[PUP] Following Seas

[KI6CEL at Winlink.org]

Everyone has provided really good information about different boats responses to following seas.  Jenny, a Nordhavn 46 has a really soft stern, a full keel, and a large rudder.  She tracks very well in following seas and I have yet had to hand steer her in following seas.  However, a big piece of this ability is due to the towed passive stabilizers.  I believe they act like drogues on steroids.  When the boat tries to accelerate one side over the other, that side digs in and strongly resists the turn.  This can easily be verified by seeing how fast the boat turns with the birds up v. them down.  When my cousin Chris, two friends and I were caught in a gale off the coast of Oregon, we had Coast Guard verified following waves 20 ft high.  We saw our speed through the water go over 10 knots with our hull speed being 8.3 knots.  We never took the boat off of the autopilot.  It was not even working hard.  Again, I believe the passive stabilizers were a big factor in this stability
 , combined with a boat designed for sea kindliness.