Quote:
Originally Posted by Lakepilot
There are many areas on the broads where this is true. Waves due to winds are much bigger than any generated by boats. Many of these docks have breakwaters for protection. But there are many quiet coves on the lake where the wind is sheltered. There are no breakwaters for protection because they usually aren't needed. There's no protection for huge boat wakes when the lake is high.
|
The Broads shorelines are unique because of "fetch".
The longer the area for wind-driven waves to build up, the greater force they deliver when striking the shoreline. Often, huge plumes of spray can carry well past the breakwater it hits. It's an exciting sight—yet so far from the ocean.
The
turns that a boat takes (plus "hole-shots") can significantly alter its wake—from "mild" to "wild".
It's not just "quiet" coves, either: boat-driven wakes can arrive with an amplitude and period that soaks my dock—even when the lake is low. That's never happened with wind-driven waves due to the lack of "fetch" in my relatively wide-open area. (The longest "fetch" being 1½ miles).