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skprbob · 08-15-2015, 01:35 PM

I'll try to make a couple of points:

1. BroadHopper is right that the light #29 channel is not a No-Wake area. If your boat is the only one there, you can go through at whatever speed you want. If there is more than one boat, the 150 ft rule applies, since there's no way to get more than 150 ft away in the channel.

2. There used to be two red-tops and two black-tops marking the channel. At the moment, there is only one black-top. That's the one next to the light. The other one was towards the Weirs end of the channel and has been gone for years. Evidently the NHMP chose not replace it, and the charts no longer show it.

3. Part of the problem goes back to the issue of speed vs wake size. A planing hull up on plane produces a relatively small wake, as it also does at dead slow. That same hull at half speed produces a relatively large wake, and an unfortunately large number of boaters seem to be oblivious to that fact. They will slow down only to the point where their wake is the largest possible. This also applies to the common type of 30+ foot cabin cruisers which seem too be designed to produce maximum possible wakes at any speed above dead slow.

4. One can appeal here for courtesy. The docks in the vicinity of the channel are close to the channel and are vulnerable to high wakes close by. I would encourage users of the channel to be particularly aware of their wakes in that area and maybe do a courtesy slowdown so your wake won't do any damage. Although admittedly hard to enforce, the driver of any boat can be legally responsible for damage caused by its wake.

08-15-2015, 01:35 PM	#8
skprbob Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: 19 Mile Bay Posts: 147 Thanks: 0 Thanked 90 Times in 29 Posts	I'll try to make a couple of points: 1. BroadHopper is right that the light #29 channel is not a No-Wake area. If your boat is the only one there, you can go through at whatever speed you want. If there is more than one boat, the 150 ft rule applies, since there's no way to get more than 150 ft away in the channel. 2. There used to be two red-tops and two black-tops marking the channel. At the moment, there is only one black-top. That's the one next to the light. The other one was towards the Weirs end of the channel and has been gone for years. Evidently the NHMP chose not replace it, and the charts no longer show it. 3. Part of the problem goes back to the issue of speed vs wake size. A planing hull up on plane produces a relatively small wake, as it also does at dead slow. That same hull at half speed produces a relatively large wake, and an unfortunately large number of boaters seem to be oblivious to that fact. They will slow down only to the point where their wake is the largest possible. This also applies to the common type of 30+ foot cabin cruisers which seem too be designed to produce maximum possible wakes at any speed above dead slow. 4. One can appeal here for courtesy. The docks in the vicinity of the channel are close to the channel and are vulnerable to high wakes close by. I would encourage users of the channel to be particularly aware of their wakes in that area and maybe do a courtesy slowdown so your wake won't do any damage. Although admittedly hard to enforce, the driver of any boat can be legally responsible for damage caused by its wake.