wave height limit

[acdc96]

I use my little 14ft aluminum boat with a tiller 9.9hp outboard in a salt marsh and a river... it drafts real shallow and has a v bow that turns into flat bottom. I want to go in deeper water [30+ feet] in long island sound staying within a mile off shore. my boat handles decent sized wakes from big clam boats like cutting through butter... now i dont want to swamp my boat or capsize it.
what would be the maximum height of the waves it can handle????
here is a pic

 

[tpenfield]

Re: wave height limit

I think 2 feet of wind chop would be about as much as you want to go . . . if it were more rolling seas, then you might go 3 feet.


wear your PFD.

 

[mpsyamaha]

Re: wave height limit

Yes I agree with above. 1-2ft windchop comes up quick on open water with a decent afternoon breeze, and although you should be able to safely navigate it, it wont be a real pleasant or dry ride.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: wave height limit

Really depends on the waves. Wind blown short chop, less. Long rollers like after a storm, more.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: wave height limit

Really depends on the waves. Wind blown short chop, less. Long rollers like after a storm, more.

true dat and also your skill. into the wind, breaching or following. waves from wind against the tide stand up taller. a mile from shore is not a good place to be if the wind has crossed a 20 mile fetch. shallow water is rougher than deep.

Basically, "wave height" is not the question. practice and experience is what you need. keep practicing on the tug wakes but they are more like swells and rollers; ease out into so bad chop on a safe day and see what happens.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: wave height limit

At some point you will get caught in more than you like. With the motor on the stern, fuel tanks, and you all at the rear the biggest concern is not being able to navigate a following sea, especially with limited HP. A following sea or large wake flows over your low on the water transom and the next small wave can swamp you. Even small waves and wakes are powerful- you do not have a lot of power to maintain constant control. Go out only on relatively flat water and head for land at the 1st sign of weather. Remember, you are in a small boat and often difficult to see from even sport fishing boats that can easily throw a 4' - 5' wake. I don't know what you can encounter in the sound but my though has always been not to go offshore in anything smaller than 18' but will confess I've done it in a 16'er with a 90hp and a 9.9 kicker.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: wave height limit

ALWAYS WEAR your PFD--Even in good weather. In a small boat things happen fast and you will not have time to don a vest, even if it is right at hand.

Perhaps, if your boat is rated for more, a larger engine would also help with safety.

 

[ajax5240]

Re: wave height limit

I have been in a 14' Jon boat in choppy water. It is a terrible feeling, and one that makes you never want to do it again.

I would stick to the types of areas that your boat is designed for. If you really want to get out into the big water, start looking for a boat upgrade.

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: wave height limit

I have never boated in the Long Island sound, so any advice is worth the price paid!.

If there is anything over 6" chop, I wouldn't go out. I have no idea how often that is the case up there, in the NC sounds its actually pretty often, I've gone a couple miles in a smaller boat than yours (kayak). That being said, one mile is not really that far off, you will still be able to see the shoreline VERY well. If you stay within that limit and keep a lookout for storms I think you should be OK. Just make sure to head in at the first sign of trouble. Talk to the locals about were the prevailing weather comes from, around here storms typically come up from the SW.

 

[acdc96]

Re: wave height limit

Safety is #1 for me... i went out last week and anchored up behind a breakwall with a couple of other boats and went fishing for porgey's... when the tide changed i went back in cause a storm front closed in on me and their was a 1-3 FT chop on the sound i was fine and blasted through the waves with ease. When i was entering the river their was a clam boat in front of me. when i went to overtake him his wake was so big it was impossible for me to go over it without capsizing. i had to back off for a 1/4 mile until i could get over the wake.

when ever i go into deeper and rougher water i wear a life jacket, tell a friend where I'm heading and when I'll be back, have a couple of flares, 2 flashlignts (1 in the boat, 1 on person) a whistle, a waterproof phone (working on getting a waterproof VHF radio), and 2 knives. plus a bailing bucket attached to the boat by a rope.

 

[etracer68]

Re: wave height limit

As others have said, you have a low stern. The bow can handle alot more then the stern can. A following sea is where I would be conserned. What comes up from behind, is what will take you down. Bow into the waves, but sooner or later you will have to turn. Be safe.