Perfecting the Slow Pass

A slow pass is not a southern thing, it’s an ICW thing. There are sections of the canals, that the charts show are only 80 feet wide. However, cautionary notes indicate that this may be less, do to shoaling. Most of the powerboats range from skinny (13 feet wide) like us, to fat mega yachts, 20 feet wide or more. When factors like current and cross winds are factored in, many boats are frequently traveling at an angle which makes their profile considerably wider. Everyone wants stay in the middle because no one really knows where the edges are. And the edges are lined with mud & tree stumps.

Some boats travel at 6 knots and some travel at 25, so passing is part of the process. The protocol is for the passing boat to radio the boat being passed and request permission to pass, and ask directions as to which side they would like to be passed on. The boat being passed, may also request a “slow pass” which means that they will slow down to 3 or 4 knots and the overtaking boat will pass at 5 or 6 knots. This minimizes the size of the wake from the overtaking boat. Big wakes can cause big problems because they can push your boat out of the channel. Sailboats are also concerned with their mast heights when going under bridges and we have seen a few that would not have made it if they were riding on top of a high wake. Most of the time, this dance is accomplished with a courteous radio exchange.

We have found this protocol important because boats going in the same direction tend to wind up in the same place. If you throw a big wake while passing someone, you may be subject to equally big glares, from the passed boat, when they tie up a few feet away at a next marina.

Boats not observing the protocol are chastised on the radio and everyone knows who you are because everyone is listening to the same channel. We are proceeding politely, trying to make it easy for everyone, but delighted when someone answers our call with, “Let er rip captain…proceed at speed”. Shorthand for, “We are all manly men aboard this vessel and we laugh at your paltry wake… HAHAHAHA”