"How's She Handle"

[trailertrawlerkismet]

We get asked this question, "hows she handle", by curious folks all the time....or "I'll bet she handles the big seas well". Recently, while cruising from Lund, BC south/east towards Powell River and the Malaspina Strait we encountered our first PNW big water. When we left Lund the seas were a reasonable 2' with an occasional 3 footer on the nose and all was well and the boat handled as we've always experienced in our first 2 years of ownership...."she handles great!". As we lost the protection of Savary Island the waves incrementally increased to 3 and 4 and then a constant 5 with a 6 footer ever now and then for about 2 hours.....still on the nose and yet Kismet kept plugging along like we were on a Sunday stroll. Sure there was a lot of spray, the seas were confusing, the ride became a little nerve wracking for us humans but it didn't seem to affect the handling of our boat. It also helped that the auto pilot was engaged to keep us on a straight path.

So now that we've been initiated into some bigger, rougher PNW water (we've been in bigger water before, but not on our R27) with our Ranger Tug we can answer those inquiring questions of "hows she handle" with utmost confidence......better then a 40' trawler we had, better then we as owners can handle, not bad for a 27' boat!

Jim F

 

[baz]

Jim: I absolutely agree with your assessment of how well the Tug handles in big waves and confusing sea conditions. We've been caught in rapidly changing sea conditions at times in PNW as well. You can really never tell how things will be. One moment in sheltered waters and then as you pass out of this condition the wind changes, the sea changes and all of a sudden the boat is rocking and rolling... and as Captain you have to make some choices on how to proceed.

I was heading south from Gorge Harbour a year or two back, headed over to the east side of Vancouver Island side and then down toward Nanaimo. The seas were nice and calm and purring along at 14 kts, but about 30 miles north of Nanaimo things changed in a hurry with a strong head wind on port bow and big and bigger waves as we proceeded. It was a very quick and dramatic change in the sea conditions and when we first encountered it the boat whacked into the first big wave with a tremendous slapping/thudding sound and I had to reduce speed to around 6 or 7 kts quickly to ride it out. It was nerve-racking to say the least, but the R-25 handled well and the auto pilot took much of the strain out of keeping the boat on course.

I continue to be pleased with how well the R-25 handles the varying sea conditions, and always respecting the weather conditions to change our cruise plans if necessary.

 

[tlkenyon]

If I can ask, what is the typical period of the waves/seas that you face in the PNW? On our inland lakes, the waves are very short and steep and I cannot imagine what a 6-footer like that would be like.

 

[baz]

The big waves I've encountered were around 20-25 feet apart... but this is from memory and guess work on my part.

The most uncomfortable is a following sea with a beam wind... just plain nasty. The boat simply slews all over the place, but auto pilot is a blessing under these conditions.

Recently we've encountered really big wake waves from fast moving container ships. I can't say with accuracy what their heights were but would venture to say at least 8 to 10 feet. The most recent was three waves like this that I hit head on. The R-25 rode the first with ease but then nose dived into the second and the foredeck was awash. After the second one the third was not as bad but did cause the boat to point up into the sky some. I had a full passenger load and warned them all. Things flew about that were loose and both my grandchildren (5 yrs and barely 2 yrs) were flattened on the floor by their mother laying on them for safety sake. When I first glimpsed this wake it looked like a tsunami in the making. :roll:

 

[Just Dreamin']

We slip our R25 at Lakeside-Marblehead, Ohio in the Western Basin of Lake Erie. Cruising the Great Lakes on occasion can be quite an experience due to wave action especially Lake Erie as it's very shallow in relation to the other Great Lakes.
On a recent trip to Canada with our boat and Jeff & Deb Marcum on The Get~Aweigh we ran some fairly rough water for about the first two hours on our return trip. I am guessing 3-4s with the occasional 5 thrown in for good measure. The waves on Lake Erie run very steep and compacted, run very, very close together. The ride was very uncomfortable and work but both R25s took the ride very safely. Several weeks ago the admiral and I plus our daughter and her two children were making a trip back from one of our Lake Erie islands - the trip over was very enjoyable the return was a different story. Constant 4-5s and I am guessing one or two may have been somewhat over 5 coming out of the West/Northwest and our course was South. Needless to say we ended up going several miles out of our direction of travel to take waves at a good angle. Again very steep and close together. Tiring ride but safe.
Jim, we get the same question asked of us very frequently - how well does she handle the 4-5 ft waves of Lake Erie. My standard reply - I try my best to avoid waves of that size and weather; however, if caught I feel safe as the boat handles it very well. You just need to plan an appropriate direction of travel for the wave conditions. I am guessing on occasion you experience the same type conditions on Lake Michigan.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Mike, like you we try to avoid the big water and bad weather but there always times we've gotten caught or made a poor judgment on the weather. Lake Michigan's waves are close together and therefore steep whereas the PNW waves are further apart, in seconds, therefore the steepness is spread out and the ride more comfortable then the same size Great Lakes wave...in general.

