No wake zone???

[matt88]

Re: No wake zone???

The moron in my personal experience of no wake insanity didnt even turn out to be the owner but a lot manager or one of those guys who gets free rent for watching the place. Also,call me crazy but wouldnt it make more sense to give our fellow member the benefit of the doubt before it would some random idiot who obviously gets his kicks from flying off on unsuspecting boaters? Because thats all this thread is really about. A member who had a bad experience and is shocked over the ordeal looking to be able to come here and vent,get some "friendly" advice,and hear some similar type stories. As for the comment the guy wouldve have to been insane? There are multiple levels of insanity and some insane people appear normal to the mildly retarded and semi insane so yes Im certain this fellow must have fell in some kinda stupid catagory.

 

[gtdavis]

Re: No wake zone???

Hahahahah thanks Matt you hit the nail on the head as to my intent.. I loved the story and got a good laugh which is what I had intended with mine. I actually kept looking behind me figuring he would take chase. But be careful what you post bc some people on here will nit-pic the heck out of you and tell you you were paddling your canoo too fast even though you've told them your paddle was broke. Then proceed to tell you with the type of paddle you have even broke in half at x amount of stroke per minute you will produce x mph and a significant wake lol!!!! Your right Lo I was wrong I darn near sunk the guys bar with the wake I was making.... And I wasn't the only one that noticed the banter but whatever. I have learned mainly ti just ask a question and not try to make it interesting. Thanks one mire time for those that actually tried to answer the question and.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: No wake zone???

I see nothing wrong with this post, we all have experiences on the water, and sometimes share them here.

I personally idle through no wake zones. As slow as the boat will go and like stated by most only a ripple coming off the back.

 

[Subliminal]

Re: No wake zone???

I'm a noob, and have only about 3/4 of one summer under my belt so far. i generally watch where my wake is going. For example, there's a big state trooper station on the river I frequent with a no wake zone. The no wake zone goes well past where their boats are docked. I wait for my ripple to pass their boats and I'll juice up the throttle a little bit. I might be making a small wake, but it isn't bouncing any boats around, so it probably really doesn't matter. Same with the bar right up the river and their no wake zo for their parking and marina. I'll keep the boat at a higher idle, with a small wake, until i get to a point where that wake might contact something that it shouldn't and that's when I juice it down.

At that same bar I mentioned, there is a large marina, full of your typical folk who don't really ever leave the marina, but bring a ton of beer onto their boat and party with their friends. I've spent more than one meal enjoying watching their antics as they yell at the boaters going by about the no wake zone. Just something they seem to enjoy doing.

 

[slag]

Re: No wake zone???

did your slow speed leave a wave/ripple?

Any watercraft, be it a jetski, powerboat, sailboat, canoe, etc, that is moving forward in water will produce a ripple. Anytime you displace water and move in a direction, you will make a ripple. I've never seen a boat not make a ripple in the water when moving. If you are idling and someone is hollering at you for making a wake, then there isn't much more you can do other than ignore that person as you really can't go slower unless you sit in one place without moving.

When I had jetskis, I always had boaters hollering at me for making a wake, even when idling out to the no wake bouys. Not much you can do about it, other than grin and wave back.

 

[JimS123]

Re: No wake zone???

What has me all cornfused here is the comment that some people have made about not being able to control (steer) their boat if they go too slow. I have never encountered a control problem with any I/O or OB boat going forward at its lowest possible rpm. I once had a single engine inboard 23 footer Chris Craft that wouldn't back up worth a darn, but forward it was quite maneuverable.

Could the comments have been re. a jetski that has no off power steering?

 

[Subliminal]

Re: No wake zone???

Every boat I've ever been in, at the lowest speed it will travel, in a body of water with a current, can be hard to keep in a straight line. It isn't hard to control, necessarily, but you do a lot of side to side as you go.

 

[45Auto]

Re: No wake zone???

I understand what the factory specs are for my boat, and I'm saying mine idles at 850 on the boats tach.

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anybody by pointing out that their stuff was idling a little fast. Obviously I don't know your boat, I was just pointing out that a few hundred RPM can make a big difference in wake.

