Perhaps I am reading sea conditions wrong or perhaps because it is so
shallow here that I cannot get any idea of other conditions. My
Tolman Skiff seems to pound in 1’ chop at any speed over 12 kts. Of
course, it does have a very small deadrise of only 8 degrees but it
does have more of a v-forward.
Where I normally go, the water depth is rarely over 15’ and most of
the time shallower. However, the bay is open to the south so we can
get some chop. I would have to go out more than 20 miles to get into
deep water.
Here is how I read the water conditions. On Saturday, I went out in
my 28’ sailboat (weighs 8000 lbs) and I estimated wind was 14 kts and
seas were 2’ but very close together, certainly less than 8 ‘ apart.
There was chop superimposed on the small swells. It was a fun ride
because the bow would plunge into a wave and throw spray all over.
SUNDAY, I went out in the Tolman in what seemed to be 10 kt winds
with chop I would estimate at maybe 1’. Maybe there were seas but
they were roughly the same as the chop. At any speed INTO the waves
over 12 kts, she would pound. Turning and going the other way WITH
the waves, I could go over 20 kts.with almost no pounding.
Now, this is my first power boat so I do not know what is normal. Am
I reading the seas wrong? Is this pounding “normal”. Would deeper
water produce better riding conditions? I had my wife and daughter
forward to help keep the bow down. I cannot tell if the power tilt/
trim helps.

wrote:
Perhaps I am reading sea conditions wrong or perhaps because it is so
shallow here that I cannot get any idea of other conditions. My
Tolman Skiff seems to pound in 1’ chop at any speed over 12 kts. Of
course, it does have a very small deadrise of only 8 degrees but it
does have more of a v-forward.
Where I normally go, the water depth is rarely over 15’ and most of
the time shallower. However, the bay is open to the south so we can
get some chop. I would have to go out more than 20 miles to get into
deep water.
Here is how I read the water conditions. On Saturday, I went out in
my 28’ sailboat (weighs 8000 lbs) and I estimated wind was 14 kts and
seas were 2’ but very close together, certainly less than 8 ‘ apart.
There was chop superimposed on the small swells. It was a fun ride
because the bow would plunge into a wave and throw spray all over.
SUNDAY, I went out in the Tolman in what seemed to be 10 kt winds
with chop I would estimate at maybe 1’. Maybe there were seas but
they were roughly the same as the chop. At any speed INTO the waves
over 12 kts, she would pound. Turning and going the other way WITH
the waves, I could go over 20 kts.with almost no pounding.
Now, this is my first power boat so I do not know what is normal. Am
I reading the seas wrong? Is this pounding “normal”. Would deeper
water produce better riding conditions? I had my wife and daughter
forward to help keep the bow down. I cannot tell if the power tilt/
trim helps.


The pounding you are experiencing heading into the waves is normal, and
especially normal for fairly flat-bottomed boat. If you slow down to the
point where the deeper vee of the bow is slicing, you will experience
less pounding, but your ride might be wetter. If you have power trim on
the outboard and trim in full, you might bright the bow down some at
decent speeds. Trim tabs also help, but are not cheap.

Some of the Parker guys with the flatter bottom models are reporting
good success with a Permatrim...to bring the bow down in the absence of
trim tabs:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2..._small_193.jpg

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:31:07 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

At any speed INTO the waves
over 12 kts, she would pound. Turning and going the other way WITH
the waves, I could go over 20 kts.with almost no pounding.

Believe it or not, you just answered your own question.

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:20:27 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:31:07 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

At any speed INTO the waves
over 12 kts, she would pound. Turning and going the other way WITH
the waves, I could go over 20 kts.with almost no pounding.

Believe it or not, you just answered your own question.

For some reason that I can't explain, the rest of the post was cut
off.

Anyway...

With skiff style hull, the faster you go, the better the ride because
the boat will tend to skip along the tops of the waves rather than
ride them. It's the same way with my bay boat - the faster in a heavy
chop or waves one to two, the better the ride. There are
circumstances where that doesn't work all that well, but you wouldn't
be out in that kind of weather.

On Jun 23, 8:44 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:20:27 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing

wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:31:07 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

At any speed INTO the waves
over 12 kts, she would pound. Turning and going the other way WITH
the waves, I could go over 20 kts.with almost no pounding.

Believe it or not, you just answered your own question.

For some reason that I can't explain, the rest of the post was cut
off.

Anyway...

With skiff style hull, the faster you go, the better the ride because
the boat will tend to skip along the tops of the waves rather than
ride them. It's the same way with my bay boat - the faster in a heavy
chop or waves one to two, the better the ride. There are
circumstances where that doesn't work all that well, but you wouldn't
be out in that kind of weather.

