Question on travelling speed

[thylacene]

I see much discussion on various forums about traveling speeds and guys running WOT etc. Appreciating that distance to be traveled has some bearing and that conditions make a difference, I am wondering what speed you guys cruise at heading out/heading home. We fish out of Bermagui, and regularly experience short period wind swell that stand up at the front and don't seem to have a back in it.

The theory I work on is to increase speed until the boat starts to land heavy, and back off just a fraction, so the hull lands without a thud or a jar. This can mean traveling at 9 knots on some days. If it is that crappy we throw some lures out and back off to 7 knots and just roll home. I haven't been game to try and do the opposite and speed up to try and level out the lumps, sort of like traveling faster on corrugations on gravel, being concerned about landing it very hard or driving the nose under. About the quickest we travel is about 26 knots on a nice day. Top speed exceeds 37Knots but prefer not to run the engine WOT as fuel consumption and wear and tear both cost $$

If you Youtube you can find multiple videos of boats "jumping" waves, figure that can't be good for a hull long term, and unloading/loading the motor with the prop coming out of the water isn't ideal for an engine.

If you can find a minute, describe your style and speed relative to conditions.

Cheers

Thy

[Lovey80]

You could only pic one option. I needed to pick the first and last ones....... Go the cats! :D

[finga]

I picked the last option.
Some of our best marks and best sightings have come from just dordling across the ocean having no interest in getting to where we're going 15 minutes quicker....especially on the trip home.
Dordling has also saved us a few times from floating debris and has saved us a motza in fuel over the years I reckon.

And I hate screwing things back in the boat...hate, hate, hate, despise screwing things back on and having everything bouncing out of pockets in the boat and off the dash and out of the esky and the fillings falling out of my head so we go slow. Remember the tortoise and the hare story?

[Fed]

If you have to time it right to drink your beer then you're going too fast.

[Midnight]

Yep, we always travel at stubby speed in my boat, if ya can't drink a stubby, you are going too fast.

[Lancair]

Im fairly new to driving offshore and so far seem comfortable to push along at around 20kts, most landings are soft with the occasional hard one, but couldnt be drinking a beer so . . maybe I need to slow down a bit. Another guy was talking to a the ramp the other day was telling me if Im not hearing the prop get clear or at least ventilate occasionally, Im driving too slow ? ?

[charleville]

Us big blokes can feel pretty ordinary when traveling too fast in rough conditions when half a tonne of blubber bounces up and down on one's backbone.

What's the hurry, anyway? It is not like you have to be at work on time or anything.

I like it when the millenium hull on my Quinnie slices through the waves and tosses the water out to the side rather than crashing through them and having water come over the top. The ride comfort is altogether different.

Just because you can go fast does not mean that you have to.

.

[finga]

Another guy was talking to a the ramp the other day was telling me if Im not hearing the prop get clear or at least ventilate occasionally, Im driving too slow ? ?
Wallywankertosser is his name I'm sure.

[GBC]

I'm right in the middle. A 5.5m boat is always going to find a hole to fall into no matter how bloody slow I drive it.

[OPTI]

it depends on whos in my boat and how much time i have.
if im with my wife and daughter usually around 24knt cruise out ,mind you i dont take them out in anything bigger than 1.5m and 10 to 15 knts.
if im taking my mates out il go as fast as i feel comfortable so usually everyone ends up a little sore for a few days after ,for me sometimes getting to the 50's is half the fun and can usually go from the seaway to the 50's ne in 25 mins.:P

[FNQCairns]

I have been known to knock the rpm up 400 in bad conditions to ensure the bloke catching me over the last 15km or so doesn't before the ramp:)

It gets pretty boring on the drive home.

[Jarrah Jack]

if im taking my mates out il go as fast as i feel comfortable so usually everyone ends up a little sore for a few days after ,for me sometimes getting to the 50's is half the fun and can usually go from the seaway to the 50's ne in 25 mins.:P

Will be interesting to see how you go in the new machine..


