Navigating Inlets in Rough Waters
One of the most dangerous and difficult tasks that a skipper will face, particularly for smaller boats, is negotiating inlets in rough seas whether going out to sea or trying to return to port. The weather and tidal currents can change quickly which can dramatically affect your options, so careful planning and keeping the risk factors to a minimum are key. Also the narrower the inlet, the faster the flow of tidal currents whether going in or coming out, principally because a huge mass of water is now squeezing itself into a much smaller space causing the flow of the water to accelerate radically (the infamous Knysna Heads being a great example).
Alarm bells should ring when there is a strong onshore wind and an
ebb tidal current (tide going out), all of which will be even more
pronounced if it’s winter time because then stronger winds and colder
water (hypothermia being a risk should you capsize) will make the sea
rougher, causing higher and more frequent waves which will pose even
more potential problems.
This is not the time to experience a boat crisis, whether it is fuel-related, engine cut-out drama or a confrontation with floating debris. Always make sure you follow all the normal ‘going out to sea’ safety procedures and above all check the weather reports, the state of the tides, know your boat and your own capabilities as a skipper, and always tell someone where you’re going linked to an appropriate timeframe.
It’s generally much easier to judge the overall conditions from an
inshore position where you need to carefully monitor everything for
several minutes before deciding whether to go or not. If in doubt then
just don’t go, never take chances with the sea, especially if it’s
rough.
On those occasions when you’ve made the call to go out into a head sea, make sure the bow is reasonably high (trim up a little) and keep your speed down. You don’t want to be too slow otherwise the bow will hang low in the water and you could lose steerage, also you could find yourself shooting straight down the back of a wave, spearing the water and then getting slammed by the next wave before you can react. Too fast and you could find yourself taking on lots of water when the bow slams into the wave which could make the boat pitchpole (turn end over end), so take it easy and make sure you’ve got enough forward momentum to get over the wave, if you’re launching off the wave you’re going too fast.
Certainly it’s far more difficult to guage conditions from an
offshore vantage point when you’re trying to get back in through the
inlet, as all you see is the back of the rollers as they thunder inland.
The weather can change very quickly, so you must properly evaluate
everything before entering the inlet. It’s always best to wait for the
tidal current to start flooding (incoming tide) which will normally
reduce the wave height and increase the time between waves. Also waves
generally come in sets of between 7 to 11 waves with a potential
one-wave break between sets. This is where you wait for the break and
power onto the back of the last wave from the set.
It’s imperative that you run with the following sea and constantly
adjust the throttle and ride on the back of the wave. Going too fast
could take you over the crest and down the front of the wave which could
lead to broaching, pitchpoling and capsizing, so stay on the back at
all times. It can get a bit hairy, and yes the adrenalin will be
flowing, but you’ll have the peace of mind that the performance and
reliability of your Honda motors are very much working with you and soon
you’ll be safely back in port.
For information on the weather, tides, boat packages and suitable Honda power, consult your local Honda Marine dealer.
One of the most dangerous and difficult tasks that a skipper will face, particularly for smaller boats, is negotiating inlets in rough seas whether going out to sea or trying to return to port. The weather and tidal currents can change quickly which can dramatically affect your options, so careful planning and keeping the risk factors to a minimum are key. Also the narrower the inlet, the faster the flow of tidal currents whether going in or coming out, principally because a huge mass of water is now squeezing itself into a much smaller space causing the flow of the water to accelerate radically (the infamous Knysna Heads being a great example).
The infamous Knysna Heads
This is not the time to experience a boat crisis, whether it is fuel-related, engine cut-out drama or a confrontation with floating debris. Always make sure you follow all the normal ‘going out to sea’ safety procedures and above all check the weather reports, the state of the tides, know your boat and your own capabilities as a skipper, and always tell someone where you’re going linked to an appropriate timeframe.
Broaching can become a serious problem if one's not careful
On those occasions when you’ve made the call to go out into a head sea, make sure the bow is reasonably high (trim up a little) and keep your speed down. You don’t want to be too slow otherwise the bow will hang low in the water and you could lose steerage, also you could find yourself shooting straight down the back of a wave, spearing the water and then getting slammed by the next wave before you can react. Too fast and you could find yourself taking on lots of water when the bow slams into the wave which could make the boat pitchpole (turn end over end), so take it easy and make sure you’ve got enough forward momentum to get over the wave, if you’re launching off the wave you’re going too fast.
The general rule is to go out slow and to come in as quick as the following sea dictates
Often difficult to guage conditions from an offshore vantage point
For information on the weather, tides, boat packages and suitable Honda power, consult your local Honda Marine dealer.
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