Headway Speed

[Airwaves]

Originally posted by jrc
I'm still not convinced on the 6 mph. I think it is a hard limit. Headway speed is any speed 6 mph or less.

So let's take an example. A canoe can maintain steerage at less than 1 mph, so by Airwaves interpretation, they could not exceed 1 mph in a No Wake Zone.

Okay, let me try this. I have an 18 foot bowrider. She is rated for 8 adult POB and a 150 hp Outboard motor. 50 gallon fuel tank.

I have a full tank of gas. A full complement of adults on board so the boat is heavy in the water and I am traveling at 6 MPH.

Under your "hard limit" headway speed, I would be in compliance with the headway speed/no wake zone even though with the weight, displacement and speed of my boat I am going to be kicking up a foot or more wake, and even though I can maintain control of my boat at a lesser speed than 6 MPH?

Now, on the other hand, You and I are on board Skip's Egg Harbor and we come to a no wake zone. Skip can not control the vessel at 6 mph. Does he violate the law if it kicks it up to a speed where he can control the boat? No, that's fine.

Originally posted by tis
Awaves, there used to be headway speed signs coming into the marina in Winter Harbor. You never see any these days as you said.

I don't think there are too many boats on the lake these days that can't maintain steerage at 6 MPH, are there?

I was watching MP stop people for No Wake and was surprised as some were just making an almost invisible wake. I asked him about it and he said no wake is no wake. If it was very small he just warned them though.

I am only quoting NH Law, not my opinion. The law says Headway Speed and No Wake Zones are one and the same. Not my opinon. Many large boats (cruisers come to mind) on the lake these days might have issues with headway speed at under 6 MPH. They are also the mostly likely to have bow and stern thrusters and twin engines.

The NHMP will make the call about what is headway speed and no wake. I have been yelled at going through the Weirs Channel by a drunk on the shore because I was making a "wake". I looked, there was a small wake and I was traveling less than 6 MPH.

So....what I am saying? The law was written to require boats travel the slowest possible speed in order NOT TO MAKE A WAKE in the designated areas.

Read the wording of the law again, carefully read it and then tell me you think it sets a limit at 6mph in a no wake zone. Or after you read it do you think that it REQUIRES you to operate at the slowest speed possible be that above or below 6 MPH?