What is Idle Speed in a "No Wake" Zone?

[Nomad Willy]

No wake is no wake.

“Idle speed” are the words of the OP.
Every boat’s speed is different at their idle rpm that is also different.

 

[SoWhat]

I throw a fair sized wake at idle. I am seriously overpropped.
No wake in my boat is neutral and lots of bumping forward gears.
But there are so many nutjobs in bowriders out there going 20+ that I never worry about it.

I will drop into neutral if I am passing close to a marina.

 

[Dougcole]

Waterfront erosion is a huge issue on the Great Lakes. Try coming into inlet and river areas adjoining the big lakes throwing even a tiny wake and you will have property owners lined up with air horns blasting at you. (And understandably so in my opinion). Last week a transient 60 foot Princess came down the channel toward the fuel dock clearly throwing a wake. He slowed down a bit after the horn onslaught, but was still going too fast when he passed the marina. (A one foot wave slops over the fixed docks). I yelled at him and pointed to his stern. The operator threw his hands up and yelled that both engines were at idle....what am I supposed to do. I called the fuel dock and told the staff to tell the operator to run on one engine or nudge it in and out of gear on the way out...duh. He was "no wake" on departure.

Honestly, this kind of stuff can go both ways, and you are not a cop (or at least I don't think you are).


I was headed back to our slip a few weeks ago, running in a channel that is zoned for 25 mph. I was going about 15 knots and throwing a sizable wake. Well ahead of us, like 1/4 mile or more, I saw some guys working on a dock in the mouth of a side canal, so I chopped it down to near idle. No, or very, very little wake well before I got to them.



Nonetheless, they both came out waving their arms and screaming. I checked my wake again, none. So I carried on at idle or darn close to it, about 2.5 knots. As I passed by, one of the guys was cursing me and said I was throwing a wake. I explained to him that I was not, that I slowed down well before I got to him and told him to calm down. At that point he started saying that he was going to meet me at the locks (I wasn't going to the locks, but didn't tell him that) and that I was going to be very sorry. He kept telling me not to "smart off to him, called me a M****r F****r and informed me that he was armed.


I called the Sheriff. They said they were going to send an officer out by boat and that he had no right to threaten me. They had a deputy call me who asked if I had done any damage with my wake. I explained that I absolutely had not. He said he was going to go talk to the guy.



This took place on the St. Lucie river a few days prior to Hurricane Isasis coming through, so lots of boats were heading upriver toward Indiantown and the other inland marinas. I'm quite certain that most of them didn't slow down much at all for him, and it likely got worse the next day as the storm got closer. Dude lost his temper and took it out on me because I slowed down enough to hear him and he likely thought I wouldn't say anything back. I get it, but you can't threaten someone. Even if I was throwing a wake he is not responsible for enforcing it.

 

[Rufus]

Honestly, this kind of stuff can go both ways, and you are not a cop (or at least I don't think you are).

Nope, not a cop. But I have worked as the Harbor Master in the past. Mostly just a concerned citizen with a boat slip in a clearly posted no wake zone that starts at the inlet off the big lake and goes all the way to the marina and fuel dock. The guy with the 60 foot Princess comes in several times during the season for fuel because it (and he) are cheap. Keeps his boat somewhere else. His wake often swamps the docks as I said.

He can either slow down, or be asked by the town that runs the marina to not come back...or raise the price of fuel when he shows up.....and the residents with high dollar waterfront real estate can make it happen. So I'm doing the loser a favor.

 

[dhays]

I think it comes down to “No Wake” means no wake. It has nothing to do with idle speed. If it means that you need to shift in and out of gear to maintain a no wake speed, then so be it.

 

[Dougcole]

Nope, not a cop. But I have worked as the Harbor Master in the past. Mostly just a concerned citizen with a boat slip in a clearly posted no wake zone that starts at the inlet off the big lake and goes all the way to the marina and fuel dock. The guy with the 60 foot Princess comes in several times during the season for fuel because it (and he) are cheap. Keeps his boat somewhere else. His wake often swamps the docks as I said.

He can either slow down, or be asked by the town that runs the marina to not come back...or raise the price of fuel when he shows up.....and the residents with high dollar waterfront real estate can make it happen. So I'm doing the loser a favor.

I don't disagree with this, and the guy sounds like an a-hole. I'm just saying be careful about the actions you take, you don't really have any authority.


I used to have a Gulfstar 36 that would roll peanut butter out of the jar. A 2 foot wake would almost knock us off our feet. I'm quite aware of how much it sucks to get waked and I hate it. I try my best to not do it to anyone else. But that doesn't mean I can scream at someone or threaten them.


Also, be careful giving residents with high dollar real estate power over boaters. Did you not follow the Georgia anchoring thread? Some people consider any moving boat bigger than a kayak to be throwing a wake. They would shut us all down given a chance. Certain elements of the Save The Manatee club would like to see all boating in Florida outlawed.

