Tips on driving through wake
 

About as basic of a question you’ve probably all seen :) I recently picked up a 27’ Fountain and trying to get comfortable with the boat. This is the first boat I’ve ever owned, so have been reading quite a bit.

I recently realized I’ve been running tabs in a positive trim because I don’t have a limiter on my tabs, so that may help some as I lower them slightly. I understand if you see a wake, drive into it in a 90* and you’ll typically sail right over. My question is more around those waves that happen to be coming from both directions. Sometimes for me, even at 60-65, it’s hard to see a wave coming in until you’re about to hit it. Sometimes it really feels like the boat is riding multiple waves and you don’t have the same feel and control as your normally would. These don’t even have to be big waves necessarily just hit at the right time.

looking for some advice on how others handle these waves or is it just part of boating and roll through them?

Thanks,
Todd

Wave crossing
 

In my experience if you can’t see the waves well enough to read what angle you’re going to enter it is best to slow down.I boat mostly in the south and this type of wave experience is prevalent in passes or inlets going from bays into the gulf. Others might know the high speed techniques but at my experience level I think it’s better safe than sorry when you think about hitting waves almost parallel at high speeds.

When in doubt throttle out!! 😅 just kidding. Your boat should feel like it’s wobbling and unstable when you go over some boat wakes. Unless you hit them head on… i do a lot of these local fun runs in the south. And this happens all time. The water gets very turbulent when there’s 50+ boats all trying to start the run at the same time. If the boat wake is too big, like from a sport fisherman or these pretty fast yachts. Just slow down and go over them slow. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Take the Tres Martin course or get somebody with real experience to go for a ride with you.
You're going to get a lot of "experts" responding on here. As somebody new to the high performance world It may be hard to decipher what's BS and what's not. One of the problems of the interweb.
Seat time will be your best friend. Boats arent like cars, most need constant wheel input to keep them level and straight. You'll get the feel of it.

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https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...1b328a5e13.jpg
Only ONE way is to attack them:evilb:

I saw someone mention his course and was looking around on his website the other day. Would definitely be nice to go through it. $2500 bucks is a 'cheap' lesson!

I think you're right, more seat time and i'll start to figure it out a little more. I'm almost 40 so I error on the side of caution now until I get comfortable. Just looking for some things to try next time I'm out. Sounds like I need a helicopter following and some big wake :)

This is what I'm referring to. Not huge wake by any means, but those little ones coming in from all directions and you can sort of feel the boat skating around. Not sure if that's just part of boating and/or if there is a good way to handle it to keep the boat feeling more stable.

Thanks,
Todd

Heres a tip. Dont throttle like this....

He's going to need some new controls (bent them over) and a clean pair of shorts. Yes, a video like this is precisely why I'd like to figure this out :)

I was waiting to see how long before that video was going to be posted lol.

Yep
The guy that recorded and made that video public, that's the biggest mistake he's ever made in his life as far as posting videos go.
Wonder if he ever says to himself, "what was I thinking"?

Not true.
There was a news crew on the boat covering the event they were attending. That's who took the video. And they were some of the worst ones injured.

That dude owns a 42X Cigarette now with (I believe) 1100's. He was at the cig run in 2020

Need to try to stay within 90 degree to 45 degree (quartering) into or following the waves or parallel. It's the other angles that seem to create an uncontrolled porpoise. Parallel is not so fun, but manageable.

Welcome to Offshoreonly,
Ya need10 posts to include pictures, your behind by 9, let's see some boat and engine pics.

I somewhat remember that being the case now that you say that. I'd of still thrown it out myself or never published it.

You'll never see the same wave or wake twice.

Actually he was pretty proud of it, made a comment about being the most famous boater on you tube

I was talking to Will Smith at PRI several years ago and he told me that guy was a friend of his and a veteran offshore racer/boater with a lot of experience. A good reminder that the water is unpredictable and sometimes we all make regrettable decisions I suppose.

The captain or camera man?
Either way.
No way I'd be proud of getting that many people hurt!
Or recording it and showing it to the world to be made fun of endlessly.

the driver

You and 99.9% of the rest of the boating population

I know I'm always proud of myself when I can send my passengers home injured and permanently tied to YouTube deushbaggery....

Find a local boater with a similar boat and ask them to spend some time with you. A few hours together over a few weeks and you will have the feel of it.

Find a local boater with a similar boat and ask them to spend some time with you. A few hours together over a few weeks and you will have the feel of it.

Come on man, you can't drive like this yet ? :)


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Good advise. Also figure out where, on your gages, the neutral drive and tab settings are. Prop shaft and tabs dead level with the plane of the boat bottom. Fountains work well on their bottom in sloppy water, it's how they were designed to run, very close to a neutral setting. Go online and look for videos of Fountains running, very flat when hauling the mail thru slop.

If you're in confused seas, honestly I don't think there's much you can do about it except keep as much hull in it as you can with neutral trim. Like Ragged Edge said, use a level or straight edge to find neutral in your drive and tabs. You can also use subtle steering input to help out. If it's too bad make sure you slow down, I know it's not bad ass but safety first then get into some clean water and let it rip.

Yes! I was reading yesterday and realized I don’t have tab limiters and they were all the way trimmed up positive. 2.5 is where I need to be on tab trim and a touch over 3 on the drive.

I think making these changes should really help the boats handling and stability.

Thought it was a 39 700 boat? Green right?

You may want to put a straight edge on the back of the hull, lower your tabs so they are aligned with the straight edge, then mark your gauge so you know when you are at "neutral" trim and the tabs are level with the bottom. This way you will know exactly where your tabs are.

In addition, do the same thing with your drives. Set them straight, then mark the gauge.

10 more feet would make crossing wakes a lot easier .

that’s what I told the wife. Plus all the extra space we’d have, for the kids, of course :)

On a late model 27 Fountain 3 should be neutral on the drive and parallel with the hull on the tabs.

As stated above in water with heavy traffic and unpredictable wave patterns there isn't much you can do. Run the tabs at 4-4.5 to try and keep the bow calm and slow down.

If running in wind with predictable waves use the tabs to keep the hull flat while quartering. The boat will ride super rough if you let it list and slap every wave into the side of the hull.

Every boat is different so be careful who you get advice from. Take some time by yourself and get a feel for how even small adjustments can change the ride noticeably. I found in my Velocity it prefers 50-60 in 2'-3', If I slow down I get beat to death. But I also found out the hard way that 75 and even the slightest trim over neutral in 2'-3' and you will be explaining to your wife why you are all black and blue.

someone explain to me how that a$$hat can afford a 39 unlimited? with $hit for brains on the sticks…

No, the bald dude in the Fountain with the camera crew on board now owns a 42X with 860s (I was corrected in a text :D ). I don't know who the dude in the green 39 that went full send in Haulover is except he still has the boat and posted some stuff on social media I beileve.

The Haulover disaster was an 1100/M8. They only made 2 39s like that

Where is this Haulover video? Haven't seen it.
Initially thought it might be this:

That's the one I was speaking of