Jim F

 

[JamesTXSD]

Wave height and period make a difference. The "comfort factor" I use is: if the period in seconds is less than the wave height in feet, it is going to be an uncomfortable ride. Boat size/weight also make a difference. 3 foot waves stacked close together can make for a more unpleasant ride than 5 foot waves widely spaced.

At our home in south Texas, when the wave action kicks up, it is always closely spaced. Here in the PNW, and especially in the straits, wind against current can turn flat water into a washing machine is a short time. Where two straits or channels come together (San Juans and Gulf Islands), the wave action can become confused, which makes for a particularly rough ride.

Slow down and keep chugging. Look for another route where you can get some protection from land. Coming and going from Friday Harbor daily (on a schedule), we get to see a variety of conditions.

I've found that most boats can handle more than the people aboard care to experience. One of the boats I drive is 32' with fairly light displacement and a tall flybridge... there are days when it feels like I'm strapped to a mechanical bull for 3 hours at a time. 😱 On those days, I let the guests know "We will have some 'sporting' conditions today." 😉

Best wishes,
Jim B.

 

[Levitation]

I have posted this before.
Going into measured 7 footers in the discharge channel from Lake Superior (Gitchee Gummi) for nearly three hours.
Autopilot completely overwhelmed and off line.
Every item in the boat (and I mean every) hurled into the companionway and mixed like a cement mixer.
Green water over the bow and slamming against the front windows till I expected them to shatter.
Wife and dog both green.
Me so arm weary I could not raise my arms overhead at the end.
The boat?
Perfectly happy, engine ticking over at 1200 rpm and sounding normal like a cruise at sunset.

Final verdict - boat can take more than I can.

 

[JamesTXSD]

Denny-o brings up a good point: we definitely do NOT use the autopilot in big wave conditions. Too much chance of getting moved around and the autopilot trying to make a rapid change. Hand steering is tiring in those conditions, but you are better able to steer into the best position with the waves. Keep your head on a swivel to see what is coming from the sides and aft. There is a lot of debris in the water in the PNW, as well - best to be hand steering to avoid what you can't see in the troughs until the last moment.

Sometimes, you have to "tack" to a course to keep the waves near the bow or the stern and avoid beam seas. And when they are confused, there are times you can't avoid them.

Our furry crew member is a great "comfort indicator"... when she goes down to the floor towards the back of the cabin (least amount of movement there), we know it is time to look for some protection or a better route. 😉

Best wishes,
Jim

 

[Jake]

Jim F

Great to hear of your experience. Since I don't experience those conditions, I enjoy reading of what to expect and what a boat can handle. Just curious, why do you think the RT handles the big water better than your 40 foot trawler? Very different design?

Thanks,

Jake

 

[Spinner]

Spinner and I encountered 6+ foot waves, very steep and v close together, when transitting the Straits of Juan de Fuca on the way to Ganges in July. Green water over the bow, etc. 30-45 knot winds from the west as I headed north. Could not use the autopilot because the bow would fall off the wind with each wave. In addition, in order to avoid being beam on to the waves, I had to tack, and do it very fast. The boat handled the waves pretty well, but it was a tough, rough ride. Had to slow to about 7 knots. Oddly, I felt that the following seas were a bit easier than the quartering seas, but none of it was what I would call fun!! I was really glad for the handhold next to the wheel, as I could stand and hold on with one hand and steer with the other.

All in all, Spinner handled well! There's more to the story of that passage; suffice it to say that I learned some lessons 🙂

Sue P
Spinner

 

[kskogerson]

Some great experiences...so I thought I would jump in. My wife, her 90 year old mother, my daughter, her son and two dogs, who found the center of gravity real fast, and I were on our way out to Santa Cruz Island 26 miles from Oxnard 3 weeks ago and hit 2-3 footers 8 secs apart and returned with port quarter following seas @ 6-8 feet and 25 knots of wind...couldn't have picked a better day! Small craft warnings came up and we didn't know it until we got back! It was Swede Dreams II (R-29) maiden voyage! Being an old Coastie, I loved it, my grandson loved it, the rest not so much.
But, the boat can take it much better than the folks who are driving it. It is a sea worthy boat. Taking waves head on determines whether the boat can stand up to the test. I wouldn't have liked that ride in my 50 footer.
kent and liz
swede dreams II
carson city, nv

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Jake asked me why I thought my current R27 handled better then then my prior 40' trawler. Not being a naval architect I would only be guessing but in my opinion the 40' may have top heavy (it was a pilothouse with a flybridge) and I think the 40 footer could have used a larger rudder. This coupled with Ranger Tugs better sea legs.

Jim