This might belong on the “Cat” post, but as T2x has pointed out, IMO The forward entry section on a bow, or bows in the case of a cat, is very important for recovery and lessening the chance of stuffing in rough water. Designers are now paying more attention to the bow design, particularly in cats. A bow section does not have much natural buoyancy and seeing this part of the boat is the first to come in contact with the water on re-entry in a bow low condition, designers are increasing the cross section of the sponson, adding dihedral, and increasing the radius from the bottom of the sponson. They are also increasing the anti-stuff rails on the vertical sponson section. As the sponson sinks deeper into the water, the effective buoyancy increases. This also seems to hold true in “v” bottoms. The ultra long, thin, and pointy bow sections of a cat or v don’t have the necessary buoyancy to allow the boat to recover from a bow low condition on re-entry. It appears to me that Skater’s 28’, 36’ and new 32’ and 40’ are from this new design era.

Let me preface my comments by stating that I am by no means an expert. I am just learning everyday. I have been driving boats for more than 20 years and the last 9 or 10 years have been high-performance boats where I average a couple hundred hours per year behind the wheel. So, I'm not in any position to give advice, but will share some general suggestions I've been given to operate more safely (some of these suggestions apply only to a v-bottom as I've not driven a cat):

DO NOT DRINK WHILE BOATING!

1. Always wear your safety lanyards. I put mine on at the dock and wear it throughout my idle to open water and do not take it off until I get back to the dock.

2. When you first hit open water, idle out and take a look around before firewalling the throttles. This serves two purposes. You can see what the water conditions are like and the wind direction. Also, you can see where traffic and obstacles may lie. Too often people nail the throttles and head off into open water before they've looked to see what lies ahead.

3. Tuck in your drives and lower your tabs (if necessary) and advance the throttles slowly to get onto plane but don't go all the way to WOT (Wide Open Throttle). Once on plane, raise your tabs first to the neutral position and then raise your drives using very quick stabbing motions on the drive actuators. Don't hold the drive buttons down for a prolonged period of time. After every touch on the buttons, drive for a few second and see how the boat responds. Continue this process until the boat begins to porpoise. When this happens tuck the drives in slightly until the porpoising disappears.

4. Once the drives are set, drive for a few moments and look at how the boat is running. Utilize the tabs to counteract any weight imbalance in the boat (if you're heavier than your passenger for example and the boat heals to starboard) or to counteract wind conditions. Be mindful that in a head-on sea, you will want to use some tab to lower the bow and use the boat's length to both split the waves and/or to keep the bow from going to the moon as you pass each crest. However, in a following sea you want the bow to be loose so that it will pop up and over the back of each wave and not pierce it.

5. Once you've adjusted the boat, accelerate to a level of comfort. Now, it is very important to remember a few things. It is vital that any skipper remember the primary responsibilities are to carefully monitor passenger comfort and not drive so quickly that passengers are beat-up. In addition, always monitor the water conditions and the running angle of the boat in those conditions. Adjust the boats tabs as needed to keep the boat flying level. DO NOT adjust each drive to a different setting. Use the tabs instead of twisting drives but be careful to use only quick stabbing motions on the actuators. Holding the buttons down will too often lead to an abrupt change in running angle that can become uncontrollable.

Finally, keep an eye out for other boats and/or obstacles. Too often people become so focused on their gauges and the water a few feet ahead that they put themselves in danger.

6. The objective in rough water is to fly the boat across the wave tops if possible while maintaining a level flight. As the props begin to leave the water, feather the throttles back slightly (the goal is to maintain your RPMS regardless of whether the props are in the water, leaving the water, airborne or re-entering the ater (which I can do only for about 5 minutes PER YEAR)).

7. When driving into head-on or quartering seas, be careful to not throttle back so far as the boat leaves the water that you cannot maintain your speed upon re-entry. If you drop speed too quickly, the bow will (particularly if your tabs are down) drop into the first trough and you may stuff the oncoming wave. This is no fun. If you begin to fall into a hole, throttle up and drive over the wave, not through it.

Philip and Twin29 have pretty much covered handling in following seas.

