What is the 'wake' of a ship?

Question

What is the 'wake' of a ship?

Answer 1

Ok, here's the answer that will explain it the best.  

The wake is caused when the boat moves through the water.  The water rushes back in behind the boat to try to equalize itself after being pushed away.  The wave action that extends out from the STERN (back) of the boat is in the shape of a "V" as rushes in, then past the mid-line of the boat's track.  It's all part of the "equal and opposite reaction" for every action.  That is why there is a "hump" of water directly behind the stern of a moving boat.

The churned up water behind the boat with all the bubbles is called prop-wash.  The bubbles are caused because the exhaust from an outboard gas-powered motor is channeled through the center of the propeller.  The water acts as the muffler.

Hope that clears things up.

Answer 2

The "wake" is the water that is deployed at the stern from the churning up of the propllers.

Answer 3

the part that isnt sleeping.

Answer 4

The "wake" is the pattern of movement of water around and behind a ship.

Answer 5

Seems like the answers are ubiquitos (the same) here, but I still don't see anyone explaining why the wake is being made.  

A boat hull displaces water as it sits.  When it moves, the bow carves into the water and typically makes a V shaped wave.  The faster the boat moves, the bigger the wake and vice versa for a slow moving boat.

If you see a buoy that says 'No Wake Zone', typically these are in designated swim and docking areas for a body of water.  Wakes can also cause property damage and damage the shoreline for those people who are plain beligerant and irresponsible with their boats (or jetskis).

Like waves, if your boat is about to be hit by a wake, I would suggest hitting it at an angle to ride over it.  Otherwise, boats with V hulls will list back and forth pretty bad.  Tri-hulls will also rock and pontoon boats will really rock in the wakes of skiboats.

As a bonus, hovercraft leave no wakes while hovering over water.  Just a fizzy trail that dissipates fast behind it.  :)

Check out www.universalhovercraft.com if you are curious about hovercraft.

Answer 6

When a boat pass, it leave hole in water.  That is wake.

Answer 7

the water disterbance behind the ship.

Answer 8

the waves it puts off, have you ever noticed when you see a boat ..... it has waves that come off the bow( or back) of the boat... thats called a wake!

Answer 9

The waves left behind caused from the speed of the ship.

Answer 10

The waves it makes when going through the water

Answer 11

The water stirred up behind it as it passes through the water.

Answer 12

The trail of churned water left by the turning propeller (s***w)of the ship.

Answer 13

the waves created at the stern (back) of a boat

Answer 14

It is the waves the ship makes when it is cruising.  It affects the shoreline if they are too big.  You will notice on a lake that when a boat is cruising by the waves lapping the shore are big but when the boat is only coasting the waves lapping the shore are smaller having less of an effect on the shore and causing less erosion.

Answer 15

All vessels moving throught the water displace a certain

amount of water during this passage. A 10 ton heavy displacement boat will displace 10 tons of water. A fast

planing hull will not displace as much water as the boat weighs when traveling at speed when it is on the plane. Wake is the dynamic effect of this displacement. A larger ocean going vessel will have a much bigger wake as it is displacing a lot more water than a small sailboat.

Answer 16

Behind the ship, the water spreads out and away as the ship cuts through it.  The wake is the waves created by the boat's passage.