oops

Phil, I saw that one a while back. A couple of weeks ago there was another guy coming in with a big cat boat, and he stuffed the bow the same way. He got lucky. The bow popped back up and spun the boat around in a 180, and pointed him back into the sea. I'm sure the cockpit over knee deep. I know most inlets have a level of danger to them, but Jupiter Inlet is a narrow inlet, and with out going tide and heavy sea it can get pretty ugly real quick. I've been out of that inlet a bunch of times, and when the conditions are like that...... The pucker factor is high...... For good reason......
 
For a guy like me with very little experience in the salt.....what could this boater have done to prevent this?
 
His mistake was backing off the power and allowing that following wave to catch him. That scenario is the most dangerous IMHO and the reason for reserve power. In following seas, in a small boat, you must be extremely vigilant and have your hand on the throttle constantly. Try and stay on top of a wave if at all possible .
 
Pete's correct: the trick is to balance the boat on the crest of the wave with the throttle controls. If you get too far forward, the props. get into "cavitation territory" and you can lose control and slip down the face of the wave and nose into the trough-depending on the wave's height. If you fail to keep-up...well, that is what is illustrated in the video.
 
Yep, Pete nailed it.
The wave period was almost "perfect" for his boat length, once the stern came off the rear wave, it pushed his bow into the forward one. It was all over but the crying once that happened.
Like noted, in this condition, its best to surf a single wave into the pass until you get into calmer water.

I got into some nasty shit when I had my offshore boat but never anything like that. Scary.
 
I almost had that same thing happen to me on the Mississippi River. Coming out of a slough into a strong south wind on the channel in a 17' StarCraft. I was able to keep the bow up and nose from wave to wave but if the waves would have been another 3' - 4' for crest to crest I would have been in that guys situation. I made it to a ramp without incident. A person on shore grabbed my bow line and guided the boat into a slip and brought me the wife a beer. Not ashamed to say I was glad to be drinking a beer but while shaking is not how you want to spend your afternoon. Glad I and the wife didn't end up with the fishes.
 
Try to stay on the back of the wave, don't let the next wave push you. Extra power is always nice. All hatches closed and scuppers clear, many put coolers in front of scuppers. I do think All manufacturers ,ale the scuppers too small. Great for rain...
 
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