I put fast with lots of air which I do in the haines..When I'm in the tinnie its the other extreme.....so I guess that should put me in the middle.:D

[thylacene]

Will be interesting to see how you go in the new machine..


I put fast with lots of air which I do in the haines..When I'm in the tinnie its the other extreme.....so I guess that should put me in the middle.:D

We have a 6.3m Caribbean, and no question, we can travel quicker than the previous 5.4 Quintrex, but not comfortable with lots of air. I find myself smack bang in the middle, I can't drink while out coz I get crook and I am the driver, so timing for beers is not an issue, but occasionally keen to get back to the shack for a substantial catchup on single malt once we're all tubbed and scrubbed.

Like to try and keep it reasonable smooth and use throttle control to avoid "banging", but still learning to read the water, and curse the local council for not filling in them potholes ;^)

Cheers

Thy

[Ally Jack]

I picked option 3 but I have been known to go quicker, like if you feel your feet coming off the floor now and then it might be time to back off a bit. Sometimes it pays to go a bit quicker in the conditions as you bridge the smaller ones and cop less
I like to stand most of the time anyway so I take a lot with the legs, even in near glass conditions I will stand. I get it from riding enduro's and bush riding, harder to react and stand, than drop and sit plus you have a huge vision advantage with standing.
What I have found is now I have to wear joggers for the trip out and back, my feet can't take the 2hr+ trip anymore without some shock absorbition. Soon as I'm there the shoes get the flick into the cabin until the ride home

Ally Jack

[turkeyslapper]

it depends on whos in my boat and how much time i have.
if im with my wife and daughter usually around 24knt cruise out ,mind you i dont take them out in anything bigger than 1.5m and 10 to 15 knts.
if im taking my mates out il go as fast as i feel comfortable so usually everyone ends up a little sore for a few days after ,for me sometimes getting to the 50's is half the fun and can usually go from the seaway to the 50's ne in 25 mins.:P
Opti ,you wouldnt be driving the Concord out to the 50s by any chance or found a short cut to get there ?

[fishfeeder]

Sometimes you just need to open the throttle and hangon !!

The girlfriend soon tells me if I am going a bit quick, but that's more to do with bikinis are not Sports bras.

Besides the faster you get to your spot the more time you have to fish, heading for home is normally a steady trip with a beer or two on the way and just enjoy the trip.

Cheers

[Timfishin4fun]

Opti ,you wouldnt be driving the Concord out to the 50s by any chance or found a short cut to get there ?

I was thinking the same thing.

Although had a top run on sat morn just over 25min but that was the 42's in the dark aswell.

Timbo

[OPTI]

Opti ,you wouldnt be driving the Concord out to the 50s by any chance or found a short cut to get there ?
obviously it doesnt happen in 3m swells,but i do that time very regualy,one recent trip i was in my mates new tournament 20 ft,i took the helm in the north arm of the coomera after leaving ggcm,got to the 50,s in 30 minutes from the seaway,getting plenty of air,half way out he asks me if this will damage his boat ,lol,my reply was its still in warranty isnt it::) ,i did notice some big stress cracks in the engine well :o whilst we were drifting,i let him drive home.obviously you need to drive to the conditions and what your boat is capabile of handling,sometimes i get my old offshore race day adrenilin going and forget i have passangers.im sure my 233 will do a sub 25 pretty easy.8-)
just for the record that cat in my avatr was one i built and my wife was in the boat when that photo was taken ,needless to say no sex for a few weeks after that,but it is a good pic.

[thylacene]

Sometimes you just need to open the throttle and hangon !!

The girlfriend soon tells me if I am going a bit quick, but that's more to do with bikinis are not Sports bras.



And aren't you glad they aren't, its nice to have distractions occasionally ;D

[chop duster]

i'm with OPTI on this one 8-)

[Camhawk88]

just for the record that cat in my avatr was one i built and my wife was in the boat when that photo was taken ,needless to say no sex for a few weeks after that,but it is a good pic.

