07-10-2021, 07:30 PM
Wakeless speed rule closer than 150 feet of all the objects and people mentioned above is great. But what the law doesn't take into consideration as far as other boats or water craft are concerned, is the size of the other vessel. The smaller the other boat, the more hazard is presented by a large speed boat. And the bigger the boat of any type, the more wake it will produce even at speeds of 5 mph or less. That's why the rule says "wakeless speed" and not a specific mph number.
I have been less than 100 feet off the wall at Willard, and a big boat towing a skier or wake board has come between me and the wall, at full speed. In my small 14' fishing boat that was anchored, the wave created by that big boat rocked me pretty good. Fortunately I saw him coming, and though I wasn't able to get the anchor up and move further out before he got between me and the wall, I was able to start my motor and turn so the wave hit me bow on. If I had been broadside to it, I would have gotten swamped.
Another BFT'r (r2u2) and I were on Willard a few years ago. Richard was in his yellow yak just inside the buoy line of the south marina channel. I was a good 1/4 mile away from him and I watched some woman in a large boat going at top speed go between him and the channel walls heading west. No skier or wake boarder in the water. In fact I believe she was only one in the boat. Just burning holes in the water. And before I could get to where Richard was, she came back again at speed.
Those are the idiots that are gonna get someone hurt or killed.
I have been less than 100 feet off the wall at Willard, and a big boat towing a skier or wake board has come between me and the wall, at full speed. In my small 14' fishing boat that was anchored, the wave created by that big boat rocked me pretty good. Fortunately I saw him coming, and though I wasn't able to get the anchor up and move further out before he got between me and the wall, I was able to start my motor and turn so the wave hit me bow on. If I had been broadside to it, I would have gotten swamped.
Another BFT'r (r2u2) and I were on Willard a few years ago. Richard was in his yellow yak just inside the buoy line of the south marina channel. I was a good 1/4 mile away from him and I watched some woman in a large boat going at top speed go between him and the channel walls heading west. No skier or wake boarder in the water. In fact I believe she was only one in the boat. Just burning holes in the water. And before I could get to where Richard was, she came back again at speed.
Those are the idiots that are gonna get someone hurt or killed.
"OCD = Obsessive Catfish Disorder "
Or so it says on my license plate holder
Or so it says on my license plate holder