Quote:
Originally Posted by NH_boater
I have gone through, traveling with a 4 mph current with my jet boat, notorious for poor steering at low speeds. With a 4 mph current, I am traveling at 4 mph (over ground) with absolutely no steering or control. If I add the minimum 4-5 mph necessary to maintain control, I am now traveling 8-9 mph (over ground) just to keep control in a tight, rocky area.
I have had people on the shore jumping up and down yelling to slow down under these exact conditions. While I agree that many boats ignore or really push the limits of headway speed, have a clue when boats are just trying to navigate a busy channel with a strong current.
NWZ means under 6 mph or the minimum to maintain steering, not that there is not any wake behind the boat. There will always be some wake or ripple as a boat travels through the water.
I have been in Winnisquam channel at Martels when there were standing waves. This was 7-8 mph easy.
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I don't get your point. If there is a 4 mph current and your boat is traveling at 4 mph then you are in neutral or your motor is off, you are adrift, the current is carrying you through and you will have no steerage. The laws of physics do not take a vacation in the channel. I made the point very clearly in my other post that your speed plus the speed of the current is your speed relative to the ground. I also made the point that you don't need to speed up from headway speed to maintain control in a current. Then I made the point that if the current is against you and faster than your boat, you WILL need to speed up to make forward progression. I have never seen that situation in the channel. There are many people who think they need to increase the speed of their boat to maintain steerage in a current, that is just wrong and it leads to people going too fast IN BOTH DIRECTIONS through the channel.