Capsizing - how easy is it ?

 Hi All,

As some of you will know, I'm very new to boating.

I'v been up the river 3 times, mandurah once, and cockburn sound twice.

Im in a 4.8 Meter Half cab.

 

Last Saturday afternnon I was on D9 anchored up, there was a slight swell 0.5 to 1 meter at most.

Anyway, just 2 of us on the boat, and Im sitting on the built in seat at the back on the starboard side by the engine, and my mate is working on tackle on port side. Anyway, he stands up, and takes a big step over to the starboard side in front of me to grab something.

I dont know if we has just gone into the trough of a wave or something at the same time, but with the weight of both of us on the starboard side, the boat suddenly raised up a lot on the port, to the point where I grabbed the side of the boat thinking this might not end well.

Anyway, nothing happened, and I might just be being a big princess, but I was wondering how easy is it to tip a 4.8M half cab ?

If for example, I jumped in for a swim, and my mate gave me a hand getting back in, could that tip us ?

If I had 3 or 4 people on board, would it be pushing my luck ?

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capsizing

Tue, 2017-05-09 06:21

 a boat that size i would think would be ok, but i would not be fishing with anymore than 2 people would just be a mess..

Saulty2's picture

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Date Joined: 28/05/10

from that pic.

Tue, 2017-05-09 07:49

 looks back heavy to me ,water in the hull??  need to trial all different options /-- at the ramp--- 2-3-4- people all on 1 side chuck donuts- power up and see how she reacts , need to feel comfortable when on the water otherwise itl be a waste of energy and not enjoyable  

Posts: 865

Date Joined: 30/12/09

 my first boat was very

Tue, 2017-05-09 07:21

 my first boat was very similar llike yours and had pretty much the same issues as yours. if your repair job fails and you have four people on it, it will go over very easy imo. if you do have a few mates on it just make sure you distribute the weight properly. i had three mates on it in the estuary and when i was coming in to the sand ramp the prop hit the bottom as we were all standing in the back so i just cut the motor and trimmed it up and drifted in. it didnt look like much damage just a bent prop. next time i went to use the boat was up in greenheads. boat started alright and pushed of the jetty and place her in reverse but no drive in reverse of forwards. put the boat on the trailer and went back home and dropped the leg. i had snappped the drive shaft and didnt know about it.  

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ranmar850's picture

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I can't see what type of hull that is

Tue, 2017-05-09 07:42

 But there were a few of the older glass hulls in the small size that were too deep vee'd, looking for a soft ride, and were very tippy. Have three people on one side and the gunwhale is one small slop short of going underwater.  Way back in the early seventies, my girlfriends father bought a trailerboat new. It was the little 15ft half cab type which were popular back then, had a 50hp Johnson rope start, IIRC. May have been a Pride? Similar looking to yours. It was a bit terrifying for stability.   But you still should be able to drag someone over the side, if there is only one other person on that side. I mean, you can do that with a decent 12ft tinny.  And as Shane O says, i wouldn't be fishing more than two out of it, unless you were up the river.

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Date Joined: 22/01/10

Gaurdian

Tue, 2017-05-09 08:27

 I had a gaurdian cabin crusier similar to yours 'ol yella' was stable enough, could jump off the back and back in easy enough. never had enough courage or faith to go out wide enough to see how if would go in big swell, furthest i went was James service reef.... and then broke down   old girl was a piece of !!!! lols.  but that had a 1980 tohatsu 2 stroke.

 

i would not have anymore than 2 fishing on that one, but great for kids to get out of the sun and have a sleep.

Daniel Westerduin's picture

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Date Joined: 30/10/06

 If you're new to boating

Tue, 2017-05-09 13:32

 If you're new to boating most boats will tilt over a bit if two people all of a sudden move to one side suddenly, but most wouldn't usually tip over. I have a similar size boat 4.8m cuddy cab and confidently head out 50kms with it. I only fish max 2 people but would take more on a river cruise but everyone needs to have some common sense and not move around suddenly. I've been in 6m boats that will tilt quite a bit if two or more suddenly step to one side. It's all about even loads and careful movements when on most boats.

Posts: 35

Date Joined: 09/12/15

 Sounds like I'm being a bit

Tue, 2017-05-09 15:33

 Sounds like I'm being a bit of a princess so !

In that case it's just experience and you get used to it. I agree with you eziliving, that if my repair job failed it would be all over on a big wave.

But I'm happy she is solid now. I was in the water last time for 7 hours. Measured 3 litres of water coming out of the boat when I took the plugs out. I'd prefer none, but 3 litres is a significant improvement, and shouldn't effect the boat.

 

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litres...

Tue, 2017-05-09 16:05

 i would be shitting myself with 1 litre!!

Not having a go just saying that is alot of water, but as u said you fixed it and are happy with the result. enjoy your boating :)

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Date Joined: 09/12/15

Really ?Have a read of

Tue, 2017-05-09 19:23

Really ?

Have a read of this

www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/archive/index.php/t-178559.html

3 litres is 3 kilos

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Date Joined: 22/01/10

ok

Tue, 2017-05-09 20:03

 fair enough, i am not mechanically minded just a chef who sees water in the hull as bad news.  3 litres isisnt a lot i suppose, just trying to help u out.

Ashen's picture

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Water

Tue, 2017-05-09 20:00

Having "a bit" of water coming out of the bungs is normal for most boats. Unless the deck is completely sealed, water can find its way into the underdeck quite easily... 

 

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Ashen's picture

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Date Joined: 22/03/13

Stability

Tue, 2017-05-09 15:59

 An idea might be to move weight forward into the cabin and not all at the rear of the boat.  If you think about it, if all weight (people, fuel tanks, eskies etc is at the back of the boat and nothing at the front/in the cabin, the boat will be more unstable.  Try putting auxilliary fuel tanks/drink eskies etc in the cabin/forward.  

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A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

Swompa's picture

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Date Joined: 14/10/12

 With you sitting in the back

Tue, 2017-05-09 19:32

 With you sitting in the back and someone stepping onto your side of the boat, I think it would be highly possible to dip the arse in and turn into a turtle. I don't even like having two people on the same side of my boat and it's 6m.

Guessing that anyone who has tipped a boat would say it can happen really easily.