"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
Well, how likely is it? An 8' standing wave isn't that big of
a wave. The only part that's you're going to break through
is the very top. How likely is it that you're going to be dumb
enough to be sailing around with an open forward hatch?
Even then, it wouldn't sink the boat, just slosh some water
in. I suppose really dumb people get what they deserve.

If you go into a standing wave with the current, it will be steep enough for
some boats to go through, rather than over it. This is especially true if
you're coming down the backside of the previous wave. In this case, an open
forward hatch could certainly take in a lot of water.

BTW, Plum Gut is one for the strongest currents on the East Coast - 5 to 6 knots
is common.