4087 - Sea keeping qualities-gctid379900

[Guest]

Hi to all 4087 and 3587 owners. My wife and I are considering upgrading to a 4087 and so far I have done a lot of reading on the forum on the various attributes of this model. There is one area that I would like to find out more information on. What are the sea keeping qualities of the 4087. How does it manage various size seas, following seas etc. We live in Brisbane Australia and are planning to do coastal cruising along our eastern seaboard. Thanking you all in advance for any assistance you may be able to provide-- Roy

[Machog]

I've got a 4087 and love everything about it. We cruise the San Juan and Gulf Islands near the US Canadian border and there is a bad patch of water known as the Georgia Straits and another known as Admiralty Inlet. Even in the summer, its often a very choppy ride crossing either of these patches.

Up to about 20-25 knots winds are tolerable, not comfortable. Obviously depends not so much on the size of the waves but the angle and duration.

Driving from up top in quartering seas is not fun, following seas not fun, heading into seas probably the most comfortable-if a bit wet. my 4087 is a bit bow heavy as many are. I try to get up to about 12-14knots (not the 4087's most economical speed), but seems to be best to get through the chop to a safe haven. When possible, we like to travel below about 15 knots of wind, so will wait out the wind and waves, but weather is much smarter than I, so you will get caught from time to time. In following seas the big thing is to make sure your trim tabs are all the way up and you have enough speed for good steering and not get pushed from behind. I don't have auto pilot, but probably won't use it in that type of sea even if I did.

For 90% of my boating the 4087 is a fantastic boat, lots of room, 3-4 places to sit outside for sun or shade. Its only downside for me is the very cramped engine room, luckily my mechanic is very agile.

Machog

[egbauman]

Machog wrote:
I've got a 4087 and love everything about it. We cruise the San Juan and Gulf Islands near the US Canadian border and there is a bad patch of water known as the Georgia Straits and another known as Admiralty Inlet. Even in the summer, its often a very choppy ride crossing either of these patches.

Up to about 20-25 knots winds are tolerable, not comfortable. Obviously depends not so much on the size of the waves but the angle and duration.

Driving from up top in quartering seas is not fun, following seas not fun, heading into seas probably the most comfortable-if a bit wet. my 4087 is a bit bow heavy as many are. I try to get up to about 12-14knots (not the 4087's most economical speed), but seems to be best to get through the chop to a safe haven. When possible, we like to travel below about 15 knots of wind, so will wait out the wind and waves, but weather is much smarter than I, so you will get caught from time to time. In following seas the big thing is to make sure your trim tabs are all the way up and you have enough speed for good steering and not get pushed from behind. I don't have auto pilot, but probably won't use it in that type of sea even if I did.

For 90% of my boating the 4087 is a fantastic boat, lots of room, 3-4 places to sit outside for sun or shade. Its only downside for me is the very cramped engine room, luckily my mechanic is very agile.

Machog

+1 to everything Machdog says. I've had a 4087 for 4 years and have the exact same experiences.

Don't know if you can find a 4087 in Australia. If not, mine is for sale and the Pilothouseking is very experienced at shipping boats to far away destinations.

http://yachtsforu.com/40-bayliner-for-sale-4087-cockpit-my-01-32-diesels-129k-big-little-boat/

[Guest]

Another positive vote for the 4087- Machog and I ply the same waterways of Puget Sound, and I must say that he has the handling abilities spot on. For sure the 4087 is not a true bluewater battlewagon like the Riviera or the Maritimo, but will hold its own just fine in coastal cruising.

Good luck with your search, and welcome!

[Uncle_Bob]

A light weight Bayliner would not be my choice for running parallel to the Queensland coast and taking the Coral Seas swells on the beam and I am a pretty loyal Bayliner guy.

[Guest]

The 4087 has a dry weight of 24k- add 650 lbs water, about 1500 lbs for fuel, and whatever gear one may store onboard, and the 4087 isn't exactly a bantamweight.

[skiffy]

Hello - new 4087 owner here. I'm looking for tips/tricks in following seas. My cruising area is SF Bay and we have one place we call the "Slot" - which is the Golden Gate and then downwind to Berkeley. In May and June, it's not uncommon to have a solid 25, and the waves that go with it.

Instead of trying to take that beam on, I went up to the Gate, then tried to cross, but it wasn't comfortable nor feeling safe at all so we just ran from it till we could tuck behind treasure isle. I guess I got a good dose of hard downwind driving. Too slow and she'd want to broach, which I could recover by using one engines throttle in addition to the rudder. Didn't seem safe....

Any other thoughts other than to avoid? Our best day-cruising spot is on the other side of "The Slot" from our marina.....

Anyone ever broach one of these boats and live to tell the tale?

[Machog]

ESSENTIAL your trim tabs are all the way up. Never broached, never really come close. Keep your hand on the throttle, if you feel yourself getting pushed speed up a little, evenly. Keep your hand on the wheel, get ready to turn back in immediately.

If I think there is the slightest possibility of broaching or coming close, I will alter course for nearest port, or head back into seas. I'm anal about listening to several weather forecasts, NOAA, round here ferry's report in actual winds. Gov buoy wind reports, real time contemporaneous reports obviously much better than any forecast.

Avoid low ebb tidal exchanges, that can exacerbate swells especially in the Straits of Juan de Fuca round here-not much help in SF, but maybe same rules apply?