To quote someone's factory specs sounds like something a 10 year old would do..... to know (and quote) how fast your boat goes at 650rpm and 900 rpm is something my mom would do.

I'd like someone to point it out to me if my boat was idling 25% fast. If you've been around I/O boats at all you'd know that 850 RPM was high for an idle on an Alpha drive, it doesn't help the dog clutches any when it slams into gear.

I personally have no difficulty in glancing at my speedometer when I'm in a no wake zone. Maybe me and your mom should get together! If there's some reason you're incapable of looking at a manual or a speedometer, don't worry about it, I'll be glad to help you.

no wake means no wake to me. Like jax pic. Where I boat there are boats that won't idle without a wake, they're also swinging 30 inch pitch props with high ratios I know a couple of other non-cookie cutter things like trim doesn't matter at displacement speeds as far as a wake is concerned. But I will submit that with a 13 inch pitch at 850 RPM with 2:1 gear ratio you might have been wakeless.

My boat has a B3 duo-prop with 28" pitch props on it, a few hundred RPM makes a huge difference. As QC says, now that we have a little more info, the OP's boat probably doesn't have that problem. Since I've never seen the OP's boat, I'm still trying to figure out why suggesting one possibility to him upset so many people!

 

[dbkerley]

Re: No wake zone???

No Wake? Your trim settings can have alot to do with it too. My wife was driving rather slow and bow plowing.

 

[cougar1985]

Re: No wake zone???

heres mine at off idle ,thats as slow as she goes unless the trolling plate is down or its sinking.its actually set below manfactures idle for trolling .all boats are different and all boats will move some water or your not plain moving!sounds like the guy was just being a pain in the butt.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: No wake zone???

Only one comment from me on this thread.

To all the replies of "give'm the one finger salute" or Blow their pier down with a "smart" move. That attitude or action in my way of thinking makes YOU just as much of an idiot as the guy who came out screaming and shows no consideration for anyone but yourself. Because really, what did you prove? Aboslutely nothing! Other than you are the same as the screamer, just showing it in a different way.

Our entire lake has a "No Wake" every day until 8am yet I see that being disregarded almost daily and probably 95% of the boats on this lake are operated by waterfront property owners of this lake.

 

[25thmustang]

Re: No wake zone???

I have a photo or two from a bit over idle speed. I actually go a bit slower through no wake zones.

 

[Thad]

Re: No wake zone???

I have never been yelled at by a proprieter for violating a no wake. I HAVE been yelled at by other boats who were behind me and thought I should go faster. Some, when they go by me are actually producing less wake than my boat. Others make bigger.

As with a lot of things, there are "interpretations" to what the meaning is. Personally, I define "no wake" to mean do not produce waves that can "splash" off of a wall or bounce a boat against a dock. Others I am sure, think something different.

It does not seem to me that the OP did anything wrong. And one can only speculate as to why the bar owner was in a "foul" mood. Maybe a boat very similar to the OPs just went through and he felt this was his chance to "get after him".

I agree that maybe he should have continued in and talked to him to see what the problem was. I think if that were to happen to me, I would want to know why he thought it proper to come out and try to belittle me.

 

[TMoNeE]

Re: No wake zone???

my direct drive at its slowest possible speed puts out a small wake still... ive never had a problem with any complaints about it but its not like i could do anything about it anyway

 

[iop]

Re: No wake zone???

gtdavis...

Unless the owner of the establishment in question is insane, I have to assume there was some justification for him yelling at and driving off a potential customer.

Simple logic.

The folks here who have 'attacked' you (I fail to see it, btw) undoubtedly have the same opinion. I've too often been the victim of people whose interpretation of leaving 'no wake' means leaving anything short of a tsunami

If you posted to learn what you might have done wrong, you've received numerous legitimate answers and sound advice.

Have fun!

My .02

i dont think he has to be "insane"... just an a-hole
I think the OP was trying to confirm this and not to figure out what he did wrong.

 

[gtdavis]

Re: No wake zone???

