Quote:
Originally Posted by Lakegeezer
This kind of boat might encourage agressive driving. If a captain has to fall below 25 to avoid traffic, it probably takes a gallon or so of extra gas to regain a plane. In congested times, what is a captain to do?
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That depends on the captain. IMO, this type of boat requires
cautious driving. In congested times, common sense dictates slowing down to headway speed. In my opinion, congested implies an inability to maintain 150ft from all other boats/craft in the vicinity which means we should ALL be moving at no-wake speed in that vicinity. I slow down whenever I'm near (meaning within 200ft of) other boats to wait and see because I never know what they're going to do!
In the situation you suggested, I'm not concerned with the amount of fuel needed to get back on plane
once I'm clear of congested traffic, but I don't like the implication that, if the 25mph limit is imposed, if I want to travel back from Weirs Beach to Wolfeboro at night, I'll have to do it at headway speed (and waste MORE fuel than in the scenario you suggested) even if there were no other craft within 500ft of my boat the entire way!!
Think of the no-wake zone between Eagle and Governor's Islands. No way is that 450 feet across but most boaters wouldn't slow down to no-wake speed if they were going through there at the same time another boat was. MP (or whoever makes these decisions) had to mark it as a no-wake zone because people did not use common sense and slow down when they were going through. And even with that no-wake zone marked, people STILL don't slow down when going through there!! I'm constantly cursing to myself about the boneheads that ignore the 150ft rule in this particular area (Eagle/Governor Isl.).