’t want to stuff the bow. This approach was nearly impossible before I added the Viper.

 

[tdonoughue]

I agree on the 45 (not that I will claim a lot of expertise)--maybe a tad more aggressive than that, based on conditions.

Which reminds me of something that I read in my Chapman (which I am embarrassingly only 1/4 of the way through): All these 'rules' for boat navigation (not the real laws, but the guidance of what angle to approach waves, how to handle backing a spinning prop, etc.) do not substitute for experience. They differ from craft to craft, situation to situation, weather condition to weather condition, water condition to water condition. Knowing them just gives you something to try first and a point from which to modify based on your experience and conditions.

So, good question to ask, but don't make it a hard and fast rule.

 

[swatski]

I’m guessing you don’t have a Cobra Jet steering system. The exact thing you described was the most annoying, unnerving, embarrassing, and frankly dangerous part of transitioning from an outboard to a jet boat for me. One time I was “rejected” by the wake of a 30+ ft fishing boat & almost hit a channel marker @ 30 mph.

After switching to the Viper system (specifically designed for single engine Yamaha’s) that symptom is completely gone. I can cross wakes @ any angle without any push back. The difference is shocking.

I prefer to take waves of this size across the beam so I just roll over them slowly & don’t crash & splash through them and I certainly don’t want to stuff the bow. This approach was nearly impossible before I added the Viper.

Those were my thoughts, EXACTLY.
I just hesitated to say something. But this is exactly what Cobra fins set down art speed will do for you - I believe you have a choice of Ultimates plus Fangs/MEGAs or Vipers in your case.

If I were you I would be calling/emailing Jeff today. You will thank him later. I don't think there is even a possibility that you will not like those, lol, that's what a HUGE difference those make especially in single engine yammies.

--

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Thank you @swatski actually he has the rudder so he can not use the mega fangs with the ultimate steering , I would recommend the Viper for it's wide stance and fins that do not extend below the rudder plus the regular fangs are built in to the system and a planning surface is on the system for faster planning and slower planning I realize it is a very expensive system $159 with free shipping in the U S A but to have a boat that handles the way you want it to and allows you to let others take the helm without worries is worth the price I am sure!

 

[Grover70]

I agree on the 45 (not that I will claim a lot of expertise)--maybe a tad more aggressive than that, based on conditions.

Which reminds me of something that I read in my Chapman (which I am embarrassingly only 1/4 of the way through): All these 'rules' for boat navigation (not the real laws, but the guidance of what angle to approach waves, how to handle backing a spinning prop, etc.) do not substitute for experience. They differ from craft to craft, situation to situation, weather condition to weather condition, water condition to water condition. Knowing them just gives you something to try first and a point from which to modify based on your experience and conditions.

So, good question to ask, but don't make it a hard and fast rule.

Thanks. There are a lot of variables. All of this information put together will go to good use.

 

[robert843]

There is a ton that goes into this and it gets easier with experience but a lot goes into how you attack from conditions to even how the boat is weighted if you have a bunch of people in the bow it needs to be approached differently then with no one up there. I usually pick my attack point first as the wake will have different heights and angle and various locations and the biggest mistake I think people make is taking it to easy doing this once you commit to your attack and angle you need to commit if you back off on the throttle mid process your going to get tossed around I usually accelerate through to keep the thrust up. I deal with this in my location every outing anywhere from 30 ft to 100 ft boats and I still mess up every now and then if its big and I'm uncertain I will take an extreme angle and from a location directly behind the boat I will turn 90 degrees towards the shore and almost take the wake sideway with some speed..

 

[Grover70]

There is a ton that goes into this and it gets easier with experience but a lot goes into how you attack from conditions to even how the boat is weighted if you have a bunch of people in the bow it needs to be approached differently then with no one up there. I usually pick my attack point first as the wake will have different heights and angle and various locations and the biggest mistake I think people make is taking it to easy doing this once you commit to your attack and angle you need to commit if you back off on the throttle mid process your going to get tossed around I usually accelerate through to keep the thrust up. I deal with this in my location every outing anywhere from 30 ft to 100 ft boats and I still mess up every now and then if its big and I'm uncertain I will take an extreme angle and from a location directly behind the boat I will turn 90 degrees towards the shore and almost take the wake sideway with some speed..

It seems to be my best success has been with that sharper angle too. If I go shallow and end up in a trough, then I have gotten spit back out and rolled quite a bit. Throttle and angle seem to be the two factors most at play. Hadn't considered bow weight before. You're spot on about that. Typically my wife and daughter are up front and maybe guest as well. Makes turning while rolling over the wake a bit more squirrely.

 

[Grover70]

Those were my thoughts, EXACTLY.
I just hesitated to say something. But this is exactly what Cobra fins set down art speed will do for you - I believe you have a choice of Ultimates plus Fangs/MEGAs or Vipers in your case.

If I were you I would be calling/emailing Jeff today. You will thank him later. I don't think there is even a possibility that you will not like those, lol, that's what a HUGE difference those make especially in single engine yammies.

--

Yep...the Vipers are on my new list of boat toys. Just lost the drone today while out. It's now a submarine.

 

[swatski]

Steering should help for sure.
I remember what @buckbuck said about this when he was doing a comparison between the 2008 and 2017 212s last year, the 2017 having the factory rudder (articulating keel).

I cranked the wheel over at 40 mph on the 2017 and it did not slide at all. That keel kept it gripping the water. When running back and forth across wakes it kept the boat firmly planted and going the direction it was headed.
When I cross a wake with my 2008 I have no idea where I am going to end up. It's a total free for all.

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