How hard is too hard to run a boat in big water?

[traveler]

Glad to! Stay tuned....

[headcheese]

to the OP: if my brain calculations are correct in your 20 foot glass boat in 25-35 mph winds you should be able to go 47 mph on mille lacs, unless you are on the windy side then its 44 mph. no faster than 42 mph on bigger water. rivers you can do 50 mph.

anything faster you and your hull will disintegrate and you risk causing a shift in the space/time continuum.

be smart.

all joking aside when the little things start breaking thats too hard. stuff like trolling motor mounts, seats. or when you slam a wave and the graph tilts all the way down! that stuff will probably give out before your boat does.

[traveler]

I agree...I don't think this is something that would/could be "speced". Even whats considered "big/rough water will differ from one guy to the next, as will thier experience/comfort level with the same.

i guess all I hope for is some general sense from guys who run similar size or style boats in rough water as to whether they've had any damage they felt came from simply pushing the boat to the upper/extreme end of it's intended usage.

To quote...myself. Once again, NOT asking for specifics obviously. Guys, if you don't run a boat in this class, or don't like to go fast (safely) feel free not to respond. I'm not going to run you over out on the water, both of the big waters i run on have LOTS of wide open spaces to play in.

I was simply looking to get a sense of how others run thier rigs.

[jmd1]

Clearly not like you run yours is the quick answer

[LightningBG]

I say, insure it up and run it hard.

If you loose a filling, back it off a little. If you aren't a touch scared, push it a little more.

[traveler]

thanks Lightning...tough crowd on here today!

[jmd1]

LMAO

[prov1900]

I don't think the original poster meant to offend anyone, so keep it objective. I have found this thread to be informative, even though it is opinion based only. There are no cut and dried answers to the question (other than perhaps the one where if you lose a filling back it off a little...which was spot on), but I still think it bears more experience based opinions.

[TR21HP]

Not only experienced based answers but experience in handling a boat! More than a few years ago I was a coangler in the BASS series and had the privilege to ride with a number of pros. Granted they were fishing for money but they could drive their boats well beyond what most recreational fishermen would dare. They could do this because of their experience and being on the water 300 days a year. When you're going 75 mph across the Louisiana Delta in 2-3 footers and you feel safe ,that's driving. Basically what I'm saying is drive at the speed you're not only comfortable at but drive within your skill set as well and definitely be aware of your passengers.

[traveler]

Absouluty, and I don't claim to be an ace boat driver. But I am getting better, with more experience of course. I've been boating all my life, but this is the first boat I've had that I feel safe and comfortable "pushing" within reason. I know riding with experienced boaters in the past has taught me some boat handiling do's and don'ts.

[hanson]

All joking aside when the little things start breaking thats too hard. stuff like trolling motor mounts, seats. or when you slam a wave and the graph tilts all the way down! that stuff will probably give out before your boat does.

I was going to make a post along these lines but those are definitely your indicators. Or when your passenger(s) can't stay in their seats and end up through a windshield.

[BoxMN]

Not only experienced based answers but experience in handling a boat! More than a few years ago I was a coangler in the BASS series and had the privilege to ride with a number of pros. Granted they were fishing for money but they could drive their boats well beyond what most recreational fishermen would dare. They could do this because of their experience and being on the water 300 days a year. When you're going 75 mph across the Louisiana Delta in 2-3 footers and you feel safe ,that's driving. Basically what I'm saying is drive at the speed you're not only comfortable at but drive within your skill set as well and definitely be aware of your passengers.

Somewhat related - I fished a day of the FLW Tour on Okeechobee with David Walker in 2000 (he was Angler of the Year that year, and great guy to fish and talk with). Not rough water, but tough water in lots of that lake, and it was wild driving (Fast!) through stump fields, REAL shallow water (don't stop or you are stuck), next to another boat REAL close at 60+ and it was cool seeing him drive so casually and effortlessly. I asked him if he ever fishes up north, and he said with a grin, "There are some tournaments up there, but in general you folks up north don't like how us southern boys drive our boats." haha! That was pretty funny, but true. Anyway, a side note, not about rough water specifically, but about boating experience in general.

