Re: driving too hard?
All boats will slam in the conditions you describe at some point. What varies is how big the waves are before your boat meets its design limits. The factors that cause pounding are trim, hull weight, deadrise and hull-v shape and length. The factors that dictate the impact on the boat from the pounding are hull strength (mainly thickness) and stringer design/integrity.<br /><br />You can adjust the trim within safety limits, but the rest you are stuck with. If your boat is a maxxum it is built for speed not weather -- it's light and has a flattish v bottom. It will pound easy and because it is built light it will suffer more than most boats from the pounding. I doubt you are cracking it up in a 2 foot chop, but over time your boat will not tolerate pounding.<br /><br />things you can do:<br /><br />1. try sucking the bow down a little with your trim control (stay safe) and reducing speed until you don't pound in a bad way. I think the difference between a healthy pound and a bad pound is in the vibrations you feel -- you want to work towards no vibrations or shudder so it feels more like you are slamming the door of '66 buick electra 4 door post than a '93 Yugo. That tells you the keel is absorbing the shock rather than transmitting it all through the hull, possibly unevenly.<br /><br />2. if you can't stay on plane with method one and you are in a hurry, make like a sailboat and tack your way upwind. Quartering the chop will reduce pounding a lot and maybe let you stay on plane if you don't mind a bit of a roll.<br /><br />3. Otherwise, what's your hurry? Nothing wrong with just running at fast troll if your boat can't take the chop. Your boat has a design limit but when the weather clears up you will scoot right past that whaler. Have a beverage and enjoy the day.