Is that due to her having the shits or cos your balls were still up somewhere around your sternem?:o

[OPTI]

no it was due to her flying through the cabin door on landing and breaking some fingernails,and a slight gash to her head ,the boat was fine though:P

[Nicko_Cairns]

depends on conditions but generally around 3,500 - 4,000rpm as that uses way less gas then when you go past the magic 4,000rpm IMO.

[nigelr]

Drive to the conditions but having a tinny is perhaps always going to be slower than a nice glass job....
I love every second on the water, have no problems taking my time and really don't like getting bashed around......too painful........so always after the soft landing!
Agree Nicko once the revs get up my fuel use seems to rise exponentially.....

[finga]

one recent trip i was in my mates new tournament 20 ft,i took the helm in the north arm of the coomera after leaving ggcm,got to the 50,s in 30 minutes from the seaway,getting plenty of air,half way out he asks me if this will damage his boat ,lol,my reply was its still in warranty isnt it::) ,i did notice some big stress cracks in the engine well :o whilst we were drifting,i let him drive home.obviously you need to drive to the conditions and what your boat is capabile of handling.
I'm sorry but to me that is a contridiction in terms.
I bet your mate is really happy having cracks in the engine well of his new boat that may well be not covered by warranty.
How much is a new Tourno worth now??
What's the first thing people look for when looking at a boat?
Stress cracks at the back?? :-?
How much value hs just been stripped off his boat?

Stress cracks in a new boat is worth the 15-20 minutes you saved in travel time??
Me... I would have left 1/2 hour beforehand and saved the boat....and fuel....and maybe a friendship (I would have thrown you overboard if it was my boat)

[chop duster]

If the boat can't take half an hour of punishment, i'd be leaving it on the shop floor. But yer, i wouldn't let a mate drive my boat like he stole it! thats for me to do.

[OPTI]

finga its a long storey ,but we were running late as it was nearly dark and i wanted to get there while i could still see ,i was actually goin easy on it for me,my mates not worried,he did worse driving it on the trailer.i was actually surprised when i saw the cracks ,my mate wasnt sure if they were there before:-X ,but yeah i understand where your coming from and i dont usually flog anything thats not mine,at least he was with me ,he was actually stoked to experience his boat go like that.

[Lucky_Phill]

I'm with nicko and nigelr.

Used to flog the tinnies.

Too many cracks etc.

Now it is around the 4400rpm, seems to be the sweet spot.

Fuel usage has dropped, not so sore after a big day out and the crew appreciate the smoother ride.

But, on days when I have <.5mtr seas and little wind ( glass outs ), I will crank the throttle to WOT for a trip home only.

When you do the k's that I do, WOT can be a killer.

Last trip............ 332k's over 2 days. doh !

However, I always ( now ) show most consideration to the crew members.

Cheers LP.
.
.

[Nicko_Cairns]

I'm with nicko and nigelr.

Used to flog the tinnies.

Too many cracks etc.

Now it is around the 4400rpm, seems to be the sweet spot.

Fuel usage has dropped, not so sore after a big day out and the crew appreciate the smoother ride.

But, on days when I have <.5mtr seas and little wind ( glass outs ), I will crank the throttle to WOT for a trip home only.

When you do the k's that I do, WOT can be a killer.

Last trip............ 332k's over 2 days. doh !

However, I always ( now ) show most consideration to the crew members.

Cheers LP.
.
.

Wow that's some serious km's! I just worked out that in an average reef trip I do around 100kms per day, and that's a big day for me! I guess if you head out wide you'll clock up those bigger kms...

[Noelm]

I went to my really wide Snapper spot the other day, a whole 4.5k's out! must have used at least $10 worth of fuel for the day, but back to the topic, I don't really see the sense in driving right on the limit to go fishing, everything gets tossed around, the crew have to hang on for grim life, does not make a lot of sense or a fun trip to my way of thinking.

