No Wake

[Woodsy]

Originally Posted by tis

Local Judges have accepted and recognize the intent of the law and therefore the application of the “slowest speed necessary…” is the portion of the definition that our officers most often use in their application of the law.


I supposed you still know more than the Captain of our Marine Patrol, Woodsy?

Well Tis.... Tim's letter proves my point. The legislature added "the slowest speed to maintain steerage" clause so that if conditions warrant it you can exceed the 6MPH speed limit. The original definition of "Headway Speed" was just 6MPH. The legislature made no differentiation in the law for Tidal vs. Inland waters. You can argue all you want, the reality is you are allowed 6MPH in a NWZ. I know this because I won my case... I demonstrated that my boat @ dead slow was 7.5MPH. Dead Slow being just in gear/no throttle. I won because the the statute reads "6MPH or slowest speed needed to maintain steerage". I ultimately prevailed in court.

There is no boat at 6MPH that is going to leave any sort of a damaging wake... Well, maybe one of those new ski boats with the ballast tanks and tabs... maybe.

Woodsy

Woodsy

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by Woodsy

Well Tis.... Tim's letter proves my point. The legislature added "the slowest speed to maintain steerage" clause so that if conditions warrant it you can exceed the 6MPH speed limit. The original definition of "Headway Speed" was just 6MPH. The legislature made no differentiation in the law for Tidal vs. Inland waters. You can argue all you want, the reality is you are allowed 6MPH in a NWZ. I know this because I won my case... I demonstrated that my boat @ dead slow was 7.5MPH. Dead Slow being just in gear/no throttle. I won because the the statute reads "6MPH or slowest speed needed to maintain steerage". I ultimately prevailed in court.

There is no boat at 6MPH that is going to leave any sort of a damaging wake... Well, maybe one of those new ski boats with the ballast tanks and tabs... maybe.

Woodsy

Woodsy

What, pray tell, is the RPM’s of your boat at “dead slow idle”? Anone can turn an idle screw in or out...

[tis]

Woodsy, we are never going to see eye to eye on this so we might as well just give it up. I still read it as you can go UP to 6 MPH if conditions warrant it, not that you can go faster. If you are not making a wake in your boat at 6MPH then I agree you can go 6 MPH. If you are making a wake though, you should go slower. Apparently you DID get a ticket for making a wake if you went to court. If what you say that your boat will go no slower than 7.5 MPH, is true, then I guess you have no choice. Unless, as HILL said, you adjust something. However, I am curious as to how do you dock if you can't slow your boat down? Again, is you are not "pulling our legs", then all I can say is you are certainly the EXCEPTION to the rule. Most people are able to make their boat go slower than 7.5 MPH. And most of the boats I see I am sure can go slower than that, they just don't choose to. BTW, most of the offenders I see are jet skis.

[8gv]

I have enjoyed the give and take on this issue but...

I would bet that the participants here don’t put up a wake in a no wake zone.

The real issue isn’t the difference between the interpretations of the law offered in this thread.

It is the flagrant disregard for no wake zones by people piloting their boats way too fast.

Maybe we can get their speeds down first and then go back to splitting hairs?