Shortwave says I should go FASTER, I dunno if this will work but will
try again soon.
I realize she is failrly flat bottomed but not as much as a Carolina
Skiff. She has a very high bow and high sides so spray never gets
aboard. She does have strakes to give her a grip when turning and
this works well in chop.
In deeper water, will the chop be less a problem? I know the waves
will be further apart in deep water. Am I simply seeing a worst case
with southerly winds blowing into a very shallow bay.
I am trying to assess whether I should ever (maybe a couple years from
now) consider taking her over to Bimini from Miami after getting much
more familiar with her characteristics. Unfortunately, I have no
access to deep water here in N. FL.
I'll admit, being a longtime sailor makes powerboating confusing,
especially doing sailign one day and power the next. I will probably
never get used to having to have my prop turning to have steerage. I
get in a tight canal and expect her to act like my sailboat and turn
on a dime using the tiller and YIKES, she turns nothing like I expect.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:20:27 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:31:07 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

At any speed INTO the waves
over 12 kts, she would pound. Turning and going the other way WITH
the waves, I could go over 20 kts.with almost no pounding.
Believe it or not, you just answered your own question.

For some reason that I can't explain, the rest of the post was cut
off.

Anyway...

With skiff style hull, the faster you go, the better the ride because
the boat will tend to skip along the tops of the waves rather than
ride them. It's the same way with my bay boat - the faster in a heavy
chop or waves one to two, the better the ride. There are
circumstances where that doesn't work all that well, but you wouldn't
be out in that kind of weather.


Heheh. I'd love to see that down here on the Bay with our nasty chop.
Bring a cup in which to spit your teeth.

:}

On Jun 23, 9:32*pm, wrote:
On Jun 23, 8:44 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:





On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:20:27 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing

wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:31:07 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

At any speed INTO the waves
over 12 kts, she would pound. *Turning and going the other way WITH
the waves, I could go over 20 kts.with almost no pounding.

Believe it or not, you just answered your own question.

For some reason that I can't explain, the rest of the post was cut
off.

Anyway...

With skiff style hull, the faster you go, the better the ride because
the boat will tend to skip along the tops of the waves rather than
ride them. *It's the same way with my bay boat - the faster in a heavy
chop or waves one to two, the better the ride. *There are
circumstances where that doesn't work all that well, but you wouldn't
be out in that kind of weather.

Shortwave says I should go FASTER, I dunno if this will work but will
try again soon.
I realize she is failrly flat bottomed but not as much as a Carolina
Skiff. *She has a very high bow and high sides so spray never gets
aboard. *She does have strakes to give her a grip when turning and
this works well in chop.
In deeper water, will the chop be less a problem? *I know the waves
will be further apart in deep water. *Am I simply seeing a worst case
with southerly winds blowing into a very shallow bay.
I am trying to assess whether I should ever (maybe a couple years from
now) consider taking her over to Bimini from Miami after getting much
more familiar with her characteristics. *Unfortunately, I have no
access to deep water here in N. FL.
I'll admit, being a longtime sailor makes powerboating confusing,
especially doing sailign one day and power the next. *I will probably
never get used to having to have my prop turning to have steerage. *I
get in a tight canal and expect her to act like my sailboat and turn
on a dime using the tiller and YIKES, she turns nothing like I expect.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

8 degree deadrise, is basically a flat bottom. These boats are built
strong enough to take the speed and pound. However, if you look at the
hull, it is really a displacement hull from what I can see. Kind of
like my boat, a 16 foot flat bottom skiff. It can plane, and can take
a pounding, but it is really best suited to run on a very small
engine, at 6-7 knots..

I have a planing Dory with a narrow flat bottom, flared sides and hard
chines. When I can no longer stand the pounding, I quarter the waves
and lean the boat over as far as I can get it. In effect, turning the
side/chine/bottom into a V bottom. Be forwarned, this action can
terrify the passengers. As a sailor though, you should feel right at
home riding around on a 45 degree angle. Whether or not it works very
well will depend on how hard your chines are. Wouldn't hurt to give it
a try though.
Rick.

On Mon, 23 Jun 08, ohara5.0 wrote:
Perhaps I am reading sea conditions wrong or perhaps because it is so
shallow here that I cannot get any idea of other conditions. My
Tolman Skiff seems to pound in 1’ chop at any speed over 12 kts. Of
course, it does have a very small deadrise of only 8 degrees but it
does have more of a v-forward.
Where I normally go, the water depth is rarely over 15’ and most of
the time shallower. However, the bay is open to the south so we can
get some chop. I would have to go out more than 20 miles to get into
deep water.
Here is how I read the water conditions. On Saturday, I went out in
my 28’ sailboat (weighs 8000 lbs) and I estimated wind was 14 kts and
seas were 2’ but very close together, certainly less than 8 ‘ apart.
There was chop superimposed on the small swells. It was a fun ride
because the bow would plunge into a wave and throw spray all over.
SUNDAY, I went out in the Tolman in what seemed to be 10 kt winds
with chop I would estimate at maybe 1’. Maybe there were seas but
they were roughly the same as the chop. At any speed INTO the waves
over 12 kts, she would pound. Turning and going the other way WITH
the waves, I could go over 20 kts.with almost no pounding.
Now, this is my first power boat so I do not know what is normal. Am
I reading the seas wrong? Is this pounding “normal”. Would deeper
water produce better riding conditions? I had my wife and daughter
forward to help keep the bow down. I cannot tell if the power tilt/
trim helps.