[DOGFIGHT]

i'm with OPTI on this one 8-)

Great pics chop8-)8-) ........................WOT for us when we can;D

[Shep 23]

Hi Guys,

Most of the time I will drive to the conditions. We fish a long way off shore so some times your driving for 80 mins plus. Don't wont to get out there and feel like shit after a hard fast ride. My rig will do 45knts but will suck the fuel at that rpm's for a long trip.
Plus I think the boat will only stand up too so much before you need to spend some $$$ on repairs. I look at the long term for my rig and mates.

On the way back in you need to have a few beers and have a think about the one that got away and how good it is to be out fishing with mates, not how quick your boat can go.

Cheer's

Shep

[Triple]

I don't see the point in going flatout when fishing, fishing to me is not about being in a hurry..
If I wanted to be in a hurry I'd get one of these - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBJPgG6FRbA

[feral cat]

its not all about how fast you get there.....its about bringing home a feed of fish.........4200rpm is sweet for the cat..any higher and fuel consumption goes through the roof......

[thylacene]

its not all about how fast you get there.....its about bringing home a feed of fish.........4200rpm is sweet for the cat..any higher and fuel consumption goes through the roof......

Agree that it is not all about how fast, but circumstances vary.

With a three hour drive home, 5.40PM sunset, and a desire to store the boat clean and leave the shack ready for next time, reducing traveling time by a half hour each way makes a difference to how much time we get to spend fishing.

Since moving to a larger GRP hull, we notice it. We generally get about an extra hour in compared to the previous boat when we go wide. Launching at 6AM (yes I know we could get up earlier, but arriving at 11PM the night before and then setting up the boat) and being back by 2PM and losing about an hour while we chase live bait, and 1 1/2 hours traveling each way leaves about 4 hours of fishing. The difference between cruising at 15 Knots and 25 Knots adds about an hour to the available time for dangling a line. Sometimes we live with some mild discomfort in exchange.

I'm not looking to be an ocean racer, but between the NSW South Coast weather and work, we like to make the most of the few opportunities we get.

I do take solace that there is exactly ten years until we can move to the coast and fish any day we want for as long as we want, and get home knowing there will be time tomorrow to tub and scrub.

That said, packing my bags to head off tomorrow night, heard the YFT have turned up at the 1000 Fathom line, Yee Haa

Have a great weekend all

Thy

[bigjimg]

I drive to the boats capabilities in the prevailing conditions. I see no point to trying to fly in a boat,it just throws gear around turns the rods into whips in the launcher on landing.And injuries to ankles or wrists a real issue not to mention a loose knife that finds its way to the floor ready to catch out the unsuspecting.Time on the water is meant to be enjoyed not painful.Jim

[Muteki]

Like everyone else has said there's no need to hurry...drive to conditions. I have a 5.2mtr vessel which is basically a ski/leisure boat, it performs its best in a glass out.
Over 10 knot winds (i care not for) in the bay depending wind direction and my postion the trip home can be like thrown down stairs in a wheelchair, not driven properly.
It doesnt handle chop well at all, bang bang bang but if swell picks up, right trim and speed for size and frequency of wave it can carve its way home comfortably.
I might be able to WOT 70-75ks an hour but sometimes 30-40 is just fine.

[OPTI]

this is where i want to be
http://youtu.be/Ll9SHeAJfCA

thats a boat:P

[thylacene]

176MPH Woo Hoo, What a buzz. But it hasn't got a bait board or rod holders???;D

[OPTI]

i was more impressed at the 95 mph at 4200rpm thats a sweet economical cruise, i think i saw 3nm per gal on the vessel view,would be hard to find lures that trol at that speed::)

[thylacene]

At that, dropping over to Kiwi land for the day is almost do-able;D

Bloody nice bit of kit, don't know how it would behave in a short period 3M swell tho ;)

[OPTI]

BTW that boat is powered by twin 1350 hp mercruisers,8 litre quadcam twin turbo that run on 91 octain pump fuel ,they cost 180 k each:o