I Got A Warning

[jeffnick]

I was pulled over on the St Johns River near Astor. It was a No Wake zone. I was in a 16' boat with Honda 50, running 5 1/2 mph.



I'm retired and never in a hurry and I don't mind being pulled over by local water cops or the Coast Guard...I'm glad they're out there looking out for my well being.

Anyway, I was polite and produced all the required paperwork/equipment. He then pulled out his book and said he was giving me a warning for speeding in a No Wake Zone. I had the feeling that he would have written a ticket if I hadn't been so accommodating.

I asked him what No Wake meant. He said, "No white water at the bow or stern."

I said I'd like to know what that speed would be for me, so he watched while I slowly accelerated past him - he waved at the point where I began producing white water. My GPS read 4 mph.

So I had been 'warned' for doing 5 1/2 in a 4.

From months I used 4 mph as my No Wake speed, almost always being passed up by boats pushing a lot more water, at speeds of 10mph or more. On one occasion a sport fisherman even apologized as he passed, saying he couldn't go any slower.

Like I said, I don't mind playing by the rules, but 4 mph seems a little ridiculous?

Can any of you give me guidance on what my obligations are in a No Wake Zone?

[BoatCop]

Can any of you give me guidance on what my obligations are in a No Wake Zone?

Pretty much what the officer told you. A speed that does not create a wake. For us, that means if the ripple behind your boat crests into "white water", or the water at the prow (where the bow meets the waterline) pushes white water.

Exceptions can be made in windy conditions where a strong wind will "blow over" the crest of a small wake, or in strong currents where a faster speed is necessary to make headway.

We (in AZ) amplify the definition to include "in no case exceeding 5 MPH". That's due to some high speed hydroplane type boats that can run at high speeds and not leave a "wake" by usual definition.

You mention your GPS speed. Remember that GPS measures your relative speed over land. It doesn't take into account the speed of any current or tidal action. If you are going with a 2 or 3 MPH current at 5 MPH your GPS will read 7 or 8 MPH. If you're going against the 2 or 3 MPH current and your speed reads 8 MPH you're actually only going 5 or 6 MPH.

When it comes to speed on the water, it's your speed over the water that matters. Your speed over land (the bottom) isn't considered. This is the main reason that water speed records are based on 2 consecutive passes in opposite directions, and the boat's speed is calculated as an average of the 2 passes.

[tglee]

What if your vessel cannot maintain steerageway and headway without producing some whitewater.  I would think that this would be more dangerous then producing a small amount of whitewater.  In certain conditions just maintaining headway speed will produce some wake.

On one occasion a sport fisherman even apologized as he passed, saying he couldn't go any slower.

While 10mph seems somewhat excessive.  I can say from experience if you have a high idle and a high pitched prop it could be difficult to stay at or under 5mph.

   

[BoatCop]

I've seen very few boats that would create a wake at around 5 MPH. If someone has a boat that has a high idle and prop pitch that would make it exceed 5 MPH, then they can clutch in and out as needed.

There's usually a good reason for a no wake zone. Either environmental/wildlife issues, safety in restricted waters or to mitigate damage to docks or other waterfront facilities.

The guy doing 7 or 8 MPH isn't the major problem. It's the ones hauling @$$ through the area or plowing and throwing up a substantial wake.

If an officer is sitting in the no wake zone with a radar gun trying to catch someone doing 6 MPH, maybe their boss should re-evaluate their boating enforcement program.

Unless of course, the boss was the one who told them to go out there and do it. 

[tglee]

If an officer is sitting in the no wake zone with a radar gun trying to catch someone doing 6 MPH, maybe their boss should re-evaluate their boating enforcement program.

Very well said.

[Powell_Patrol]

I definitely have to echo some of the other posts here.  The reason for a no wake zone is generally having to do with some kind of safety.  Docking areas, swim areas, launch ramps, constricted channel, etc.

As a patrol officer I am DEFINITELY not out there with my radar gun looking for boaters over 5 mph, especially since my radar gun doesn't take into consideration the movement of my vessel compared to the movement of the target vessel.......  I am looking for those individuals causing a problem with a large wake, or weaving in and out of boats causing a safety problem.  Everyone wants to go home safely. 

[BoatCop]

I definitely have to echo some of the other posts here.  The reason for a no wake zone is generally having to do with some kind of safety.  Docking areas, swim areas, launch ramps, constricted channel, etc.