Anyway, these are a few pointers that I thought might be helpful. If anyone would like to add a suggestion that can improve on the above, please do so. I always enjoy learning more.

[ 10-11-2001: Message edited by: Miller ]

I may have overlooked the most important points:

1. When in doubt, slow down.

2. If the boat begins to chine walk and you are not in a race, slow down. If you are racing, quickly snap the wheel in unisen with the chine walk and the boat will settle down. However, this is not the recommended technique for pleasure boating.

3. Keep passengers in control. Don't let them drink too much nor do something stupid like lay on the sunpad while on plane. If they get injured, even due to their own negligence, you're responsible.

4. After every high speed run, when you come off plain open your engine hatch and check to make certain nothing broke nor came lose.

5. Stow all your gear before you get on plane. Having a can of soda roll under your foot at 80mph is not condusive to safe operaton.

6. Always glance at your gauges from time to time and stop immediately if something is not in its normal range. You may well save an engine from detonating one day.

Have fun.

[ 10-11-2001: Message edited by: Miller ]

Miller:

More GREAT STUFF......If there were more boaters like you....the world would be a better place....now if we could only limit waverunners to Central Park's rowboat lake.....on Tuesdays.

I salute you for the thought and effort.

Now why would want to stick me with the waverunners? My fat rear end has enough trouble dodging all the speeding taxis zooming through Central Park while I'm running every night...

you guys are wearing me out with all these long winded speeches.

Miller,
Let me say, you are absolutely right, on every count. I could only wish that every hi-perf. Operator I see out on Barnegat Bay would be as consensus as you and adopt your “rules”. You have spoke about the correct way to do things from Kill switches to drive and tab trim. These rules should be a permanent post. I also never, never leave the dock without clipping on my kill switches. First thing “on” last thing “off”. “When in doubt, slow down” truly the best performance advice. A day out on the bay should not be “running in the worlds”. Stow all of your gear, I always stow every lose item in the cockpit, Inc. dock lines, jackets, etc. Your technique on trimming in small increments is right on target. I could keep going on and on. I have printed your posts out, and all of us, no matter how little or much experience should read them.
Adivanman, miller and high-tide have started this thread, I have tried to contribute, Twin29 also has helped, how about it guys? I know giving your thoughts on performance techniques is akin to Religion and Politics, but I also am not a expert and would like to live long enough to become one.
Miller, the only item that might not pertain to a cat is the “chine walking” one, they tend to not do that, Cats at high speed sometimes “slap” which is more like the sponsons “fluttering” for a lack of a better word, from side to side.
You say you have never driven a cat, but have you occupied the Port seat in a fast cat? If you did I would like to hear about your comparisons. As a matter of fact, how about you “v” bottom guys, what was your opinion of being in a cat. A few years ago I took a friend out who was a very accomplished “fast” “v” bottom owner 100+ who said he didn’t like the feeling of “no water under the boat”

Philip

I can attest to not feeling n e water under the boat! those 700# hulls cut the water like no tomorrow

great safety rules tho guys! killswitch, vest and googgles here

I've never had a ride in a cat of any type. I am hoping to do so soon. But, at this moment have no way to compare the ride of a v-hull to that of a catamaran.

Miller,
I see you are from NYC, next summer we will make it a point to hook up with you at either the NYC poker run or at Manhasset Bay, I would get you in the boat this weekend at Billy’s lunch run, but we won’t be going, Doug Lewis just put a new powerhead on Tuesday and the next 5 hours or so have to be at “break in” rpm. I hope the weather holds out this weekend, it might be the last time to run the boat for the season. If you are really nice to T2x, and promise to never “spin your props in” we might be able to get him to loan you the T2x bandana, guaranteed good for 2 mph. Once again, great stuff in your post.
Speaking of Doug Lewis,I was at his shop last weekend. There are more Skaters at his place then at Skater. He just put the finishing touches on a new 36’ Skater, pleasure boat. 2- 1000hp, some pleasure boat, a work of art.
Ed,
WOW Taught me a thing or two, great history, I knew the knowledge on this board was vast. What about the other South Florida builders?

Philip