Quote:
Originally posted by Skip
If you are exceeding 6 MPH in a Headway Speed/No Wake zone then you must be prepared to clearly articualte the reason doing so to the inquiring offcer, and if not, the presiding court!
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Absolutely correct. You can not just "say" my headway speed is 9 mph because you don't feel comfortable with anything slower. As I said if you can maintain steerage at 3 MPH then that is your headway speed. By the same token in Skip's story steerage was impossible below 8 or 9 mph so that was the headway speed of his Egg Harbor. If you are stopped you will have to be convincing. But I really don't think the laws are confusing.
One law defines what headway speed is, we've just gone over that;
Quote:
270-D:1 Definitions. – In this chapter:
VI. "Headway speed'' means 6 miles per hour or the slowest speed that a boat can be operated and maintain steerage way.
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The other law defines what speed is legal in a no wake zone...headway speed
Quote:
D:1 Definitions.
VIII. "No wake area'' means an area where a boat is to be operated only at headway speed.
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I think they are complementary, not confusing
Sometimes a boat doing headway speed causes a wake given existing conditions but that does not mean you should give up control (steerage) of your boat.