This was inexperience and not a mechanical failure that caused this accident, I don't care what the investigation states after the fact. I'm sure that the steering was damaged as a result of the accident, but the way they attempted to cross to the outside of the lead boats wake, both in steerage and the use of throttle caused the boat to walk, the chine to grab and whip the boat around. The video shows them attempting to move outside of the wake by slowly turning to starboard. You can also hear the engine rpm's decrease as throttle was taken away and increase as throttle was re-applied. The trim of any vessel will be affected by decreased power as well as the handling characteristics of the boat change as more of the hull comes in contact with the water as the speed is decreased.
TL:DR - exiting the wake of another vessel at speed is dangerous. It's even more dangerous in a boat with a relatively flat hull design and little freeboard.
Looking at the vid & it does seem very clear that you are correct. All the trouble starts when the boat hits the wake.
On the Fraser R there were countless times my heart rate increased / blood pressure because in a 16 ft boat & 7ft 6 inch beam with it being under powered ( 40 hp ) we have had wake coming off big vessels coming at us from every direction. Stern & every side & angle.
Wake coming from one side & wind driven huge waves coming from the opposite direction sent the boat up & down like a tidiii/tader ( sp?)
Once went over huge wake waves from tug ( it was not towing anything ) & our boat & the tug were going in a west direction. We had a third person who weighed close to 300 lbs.
hey a 16 ft boat under powered & a third person at 300lbs...over taking huge wake waves..
Yes ShaunO is correct ...wake waves can be dangerous.
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Topic: Fisherman thrown from boat at 57mph (Read 5855 times)