Landing through a Surf with Power - Landing through a surf with a power-driven vessel is very much like landing with an oar-propelled vessel. The major difference is that the propellers and rudder must be protected, and therefore the vessel must be brought in bow first. The coxswain should lay outside the breaking point of the in-rolling waves and make his approach at a low speed. As the last big wave of a pattern runs in and passes the center of gravity of the boat, lifting the fore part, full ahead throttle must be applied to bring the boat riding in just behind the breaking wave. The throttle is used to control the position on the wave and the tendency to override.
The tendency to broach in the longshore current must be counteracted its a difficult thing to do since the boat will be making very little speed through the water.
The wrong position for the boat on a wave is to place its center of gravity forward of the crest. In this position, the boat may be overrun by the wave, swamped, and broached. Entering an Inlet There are numerous small inlets from the sea that have to be run by small vessels. These can be dangerous, and it takes skill to handle them. The skill of the coxswain, the construction of the boat, and the inlet itself will all affect the way in which the inlet should be entered. The conditions change with the weather and the state of the tide, and the dangers of broaching, pitchpoling, and swamping are present.
As a wave approaches a narrow inlet, its height increases rapidly and breakers form over the shallowest areas, indicating the location and size of sand bars. Since these sand bars are constantly shifting, making all attempts to identify the navigable channel with buoys.
The same techniques used in running the surf are used when running an inlet. A drogue can be used, but only by an experienced boat handler. If the inlet is not familiar, get local help. It is a must to take time and watch how the water breaks before attempting a run. To get in, high power may be required to maintain the proper speed in relation to the seas. If the vessel doesn't respond quickly to the demands for power, the run should not be attempted.
