Big Ships and Mac26Ms

[Jim Cate]

Hi. I'm thinking of taking our 26M down to Galveston from Kemah (located between Houston and Galveston) via the Houston-Galveston ship channel. The channel is pretty wide, but tankers and frieghters travel through it in both directions at pretty high speeds, and they form some pretty large, fast-moving wakes. - I made this trip several years ago in a much larger boat (a 40-ft. Valiant). Even in the larger boat, we were rocked around pretty severely by some of these wakes, even though I tried to cross them at an angle, and at reduced speed. Does anyone have experience in dealing with this kind of shipping traffic in a Mac26, and if so, how did the Mac handle the waves? I understand that some of these wakes may be travelling at 20 to 30 mph or so.

The channel has been deepened to 40 feet, and it continues into the Gulf between the north and south jetties at Galveston, also busy with all kinds of traffic. At a minimum, I don't think it would be a good idea to attempt this trip without the water ballast, and I would expect that most of the trip, around 20 miles, would be under power. I have the white hull, and although it might be slower than the blue Mac, I think it would be more clearly visible to the helmsmen on these large ships.

Comments and suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jims

[greybird-M]

Down here, on the IntraCoastal Waterway, from Titusville, to Melbourne and on the Banana River, Cape Canaveral to Melbourne Beach we have traffic ranging from FPL barges, to large (50'+) yachts and down to jet skis and smaller boats like the Mac. We don NOT have freighters and the like-the 'ditch' is too shallow.
That said, it can be quite busy on a nice sailing day and it amazes me how quickly one can be overtaken by a fast power boat. Slowing down (if under power) and turning into the wake is critical. If under sail, well we try to just anticipate the wake(s) and grin and bear it.
Most of the power boats don't slow down at all, and with all of the Slow Speed/Minimum Wake Zones set up for all of the tax-paying Mantees out there, I can't really blame them. I will slow down for other sailboats (if motoring 'fast'), to wave and admire the other boat and to be polite.
You definitely want the full ballast and you can dump ballast under way if you want to-just remember that it takes about five minutes to refill after you slow back down.
The biggest wake story I have heard is about the wake from U.S. Navy Trident submarines- eight feet high and rolling out almost a half mile-have'nt seen that but I don't doubt it.
I remember last year while motoring at about 16-17 MPH, being passed by a 30' powerboat. I did not slow down and did not turn into the wake. Aquanaut rolled severely over the 2'-3' wake and almost spilled my brother-in-law onto the cabin floor - he'd been napping with body to port side and feet on the starboard cushion. I learned my lesson. Main thing is, keep an eye out at all times. I took the Coast Guard Aux Safety Course and was told there that one of the biggest causes of accidents on the water was simply not paying attention to the boats in the area.

[Frank C]

On SF Bay, keeping clear of freighters and container ships is an hourly habit some days. You'd expect them to be moving slowly within the Bay, but that's not true. They move very fast and can overtake a sailboat in minutes. Once you see one headed into your general vicinity you need to monitor it constantly, and evade its course.

Ship wakes aren't so constant a problem though as wakes of tugs and ferries. The ferries cause a 3' wake due to speed, while a tug's wake is just from brute power, sometimes wider than its height. It's easy when a wake approaches from your destination .... just steer toward it at 60 or greater degrees at 10 knots, add power to climb over it. When they approach the stern it's lots more uncomfortable - take similar angle onto the stern, but be prepared for the dreaded a$$-shimmy.

Taking this experience and condensing it into a relatively narrow canal, I'd surely be ever-vigilant. I would not enjoy sailing that course .... strictly motoring for me, since it's best to absorb a wake by approaching its same speed. But with only 2 or 3 souls aboard (no top-heavy risks), I'd just as soon go without ballast. At only two-thirds of its ballasted weight, the boat will be faster and much more maneuverable. No rudders ... no CB, or maybe only two line-inches.

Also, be cautious of adding ballast on the canal. When filling ballast tank, the boat needs to be slow-moving, so it's more difficult to adjust to a wake and you'll be at partial ballast when it happens.

Overview ... it's a great opportunity for a few hours of motoring, and when done you'll be vastly more experienced with your boat's handling behavior, and prolly exhilerated! Enjoy!!

[Zoran]

We have some traffic here in Vancouver, but what I found out, at least for X is that wakes from big commercial boats are not a problem at all. Mac rock on them but not so violent. The worst thing for me are wakes from larger power boats (over 25'). If you do not cross these at the right angle boat rocks from 35 degrees port to 35 starboard in 2 seconds. Everything flies in the cabin.
Zoran

[Zavala]

Jim, it's been awhile since we lived in Galveston, but shouldn't you be able to stay far off the channel for most of your trip? Obviously you have no choice as you approach the Island, but I'd play it safe and avoid the channel as much as possible in the rest of the bay.

BTW - what are your plans for your trip? If you are going to spend any time on West Bay, we have an open boat slip at the Jamaica Beach basin. You're welcome to use it if you like, just drop me a PM.

[James V]

Dear Jim. Galveston Bay is BIG. If you put in at Kemah you will not have to be in the ship channel. There is a Galveston Bay sailing group and cruising guides ( you can find charts and guides here - http://www.bluewaterweb.com/ ) . I saw the group in "SAILING" mag a few months back.

[Jim Cate]

Thanks for the suggestions and the offer of a slip. I will look into the idea of travelling down outside the channel. - I was thinking that staying in the channel would mean not having to worry about shoals, sand bars, underwater obstructions, etc., which I thought might be a problem during portions of the trip. I haven't checked the charts recently, and would of course study them before making the trip.

Jim

[Catigale]

Jim, in my experience they will see you but other than to make sure they dont hit you, they wont give a r*** a** about waking you pretty badly.

Time is money in their business, so off they go.

I think taking some trips out of the channel and building your 'local knowledge base" of those routes that keep you out of their way is a good idea.

White hulls are faster by the way...