Thread: No Wake
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Old 08-25-2018, 02:05 AM   #9
Dave R
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FWIW, in most places, it's normal to make a small wake in a no wake zone and no one cares. It would be so smart if they simply posted the speed limit of 6 MPH instead of "No Wake". They way the law is written, most Winnipesaukee boats will create a wake in a no wake zone without breaking the law. If you've read the law and still think it means you must go the slowest possible speed your boat can go in a NWZ, you are wrong.

I recently spent a lot of time cruising in Canada and the official (there are many private signs) no wake zone signs there clearly state "10 kph" (6.2 MPH). Everything except for 40 foot+ boats leaves a wake at that speed, but everyone realizes that it's normal and no one cares about the <1 foot wakes. I was also in NY waters on the same cruise, and there the signs say 5 MPH. The wakes are smaller, but still present at that speed.

Going 3 MPH in NH to avoid making a ripple is just silly when you can legally go 6 MPH. This might be why people just ignore the air horns and yelling, they might have GPS and know that they are not breaking the law. This is especially true if they are going against some current, the wakes, in that case, can be substantial without breaking the law.
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