Boat Crashes and Licensing

You are spot on with your assessment. They can make you learn the rules through education and testing. Enforcement is what makes us follow them. Knowing the rules is one thing. Applying them requires common sense and respect for other boaters on the waterways. I don't recall any testing for common sense or respect.

No, but a physical class with an instructor is the first step in making people aware of the laws, safety and issues. I cannot tell you how many people I see on the water that doesn't no what idle speed, no wake even is.

Send all new boaters out for Columbus Day weekend in Elliot. If they return in good order, then carry on.

But Joe Sport Fish says his V16 double turbo engines won't let him go any slower than 7 knots at idle...hence the wake and aqua commotion.
How do you fix that problem? Which is quite prevalent here in Cape May tournament time.

They Can't. Most fast SF and motor yachts with a 30 knot cruise or above, cannot go any slower than 7+ knots on one engine at idle in gear. Some I've run can't do less than 8.5 knots on 1 engine in gear at low idle. Even the ones that have a low idle. Unfortunately that is something that cannot be changed and they get a pass under having to maintain safe steerage/maneuverability under USCG rules. What else do you do, clutch it in and out of gear for miles on end?

Generally the rules for idle speed/no wake are all of the boat in the water (no bow rise) and wake 6" or less. Slow speed minimum wake is generally an 8" wake or less and all of the boat in the water. Now, the amount of wake a boat rolls varies with hull shape, current, SOG.

I'll get my ruler and level out on them then!! Lol! But it's still obnoxious anyway you look at it. Maybe the clutch needs to have a Harbor Mode and lower the shaft rotation, yet keep the motors at idle RPM. Anyway I get what you are saying.

Some of those sportfish have trolling valves to go slower by slipping the clutch.

The most ridiculous speed rule is the 5 mph in areas of the Erie Canal. That's 4.34 knots. We could not possibly run that when we were there, but the majority of boats we saw weren't. We ran 8 knots at idle and reduced it very little by having one engine in neutral. We were not making a wake of any significance.

I got my a$$ chewed out going under Circus bridge close to Tampa on one engine in and out of gear for going too fast. When I explained that I had to maintain steerage they said they didn't care about that, just slow down! I was going maybe 3 knots.

Those come with an issue, though. On ours, shifting with trolling valves engaged is discouraged... and disengagement isn't an instantaneous thing like just moving a shifter out of gear...

-Chris

This as well, so not recommended using the trolling valves if there's traffic around.

Certainly no or low wake adherence and common sense in an anchorage area is a never ending issue and you have to wonder about what that pattens of behavior leads to in terms of more egregous issues, but we are taking about crashes and most of the idiot moves in my opinion would be mitigated and some eliminated by understanding consequences / seeing examples.

Of course there is alway the the Chicago Scene boat raft up with pole dancing and alcohol et al induced puking............at least they are in a confined place (pre Covid thinking) for the police.