As a patrol officer I am DEFINITELY not out there with my radar gun looking for boaters over 5 mph, especially since my radar gun doesn't take into consideration the movement of my vessel compared to the movement of the target vessel.......  I am looking for those individuals causing a problem with a large wake, or weaving in and out of boats causing a safety problem.  Everyone wants to go home safely. 

My point exactly. I consider preventing collisions, accidents, injuries and deaths the only reason I, or my team, is out there.

Not too many collisions occur at 5 MPH. At least not many that rise to the level to make them "reportable" or sufficient to gain any useful prevention data.

Some may look for any minor reason to stop someone just to see if they're drunk. That kind of attitude is a little short sighted, since as they're stopped checking the guy who's only offense was italic registration numbers, a dozen boats go by doing reckless and unsafe things.

And the less time you spend making CS (hen droppings) stops, and instead concentrating on the reckless behavior, the more respect you'll gain from the boating public.

[jeffnick]

Can any of you give me guidance on what my obligations are in a No Wake Zone?

You mention your GPS speed. Remember that GPS measures your relative speed over land. It doesn't take into account the speed of any current or tidal action. If you are going with a 2 or 3 MPH current at 5 MPH your GPS will read 7 or 8 MPH. If you're going against the 2 or 3 MPH current and your speed reads 8 MPH you're actually only going 5 or 6 MPH.

So theoretically, if I anchored in a 5 mph current, I could get a ticket for producing a wake, even though I wasn't moving at all? Or if I was making 2mph GPS against a 3 mph current, I could also be violating the No Wake rule?

Don't get me wrong, I know these are ridiculous assumptions, just trying to let you know the things that run thru my head in No Wake zones.

I appreciate you guys taking the time to post here, and I'm sure I'll end up feeling better about whatever I decide.

We lived aboard our sail boat for 3 years so we're bound to have had a few more encounters with authorities than some...but for me they were all good. I'll post some those experiences in a different thread.

PS
Wouldn't a RADAR gun give you speed over ground, and not speed over water?

[BoatCop]

Theoretically, yes.

In the real world, no.

If the radar was being operated from shore, or from a boat anchored or moored to a dock, then yes, it would give you speed over ground.

But if the radar was operating from a free floating boat it would give you speed over water, since any current or wind affecting your speed would also affect the boat where the reading is being taken from. 

[tglee]

So theoretically, if I anchored in a 5 mph current, I could get a ticket for producing a wake, even though I wasn't moving at all? Or if I was making 2mph GPS against a 3 mph current, I could also be violating the No Wake rule?

This was what I was getting at when I wrote "...In certain conditions just maintaining heedway speed will produce some wake."

[Monitor]

I agree that stopping boats for barely breaking wakeless is a CS stop.  It's certainly not a big safety concern.  However there are circumstances where I will stop the boat doing 7mph in a wakeless area.  If there are multiple vessels in the area who are absolutely obeying the wakeless zone and one guy is pushing it to 7mph or however fast just making a small wake and passing others I will be happy to either motion for him to slow down or stop him and have a quick chat about wakeless. 

To me there are two problems with this guys operating behavior.  One is that everyone else is obeying the wakeless (maybe just because you just happen to be there in your patrol boat or maybe they have a better understanding of a no wake zone) and this guy has decided he doesn't need to.  I think it would be unfair to the boaters who are doing the right thing to let this guy just keep going a little over wakeless.  It would likely make some of the others think that if he can go that speed so can they and it just goes downhill from there.

The second problem would depend on how busy the officer is at the moment.  If it's busy and there are other issues that need attention in the area, then sure, ignore the slight wakeless violation.  However if it is slow and that's the only violation in sight why not just motion for him to slow down a bit or have just a quick chat with him about it.  Better than sitting there with thumb inserted into rectum. 

Don't get me worng, I'm not saying I'm going to stop him and chew his butt or threaten them with a citation, but just a little talk about what a wakeless speed is and just asking him to slow it down a little.

[WaterPatrol]

"Better than sitting there with thumb inserted into rectum."

.......but I think that might be a good way to get boaters to slow down. 

[dwco468]

in PA, the offense is exceeding minimum height swell speed...basically going faster than the minimum speed required to maintain steerage...i don't consider it a CS stop...it usually produces lack of pfd's, fire extinguishers, etc...things that people need to be safe on the water.   granted, if on the stop, and someone blows by in a reckless manner, the first guy will quickly be cut loose...but we have a job to do.