Huge Wake From Submarine

[zakthor]

Thinking of that Baysian sinking reminded me of something.

May 26th, 2017 I was going north in center of channel between port townsend and whidbey island. Calm day and glassy water. In the far distance ahead I see a gleaming white pyramid but can't make sense of it.

Few minutes later I can see its a submarine conning tower stacked with roaring white water. There are a pair of tiny rubber navy speedboats to either side with little flashy lights on top.

I watched it go past about 1/2 mile away. The submarine seemed to be at an artful altitude designed to produce the biggest possible wake. The entire deck was roaring whitewater that was then stacking up almost to the top of the tower. Amazing power of a nuclear reactor. Was cool. A huge boiling 45 degree waterfall.

What wasn't so cool was that a few minutes later I intersected the wakes. I think 3 or 4 distinct waves which to me appeared nearly vertical. I came to a stop, shut all the windows and faced them head on, the waves broke over the bow and then green water into the windshield. This is a 26' aluminum inboard, luckily with an enclosed cabin.

I think this might have been the USS Dallas on its way to the scrapyard. Wikipedia says it left service on the 22nd of may, so 5 days before.

It was pretty awesome to see. Definitely the biggest wake I've ever seen.

Always wondered:
- is there some reason to run the sub at high power like that before decommissioning? trying to burn up more fuel before it goes to the scrap yard?
- what if smaller boats, sailboats, kayakers were hit by that wake? I've never seen wake like that, taller than they were wide. I suspect small keeled sailboats could have been wrecked by them.

I've seen other submarines before including a trident and they all moved magically in the water almost with no wake at all. This was a very angry opposite.

There was nothing on the radio warning us and none of the navy boats showed on the AIS.

[HobieMarty]

Wow, that would've been something to see and experience for sure. Glad it worked out for you.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[pwd72s]

Wow..sounds like an experience you'll never forget. Not a clue why the speed. Maybe Paul (seahawk) will have a theory?

[Rusty Heap]

In Puget Sound I was in a 17 foot I/O runabout and went head to head with the Seattle/Alaska largggge cruise ship. No enclosed cab or roof, took a wall of green water over the bow and dumped on us on board, along with all our camping gear for the weekend.! good memories.


Another time I was out fishing trolling, and a full size state ferry kept getting closer and closer and closer, then stopped about 200 feet off my bow. Hailing Siren sounded and loud speaker shouting, PLEASE GO INSPECT an inverted watercraft 500 feet away that I hadn't even seen. So here is me in a 17 foot boat with a 250 foot ferry looming overhead with hundred of cars and commuters on it waiting for me........all on deck watching me. motor over to what was an inverted ~14' foot skiff. HAH, remember that insanely scary clip from JAWS where the decomposed body falls out of the shark bite hole during a hull inspection?

THAT WAS ME, as I turned over the boat not knowing what to expect.........disappointingly only a hat and beer can floated out. The Ferry took off, I was ordered to stay with the inverted boat, and they sent out a 41' coast guard cruiser to come pick up the hull, which they encounter often I guess when peoples un-tied beached skiff float away at high tide............!

No Laser Turtles were harmed in these adventures.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Wow..sounds like an experience you'll never forget. Not a clue why the speed. Maybe Paul (seahawk) will have a theory?

What the hell does a helicopter guy know about boats and submarines ....

I'd ask fint

[3rd_gear_Ted]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Is quite amazing to see a sub going through Deception Pass from the bridge above.

The currents there can be really strong.
Was it at a slack tide?
How fast did they go thru the pass opening?
Kinda surprised, those things are expensive.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by zakthor

- is there some reason to run the sub at high power like that before decommissioning?

Maybe gave it the beans just for the hell of it. "This ol' timer's heading for scrap...how 'bout we turn up the wick one last time"

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by rcooled

Maybe gave it the beans just for the hell of it. "This ol' timer's heading for scrap...how 'bout we turn up the wick one last time"

Could very well be it...

[flatbutt]

But could you surf the wake?

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

But could you surf the wake?

Ha, I was just about to make a post about that. I've seen a video some time ago showing a beautiful wave coming off a submarine. Yes, I'd love to surf it. Surfing the wake off a boat is fun because the wave goes on and on.

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

But could you surf the wake?

At a 1/2 mile they weren't cresting but they looked extremely surfable. I'd guess 7' from crest to trough. Steep.

I watched with binoculars and the whitewater looked like it was to within 10' of the top of the sub's mast.

Find the picture of an la class submarine making the biggest wake, this was much rowdier than that. Literally the entire deck ahead of the mast was thick boiling white water that then stacked up the front of the mast in a pyramid. It looked like an attempt to make the sub have the hydrodynamics of a shoe.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by zakthor

It looked like an attempt to make the sub have the hydrodynamics of a shoe.

On the surface subs are a hog on ice…when they go sinker, and I have chased them to no avail, they are the water.

Amazing.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by zakthor

.......
- what if smaller boats, sailboats, kayakers were hit by that wake? I've never seen wake like that, taller than they were wide. I suspect small keeled sailboats could have been wrecked by them.......

I've been told(from a licensed captain) the boat's captain/operator is responsible for damage caused by their wake.