Boats That Have Broached On You

[martinc]

I will kick off this string on some not so memorable events.

My old 1981 Quinny Breezeabout out in a black nor easter off Longy, with three people on board - broaching like a surfboat when I was a newbie to the game. Lesson - keep the crew (weight) down the back of the boat.

Have come close to broaching the 1980 Lazeabout I have now - but are aware of its limitations - I dont ride swells! A mate warned me - he broke off the steering wheel when he broached one. (Tks SteveH).

[Guest Jocool]

Thankfully I have never broached a boat.

I must admit, I spent a very VERY harrowing night on Botany Bay a few years back when I got caught out there in a southerly.

For anyone that doesnt know Botany, its a bitch in a southerly. I was trying to keep my little Stebercraft afloat while trying to negotiate 3+ meter waves! Needless to say I shit myself! This was basically on old Steber that was designed for cruising and it had a real flat bottom!

[old_bloke]

Broached plenty of times racing yachts under spinnaker but never in a power boat. guess the same advice applies however..keep your weight down the blunt end.. :ohyeh:

[mark_s]

Thankfully I have never broached a boat.

I must admit, I spent a very VERY harrowing night on Botany Bay a few years back when I got caught out there in a southerly.

For anyone that doesnt know Botany, its a bitch in a southerly. I was trying to keep my little Stebercraft afloat while trying to negotiate 3+ meter waves!   Needless to say I shit myself! This was basically on old Steber that was designed for cruising and it had a real flat bottom!

3m+ waves on Botany Bay. Must have been a howler of a Southerly Jocool :nana: :nana:

Can some explain to me what broaching actually is?

I have pushed the nose of my qunnie under water one day coming down a swell near the heads of botany bay (is this broaching?). Never felt like I was in trouble as the water just hit the wind screen and deflected off the boat before the nose popped up again. Haven''t done it since as its pretty easy to avoid if I am paying attention.

[martinc]

Broaching - its what those surf boats do when they ride a wave in to the beach.

The rowers all scramble to the back of the boat in an effort to stop the bow of the craft digging into the water.

The momentum of the swell drives the boat much faster, The bow gets pushed down into the base of the swell, burries a bit, and violenty pops back out, usually at a totally diferent angle to the direction the boat was traveling.

If this happens in a bar - big trouble, as you end up side on to the next oncoming wave, not the mention the chance of being thrown out of the boat.

[Bashir]

Joe, what sort of stebercraft did you have?? We used to have a Steber 530 which although we never broached didn''t handle the rough stuff that great, it had a very shallow v.

[Guest Jocool]

Joe, what sort of stebercraft did you have??  We used to have a Steber 530 which although we never broached didn''''t handle the rough stuff that great, it had a very shallow v.

It was an old OLD Steber 465 I think! It was a runabout with a bench seat moulded as part of the hull right up the front with a moulded backrest. 2 seats on the back of that, and 2 seats moulded into the stern quarters. It was OK I guess. We learnt a lot in that boat me and dad! :ohyeh:

It started life with an 85 merc, and ended up with 135!! Went like a balltearer on flat water, but was down right scary in anything over 1 foot! The reason we went to biggewr motors, is that each time dad launched without bungs and killed, we would go bigger!LOL :ohyeh: :ohyeh:

Now that Im reminicing...I kinda miss it! :nana:

Get a hold of yourself joe....Nah...I dont miss it!!! :happy: :happy: