Best Way to Combat Rocking and Swaying?

[cphil19]

Hi everyone,

Excuse my ignorance here as while I have experience operating powerboats, I'm new to the scene in terms of ownership.

I recently just purchased an 02 Scr 2400 which is a 25 footer. I have her slipped over at Marina Del Rey, CA. Over the weekend I took her out on her maiden voyage mid-day and, while the weather report only showed 2 feet waves or less, I found conditions VERY choppy to the point where as soon as I hit over 20 knots, water would fly into the helm area. The plan was to find a good spot, turn off the engine, and just relax and have lunch. Well, this proved to be pretty much impossible because as soon as we weren't moving, the boat would rock so hard it damn well felt it could cap size in either direction. Needless to say, all 3 of us started to become sea sick pretty quickly and we headed back to the harbor.

My question is, is this amount of rockiness and swaying on the boat to be expected even in the best conditions, or was it simply due to the choppy conditions we experienced at the time? At what size in the boat does cruising and being stationary become reasonable? Should I have opted for a 30 footer?

Again, sorry for my ignorance is this is pretty basic, but the plan is to take this baby out on the weekends and enjoy the sea, but we barely lasted 20 minutes out there before having to turn back and hoping this is not the norm.

Thanks!

[mmwjr]

Have you spoken with other boaters in your area to see if the seas you experienced are normal?

2 foot swells in the ocean sound normal but what was the period between crests?

I don't think a 30 footer would have met your expectations either under these conditions.

Think of it this way your beam is 8'6" and a wave starts raising one side before the other so the incline of a 1 foot wave may result in a 6" slope. A 30' boat has about a 10' beam.

[Kevlar7r]

You may want to invest in a sea anchor. This will keep your bow pointed into the waves.

With out a sea anchor you drift sideways to the waves and rock.

I usually keep my engine running and idle into the wind/seas when off shore.

The fore/aft pitch is much less than the rocking because you are on the boats long axis, and the bow can cut through the wave.

[shrew]

I don't know anyone who stops in open water to hang out and eat. fisherman drift fish this way. most people find a nice anchorage.

[Kevlar7r]

Now you know 2.

[cphil19]

Originally Posted by mmwjr

Have you spoken with other boaters in your area to see if the seas you experienced are normal?

2 foot swells in the ocean sound normal but what was the period between crests?

I don't think a 30 footer would have met your expectations either under these conditions.

Think of it this way your beam is 8'6" and a wave starts raising one side before the other so the incline of a 1 foot wave may result in a 6" slope. A 30' boat has about a 10' beam.

Thanks for the reply.

Again, excuse my ignorance, but I thought resistance against the waves had less to do with the beam and more with the deadrise angle of the hull, where a higher angle meant more resistance against the waves?

[cphil19]

Originally Posted by Kevlar7r

You may want to invest in a sea anchor. This will keep your bow pointed into the waves.

With out a sea anchor you drift sideways to the waves and rock.

I usually keep my engine running and idle into the wind/seas when off shore.

The fore/aft pitch is much less than the rocking because you are on the boats long axis, and the bow can cut through the wave.

Thanks. Are these the parachute types?

[mmwjr]

Originally Posted by cphil19

Thanks for the reply.

Again, excuse my ignorance, but I thought resistance against the waves had less to do with the beam and more with the deadrise angle of the hull, where a higher angle meant more resistance against the waves?

That's for cutting through the water.

As a wave approaches a boat it starts lifting the side it first comes in contact with up to the max wave height. The width of the wave and wave period all come into play.

Try jacking on side of your car up and you will expierenced the same thing.

What Kev suggest will keep the bow into the waves but I doubt you'll get the results you're looking for.

I suggest you find a calm cove for sitting and relaxing.

[speedysprocket]

Someone else started a very similar post a month or two about the sea conditions off Southern California. You probably have to go farther out before the chop turns into a longer swell. Pick a day that's not as windy. And even in my 3200, one foot waves will rock it pretty well when drifting. Don't know if such a forecast exists there, but try for a day when the marine radio says "seas one foot or less".