Lol I never thought my story would draw so much attention to which I am in a way grateful, bc there has been a lot of good info put out here. If I have offended anyone by firing back very sorry. A few have said continue in to see what was the problem.... I did try he woulnt stop yelling as I said before that's when I bottomed out and scrapped up my prop..... My boat walks side to side at idle idk if its bc I have a five blade prop or a quarter size chunk out of my cavitation plate (was thAt way when I got it). And according to the mechanic the rpm is correct (it was higher) an it goes unto gear smoothly. I wasn't upset about the whole quoting the specs thing it was that I was being told what the book said and if it's not what the book said then I was wrong.... Bot even really upset just didn't understNd.... And I left just like, well maybe a little faster ( more for fear of being rocked). As much as I wanted to and thought about all the things is like to do lol.

 

[Cuyose]

Re: No wake zone???

The way I see it, is if there isn't constant enforcement of the no-wake zone in the area you are boating at, it quickly becomes a "go kinda slow zone".

You can easily put a cooler, battery, full fuel and a "husky" friend in the stern of a small boat going 2 mph and be pushing a HUGE wake. People on the shore, in canoes, as well as other boaters that have to surf this wake don't care that that's as slow as your boat will go.

You may have very well been doing all you could, but all I am hearing is you were going as slow as you thought you could go. This doesn't mean you weren't pushing a wake in a no-wake zone.

 

[QC]

Re: No wake zone???

No Wake? Your trim settings can have alot to do with it too. My wife was driving rather slow and bow plowing.

I think there is some confusion regarding some things here. At displacement speeds (not on plane) there can be a huge wake difference between the lowest throttle setting (low idle) and any setting above that and before planing. Due to those dull gern laws of physics a hulls wakeless speed goes up with length and beam. The picture attached to this quote ^^^^^^ is so far past wakeless speed that indeed, trim might affect it, but . . . at true wakeless speed, trim has very little impact on wake size, even if you trim up above safe trim range. Yes, water will splash around near the transom, but there will be no wake off the bow assuming she idles low enough to be at a true wakeless speed.

Many small boats, 80+ MPH boats, and PWCs are a great example, simply cannot go slow enough to be truly wakeless. When you get to typical 18 footers, most are wakeless at idle, but you bump the throttle up at all and they start to create a bow wave. If you look at a larger boat, say 25 ft., with standard type power, maybe an I/O around 300 bhp, they will idle with barely any ripple. Very little bow splash and no bow wave. They might get up to 1000 RPM without pizzing too many people off. This is just not the case with a 14 ft. tinny and a 15 bhp OB and a little twist of the wrist. It will throw a wake even though it is 11 ft. shorter and has no weight to it.

Now that you have read through this thread, and seen a wide range of experiences and opinions, I challenge some of you to look around next time you are out. If you see an 18 footer passing a 25 footer in a no wake zone, I guarantee you that the 18 footer will have water splashing off the bow, and there will be a wake, while the 25 footer, if at idle, will be making what I would call a ripple, but not a wake. The ripple is from turbulence, and the wake being from the creation of a bow wave. And again, the bigger the boat, the more hull in the water, the more water it displaces, the faster the no wake speed. Seems backwards, but just take a look at a 60 footer and you'll see that the same is true. Much faster, with less wake, than an 18 footer bumped up a few hundred RPM . . .

 

[gtdavis]

Re: No wake zone???

Craziness I say!! Wish the weather was better I'd get out and take a video or something lol..... I still think people are reacting more to the story than the actual question! But it's all with good intent.... It is good intent right?!?! Lol

 

[jaxnjil]

Re: No wake zone???

Is the definition of "no wake" a matter of opinion??? I was out on the lake with my wife when we decided to go to a water front bar and grill that we often visit.... Anyway as I'm idling Yes really idling.... Any slower would have needed paddles.. The owner comes out and starts yelling at me about being in a no wake zone asking if I knew what those blank blank bouies meant!! I tried to tell him I was at idle as he continued to yell?? I was the only boat there too!! I have no clue!?? As I was turning to leave and content to listen to his bantering and watching him try to take down my boat I'D yelling "I got you" I drifted into the shallows and scrapped up my prop pretty bad. I even started questioning myself maybe I wasn't paying attention about my speed I asked my wife and she said she was actually wondering why I was going so slow???? Well won't be going back thats for sure!

OK---- no not a matter of opinion.------ either your throwing up a wake or not.--------

hope that is clear enough