Machog

[skiffy]

Thanks Machdog - sounds like I had it right.

It's pretty predictable here (SF), and we really don't have the fetch you guys have. But, pretty fast tides can kick up a nasty chop.

I've got 25+ years sailing the bay, but this was as challenging as I've experienced in a big boat. Part of it is I don't know how much she can handle - and don't really want to find out. I'll say that's as far as I'll take her.

I was also thinking that filling the tanks - I had 1/2 full diesel - would help - as it would add another 600 pounds of ballast. Of course, if I had driven from the lower station it might not have seemed as extreme as it did up top - but I liked being able to see the wave fronts, which I wouldn't see from down lower.

A learning experience for sure.

[stargazerwa]

I have less experience than others in the 4087s, but have chartered several. My 2 cents is that these are planning boats and have rudders sized appropriately for speed so at hull speed 7-8 knots they are not effective enough for say a following sea, speed up as others suggest improves the response of the helm significantly. All boats are compromises and Bayliner did a great job designing a rear cabin boat with a cockpit and three staterooms. I have always thought they were very responsive while docking, although the windage can be significant.

[NeilW]

"skiffy" post=739525 wrote:
Hello - new 4087 owner here. I'm looking for tips/tricks in following seas. My cruising area is SF Bay and we have one place we call the "Slot" - which is the Golden Gate and then downwind to Berkeley. In May and June, it's not uncommon to have a solid 25, and the waves that go with it.

Instead of trying to take that beam on, I went up to the Gate, then tried to cross, but it wasn't comfortable nor feeling safe at all so we just ran from it till we could tuck behind treasure isle. I guess I got a good dose of hard downwind driving. Too slow and she'd want to broach, which I could recover by using one engines throttle in addition to the rudder. Didn't seem safe....

Any other thoughts other than to avoid? Our best day-cruising spot is on the other side of "The Slot" from our marina.....

Anyone ever broach one of these boats and live to tell the tale?

I also cruise the bay. Stay out of the "slot" when it is windy and on an ebb tide as there is no solution, it's plain nasty in that steep chop. Cross in the AM or late when the winds are down. And yes, I broached the 39 a couple of times there, stuff happens

[skiffy]

yep - wrong place at the wrong time - however, we did navigate it at the cost of a few things tossed off the galley counter, including a spilled beer...

I did find it find, (albeit it was wet, spray over the top of the flybridge enclosure), crossing the slot upwind in about 25 as long as I kept the wind at about 30 degrees apparent and had enough power going to punch through while not launching the boat off waves.

Next time, instead of heading to the GG and taking it downwind, I'll leave Angel, head to Berkeley in the lee of Angel, and turn upwind when I'll just clear the end of the Berkeley Pier at my desired course.

[NeilW]

"skiffy" post=739998 wrote:
yep - wrong place at the wrong time - however, we did navigate it at the cost of a few things tossed off the galley counter, including a spilled beer...

I did find it find, (albeit it was wet, spray over the top of the flybridge enclosure), crossing the slot upwind in about 25 as long as I kept the wind at about 30 degrees apparent and had enough power going to punch through while not launching the boat off waves.

Next time, instead of heading to the GG and taking it downwind, I'll leave Angel, head to Berkeley in the lee of Angel, and turn upwind when I'll just clear the end of the Berkeley Pier at my desired course.

That is about how I navigate it

[skiffy]

allright - had a delivery from Stockton to Brisbane last weekend.

Forecast looked GREAT

and was wrong.

Stayed overnight at Pittsburg Muni - where about 5 others were also staying overnight.

Morning forecast was GREAT

and was wrong.

Slowly motored upriver - cleared above Port chicago - very fast run to Carquinez straits. Then it was full stop - SWerly was kicking up hard across San Pablo Bay and the ebb was still running. all that energy funnelled into the straits and it was crazy there. up, down, sideways, stuff getting tossed about. Thought about popping into the Napa river but could see where the bay widened it looked better. And it did get better. Whew.

The plan to come around Richmond, bear off to Berkeley until we hit the Slot worked great. Taking the seas 30 degrees off the bow and up to Treasure Isle was downright comfy.

Only hitch of the day was getting blown at the last minute into the slip hard, dinging the SUP rack.

I think I'm getting the hang of this thing. Still not as comfortable as I want to be, but getting there.

4 hours from Pittsburg to Brisbane.

[NeilW]

"skiffy" post=739525 wrote:
Hello - new 4087 owner here. I'm looking for tips/tricks in following seas. My cruising area is SF Bay and we have one place we call the "Slot" - which is the Golden Gate and then downwind to Berkeley. In May and June, it's not uncommon to have a solid 25, and the waves that go with it.

Instead of trying to take that beam on, I went up to the Gate, then tried to cross, but it wasn't comfortable nor feeling safe at all so we just ran from it till we could tuck behind treasure isle. I guess I got a good dose of hard downwind driving. Too slow and she'd want to broach, which I could recover by using one engines throttle in addition to the rudder. Didn't seem safe....

Any other thoughts other than to avoid? Our best day-cruising spot is on the other side of "The Slot" from our marina.....

Anyone ever broach one of these boats and live to tell the tale?

I also boat in SF bay, have for many years. Don't cross the slot in wind and an ebb tide, there is no comfortable way to do so. Plan your trips on a flood tide