What is a wake?

[bilproject]

Here's a related twist to this thread. Summer of 2007 4 of us were on PWC (3seaters) near Beckey's garden. We had stopped to talk and were within about 10 feet of each other. After our discussion of direction to continue our ride, we each headed at 90 degrees away from each other (picture the 4 compass points) and as we were 75 feet or so apart we sped up and when more than 150 ft apart we each came to the heading we had agreed to. The marine police stopped the first boat to accelerate and gave him a warning for going greater than headway within 150 ft. Now I understand that technically the officer is correct. However, in practice it seems that when a boat is in a congested area (no wake zone with boats lined up nose to tail 50 ft apart) as the lead boat reaches a point were it can safely (end of no wake zone boat ahead more than 150 away) go to plane it does. Later the same day we were headed to the Nasawa and a marine patrol boat was observing traffic on the lake side of the channel. As we were headed in I saw boat after boat reach the end of the no wake accelerate with less than 150' between them and the boat behind. More than a little upset I motored over to the patrol boat to find the same office that had earlier issued the warning. I asked why he had not stopped at least one of the boats violating the 150 ft rule. His response was the boats would never get a 150 seperation as they were all moving at the same speed and would be strung out to the eagle island no wake. He further said that there was no danger as long as the boat behind waited until the boat ahead has achieved the 150 seperation before the boat behind took off. When I asked about our earlier meeting he stated that we each should have waited (boat to rear would have to come to a complete stop) until we had 150 in all directions. My question was why if "there was no danger"
Just an interesting twist on the rules. Unwritten rule on the intercoastal is that you don't worry about what is behind you when accelerating out of a channel or no wake, only what is in front or to the side. Maybe they were just trying to get up the numbers on PWC stops that summer as it seemed like every boat stopped by the MP was a PWC.

[ossipeeboater]

Originally Posted by bilproject

Here's a related twist to this thread. Summer of 2007 4 of us were on PWC (3seaters) near Beckey's garden. We had stopped to talk and were within about 10 feet of each other. After our discussion of direction to continue our ride, we each headed at 90 degrees away from each other (picture the 4 compass points) and as we were 75 feet or so apart we sped up and when more than 150 ft apart we each came to the heading we had agreed to. The marine police stopped the first boat to accelerate and gave him a warning for going greater than headway within 150 ft. Now I understand that technically the officer is correct. However, in practice it seems that when a boat is in a congested area (no wake zone with boats lined up nose to tail 50 ft apart) as the lead boat reaches a point were it can safely (end of no wake zone boat ahead more than 150 away) go to plane it does. Later the same day we were headed to the Nasawa and a marine patrol boat was observing traffic on the lake side of the channel. As we were headed in I saw boat after boat reach the end of the no wake accelerate with less than 150' between them and the boat behind. More than a little upset I motored over to the patrol boat to find the same office that had earlier issued the warning. I asked why he had not stopped at least one of the boats violating the 150 ft rule. His response was the boats would never get a 150 seperation as they were all moving at the same speed and would be strung out to the eagle island no wake. He further said that there was no danger as long as the boat behind waited until the boat ahead has achieved the 150 seperation before the boat behind took off. When I asked about our earlier meeting he stated that we each should have waited (boat to rear would have to come to a complete stop) until we had 150 in all directions. My question was why if "there was no danger"
Just an interesting twist on the rules. Unwritten rule on the intercoastal is that you don't worry about what is behind you when accelerating out of a channel or no wake, only what is in front or to the side. Maybe they were just trying to get up the numbers on PWC stops that summer as it seemed like every boat stopped by the MP was a PWC.

there's a different set of standards applied to jet skis. Every weekend I see PWC operators harassed, unfortunately as a group we bring it on ourselves because theres a ton of idiots on them. Never been pulled over in my boat, been pulled 2x for a 150 violation on the jet ski and in neither case could the MP have seen how far away I actually was because of his angle. In both cases once we established the fact I lived there they drove away but had I been a renter I'd have gotten a ticket.

[Airwaves]

Originally posted by bilproject

As we were headed in I saw boat after boat reach the end of the no wake accelerate with less than 150' between them and the boat behind. More than a little upset I motored over to the patrol boat to find the same office that had earlier issued the warning. I asked why he had not stopped at least one of the boats violating the 150 ft rule. His response was the boats would never get a 150 seperation as they were all moving at the same speed and would be strung out to the eagle island no wake.

This is one of the problems with NH boating laws. The Safe Passage rule and the rule regarding overtaking another vessel (essentially what you're talking about here because the vessel being overtaken changed speed) conflict.
This is an annoyance now, next year such a stop, that ends in a ticket being issued, will be reported to DMV and go against your driving record.


I have to agree with ossipeeboater when it comes to PWC riders. They are targets on the water for the NHMP especially if they are bored. I have a friend with a PWC a High Performance boat and a smaller bowrider. She has never been stopped in her High Performance or smaller boat but when she is on her PWC and there is a MP in the area she is always stopped.