Just a question, why is it that the bigger the boat the faster you think you can go ? I`m not talking about planning speeds , but have sat here today and seen several boats going faster than the limit creating massive amounts of wash. The limit is surely there to prevent excessive wash and damage to banks and boats. I know we all sometimes go a tad over 8kph but surely when you can see moored boats you look at the wash you create and slow down ?? Is this not just common sense and courtesy to other users ? It seems as well the larger the boat the less they care and cause more wash. This evening I saw one boat in a "River Rage" incident overtake a narrow boat at around 10 knots just to beat him to a mooring !
Come on guys lets have some consideration for other users of the river before I start naming and shaming, and yes , I have started video ing some boats so it will end up on u tube !
Don't think size has anything to do with it. There are loads of helmsmen with fixed necks, unable to turn around, on small boats as well.
I was messing about on our boat yesterday and could see a dory approaching from downstream. Its bow was well skywards with it being just off the plane and it was trailing a large wake. As it got level with me I saw it had HARBOUR MASTER written on its side!!!!!!
They need the speed to help them steer you see . Its a natural thing , the same as you standing on the bank shouting "wash" at every boat that passes [img]/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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The important thing is wash not speed though they are related hence the 8kph limit. A small speedboat at 8kph causes a much larger wake than a large river cruiser at say 10 kph because of its hull design. The other thing is direction and speed of the stream. I note that if there is a fast stream of say 2kts, boats coming upriver are speeding and have large wakes. The likely reason is that their speed logs are faulty and they use GPS for speed indication. So if GPS says 8kph, stream is 3kph then boat speed is 11kph hence large wake. I find if I go downstream with my 13mtr river cruiser I do need at least 6-8 kph boat speed for effective steering but with a 3kph stream it appears from the bank I'm speeding and get waved at, but I have no wake at all. I've always wondered if the EA account for stream when they check the speed of a boat, it certainly should be factored in.
The speed limit is over ground anyway, so GPS is OK isn't it?
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GPS is more than ok, because the limit is 8KPH speed over the ground, you have to use GPS indicated speed, your log gives speed through the water so is no help in sticking to the EA's limit.
That said, as Brayman states, sometimes even sticking to the speed limit is stupid due to the amount of wash you are creating, conversely you can sometimes be speeding but making very little wash i.e. going down river in red board conditions.
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It is OK in legal and measurable terms but just plain stupid.
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I whole heartedly agree with you Ian. The first mistake was to couch the speed limit in terms of kilometres instead of the world standard of knots. The second was its very introduction. As example, a Broom Ocean, Continental or European cannot be considered to be under full control at less than 5 knots. Ergo navigating one safely means one is breaking the law. Yet at 5 knots they leave little wake. Far better the previous system where an Inspector used his judgement as to whether a vessel was causing too much wash or being driven dangerously.
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It is OK in legal and measurable terms but just plain stupid.
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I whole heartedly agree with you Ian. The first mistake was to couch the speed limit in terms of kilometres instead of the world standard of knots. The second was its very introduction. As example, a Broom Ocean, Continental or European cannot be considered to be under full control at less than 5 knots. Ergo navigating one safely means one is breaking the law. Yet at 5 knots they leave little wake. Far better the previous system where an Inspector used his judgement as to whether a vessel was causing too much wash or being driven dangerously.
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Are you sure about that Byron, afterall most close quarter manouvering is done at less than 5knts and Brooms seem to just sit where you put them at virtualy zero speed. I know where you are coming from though and certainly in any coastal harbour or channel with a swell going 5knts would present problems, but I do feel some owners use this as justification for speeding.
Perhaps I didn't quantify my statement Chris. Whilst they are all lovely docile boats to handle at close quarters. Directionally they require 5 knots for adequate steerage.
Agreed that a quoted speed limit only solves part of the issue. Hull shape makes a massive difference, relatively large boats (say the salters trip boats) can crack along whilst barely raising a ripple whilst the average planing hull would create wash you could surf on at the same speed. A speed limit is measurable and therefore enforceable, consideration for other river users is neither.
Know what you mean about needing some speed for steerage, my own boat is on an outdrive so have the same issues. My gripe from the post was that it is becoming so regular with speeding boats that I`m starting to get fed up with it all. Surely common sense dictates that if you create a large wash you slow down past moored boats irespective of speed ?
I regular see boats large and small coming steaming down , see my boat and don`t slow down, yet when they get to the 24 hour moorings where others are moored they slow down.... Just seems they don`t give a damn sometimes
Speeding boats
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