[JohnMickish]

I was going to make a post along these lines but those are definitely your indicators. Or when your passenger(s) can't stay in their seats and end up through a windshield.

Or when nobody will go out in your boat again.

[Valv]

Good job people. Thank you for getting back in line. I was ready to lock this one up before it was getting too much out of hand, but you guys are super, you got back on track and no problems.

Thank you very much, the HSO /FM people are THE BEST !!

[Shorelunch]

Somewhat related - I fished a day of the FLW Tour on Okeechobee with David Walker in 2000 (he was Angler of the Year that year, and great guy to fish and talk with). Not rough water, but tough water in lots of that lake, and it was wild driving (Fast!) through stump fields, REAL shallow water (don't stop or you are stuck), next to another boat REAL close at 60+ and it was cool seeing him drive so casually and effortlessly. I asked him if he ever fishes up north, and he said with a grin, "There are some tournaments up there, but in general you folks up north don't like how us southern boys drive our boats." haha! That was pretty funny, but true. Anyway, a side note, not about rough water specifically, but about boating experience in general.

Bass and walleye FLW/BASS pros spend plenty of time of the water, and most surely are very good captains. However, if David Walker, Ted Takasaki, etc, blow a lower unit or crack a hull, life goes on without without much hassle. If your average weekend warrior does that, life gets complicated. I think fishing tourney pros don't have to worry how damage, unlike average anglers, and therefore can drive much more aggressively. Yes, they do need to consider the safety of their co-angler, but can take more risks.

[Transporter]

I do this for a living, (driving boats, not torture testing), I earned my "idot wings" years ago seeing how fast I could run and high I could fly a boat in rough seas and am not particularly proud of it today, but thats a different story. A lot of what your asking has to do with weight, a light boat like you find around here, Rangers, Lunds, and so on, glass or metal, will take a lot more than the operator is able/willing to because they just don't have enough weight to really undo what the builder made, provided you don't come to a dead stop stuffing a wave at 60 knots. A larger heavier boat is more suceptible to damage from constant pounding in a sea due to the forces involved, inertia and the added weight. I have either managed to myself or have inspected damage ranging from broken bulkhead to hull joints, fractured transverse ribs, damaged/split stringers, broken welds all a result of running too fast in too heavy a sea. The video shows something that seems to be considered "not too bad" conditions, that was a 21' aluminum boat, they were 3-4 ft seas, very close together with a lot of wind, try running them at 30+ knots and see what not too bad is like. Most people will greatly exagerate the wave heights, I frequently come in to port running in real 4-5 foot seas only to have people that I passed tell me they were in 10 footers, its really kinda funny cause they would have full pants if they ever ran in real ten footers in small boats and would be going right back to the dock if they could find a way to turn around. Those conditions suck to run in and the repetitive pounding is what split the hull. I would rather run in 8 footers, they tend to spread out a little and give you time to react and check it back if you need to, but I'll still take flat calm and pea soup fog over heavy weather. A bay boat is great for running fast and staying on top, I don't think you will bust it in half, it would bust you first. What you will do is cause every nut, bolt and screw, to loosen up, fall off, seat pedestals straining, cracking, vibrations doing there part to lessen lifespan. Generally making your boating more labor intensive and costly,.

[remington 300]

well said, transporter,

mike,

[Eric Wettschreck]

Couple pics of one of the boats I was on.

And we've had her out in rougher stuff than these pics. However, the old gal was made for that kind of thing. She came with a heafty pricetag, tho.

Carry on.

[Matt C]

I run a 'tin' alumacraft trophy 195. I have yet to be overwhelmed on mille lacs in waves. Drive smart. Pay 100% respect to tbe water. Shes a 2009, no hull issues hitting 4' plus waves @ 40 mph. No, not glass. But if the driver is comfortable and not putting others at danger...drive it like ya stole it.

M

[KidMoe]

It's worth noting that the guys in the video were still laughing while they broke their boat in the rough waves

I did pop 2 rivets on my boat on mille lacs two years ago. keep in mind my boat is a 76 lund with a 25 horse

[Stizo]

No boat made by man is a match for an angry sea.