 

[rslifkin]

Also, be careful giving residents with high dollar real estate power over boaters. Did you not follow the Georgia anchoring thread? Some people consider any moving boat bigger than a kayak to be throwing a wake. They would shut us all down given a chance. The Save The Manatee club would like to see all boating in Florida outlawed.

In this case, I see 2 levels of control. There's the "I don't like this so I'm going to try to ban it" type, which is a bunch of crap. Then there's the "X is causing legitimate damage to my property, here's the proof, please add some controls to prevent damage" type, which is reasonable in my mind.

 

[dhays]

In this case, I see 2 levels of control. There's the "I don't like this so I'm going to try to ban it" type, which is a bunch of crap. Then there's the "X is causing legitimate damage to my property, here's the proof, please add some controls to prevent damage" type, which is reasonable in my mind.

It can be reasonable, but it also can be unreasonable.



The Swinomish Channel is a canal that connects Skagit Bay with Guemes Channel in Washington State. The canal is primarily used for recreational boating but was initially a commercial canal when built. The canal, like many, is subject to silting up due to the tidal currents and bank erosion. Much of the canal is a no-wake zone. Part of the reason for this is to help manage bank erosion which contributes to the shoaling of the canal. There are businesses and home owners along this stretch who also have a vested interest in protecting the bank and the structures that have been built on it. They have a legitimate gripe with the boats that flaunt the no-wake zone along that stretch of the canal.


However, 8 miles west is the west coast of Whidbey Island. This shoreline is open to the Juan de Fuca Strait and the full force of the weather coming in from the Pacific. There are homeowners on this shore as well. A major shipping route is just off shore with lots of large commercial vessels traveling at better than 20 knots. If those homeowners were to try and make the case that it should be a no-wake zone due to damage to their beak bulkheads etc... it would be silly. Natural wave action is much worse there than the effects of the wakes.


So property owners should be able to expect that their property won't be damaged by unreasonable wakes. What is unreasonable depends on the location.

 

[markpierce]

Never had anyone screaming at me but some have given a palm-down wave wanting me to slow down. ... Thinking many mistakenly believe my boat's foamy "mustache" indicates a substantial wake.

 

[Dougcole]

In this case, I see 2 levels of control. There's the "I don't like this so I'm going to try to ban it" type, which is a bunch of crap. Then there's the "X is causing legitimate damage to my property, here's the proof, please add some controls to prevent damage" type, which is reasonable in my mind.

I entirely agree with this.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

This week our slough got some new "No Wake" buoys. Traffic has slowed down. Some now prefer going outside of the slough as now takes too long to come through the Slough. Shariff has also issued citations for wakes and not having a boater card.

 

[rgano]

Waterfront erosion is a huge issue on the Great Lakes. Try coming into inlet and river areas adjoining the big lakes throwing even a tiny wake and you will have property owners lined up with air horns blasting at you. (And understandably so in my opinion). Last week a transient 60 foot Princess came down the channel toward the fuel dock clearly throwing a wake. He slowed down a bit after the horn onslaught, but was still going too fast when he passed the marina. (A one foot wave slops over the fixed docks). I yelled at him and pointed to his stern. The operator threw his hands up and yelled that both engines were at idle....what am I supposed to do. I called the fuel dock and told the staff to tell the operator to run on one engine or nudge it in and out of gear on the way out...duh. He was "no wake" on departure.

I have seen this same issue inside a marina where the owner yelled back at whoever was yelling at him about his speed, "They're both in idle." That's just showing how ignorant he was assuming the wake thrown by idling engines on a high performance boat just must be legal and considerate. Duh.

 

[Westiculo]

Got a no-wake a few years back in Virginia.
Had a background check recently for a job, and they said 'you failed to report your misdemeanor...'


Turns out my no-wake was a misdemeanor and now I'm a criminal hahaha

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Well two weeks after the new buoys were installed, traffic in the slough is way down and those using the slough are slowed down. Mission accomplished

 

[ssobol]

One thing that I don't think a lot of boaters quite realize is that even if you drop from 20 knots (say) to idle/no wake speed when you get to the marker, your wake is still coming along at 20 knots until it dissipates. It may actually pass your boat. Some boats with low transoms can actually take water onboard over the stern when the wake hits the boat if you suddenly stop (I had a RIB that did this).

So you actually have to slow down BEFORE you get to the marker to keep your wake out of the no wake zone.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

One thing that I don't think a lot of boaters quite realize is that even if you drop from 20 knots (say) to idle/no wake speed when you get to the marker, your wake is still coming along at 20 knots until it dissipates. It may actually pass your boat. Some boats with low transoms can actually take water onboard over the stern when the wake hits the boat if you suddenly stop (I had a RIB that did this).

So you actually have to slow down BEFORE you get to the marker to keep your wake out of the no wake zone.

I have found that as I am entering a bay and drop to idle speed, if I drop the boat into reverse, it knocks the wake wave down.

 

[psneeld]

On many boats if you slow down gradually...the wake going on past you is much smaller....if a planing boat and chop the throttle....that wake going into the no wake zone can be significant...especially if in a narrow and narrowing waterway.