no wake zone issues

[TitanTn]

I'm wondering is anyone has experienced issues like I've had. I drop my boat in at a public boat ramp and motor out several hundred yards through a no wake zone. Pretty typical. When idling out, I'm usually around 750 rpms - it's as slow as I can go. Several times over the last couple of years I've had the gas dock lady yell at me, and I even was stopped by DNR. I really think it's the illusion that I'm moving through the water quickly versus me actually creating a wake. Maybe the V in the front is creating some curling water, but behind the boat the wake (ripples) is very minimal.

Anyone experience anything like this? I expect the gas dock lady to be clueless, but even the DNR guy? He tried to tell me that the definition of a wake is six inches. "And the thing most people don't know is that you measure it from the bottom of the wave to the top of the wave." I hate talking to some of these guys because you can't really say what you want or they'll throw the book at you. But he doesn't know what he's talking about for a wake definition. There is no definition like that. He also wanted to get me for my son sitting on his knees in the playpen and having his elbows on top of the gunnel.

I really think he might have been after me because hours prior I had launched my boat, parked the truck, loaded the kids, sunscreen, life jackets, etc., all while he talked on his cell phone while his boat sat on the trailer in the middle of the boat ramp. He was still "in the process" of unloading his boat when we were pulling out of the marina. I told my wife that I couldn't believe how inconsiderate some people were. I didn't think he could hear me, but his head did jerk up from the phone call when I said it to her - so he might have been gunning for me.

But the point I'm trying to make is about our hulls. Is there something that makes them appear to put off a wake even when they aren't? Anyone have a similar issue?

[cjtpilot]

I am not sure what it is about inboard boats in general, however growing up we had a lake house on a channel and the neighbors all the time were telling my friends that had ski boats to slow down. Even though they were in idle maybe because of the nose riding so low to the water??? The other night I was out on my comp and our river is idle only right now and even I thought at times I was flying yet I look behind me and there is no wake at all.

[2500HD]

sounds like the fish cop had something up his wahoo!

[92SupraComp]

well ya see, the boat that the family shares in NH (m grandparents boat) is a 1987 CC Martinique. The butterfly shaft for the carb broke allowing 4 of the 8 cyl to receive any amount of they wanted. This usually meant an 1,800 RPM IDLE!. So when in gear it was around 1,200 rpm or more. This made it easy to go through "no wake" zones as we just had to show it refused to idle too high! but we got it fixed and now we have a slow smooth 500~600 rpm idle...

[Zim]

My boat idle's around 650 rpm's, and when I click to the first forward position to idle forward, I produce no wake at all behind me...

[gogger]

They are like red sports cars. They just look fast sitting still. It's that sexy hull design. Lots of other boats speed into our no wake zones and I often wonder if they don't understand what no wake means. No one has ever said anything to us. We just go as slow as we can. About 700 rpm usually I believe.

[TitanTn]

They are like red sports cars. They just look fast sitting still. It's that sexy hull design. Lots of other boats speed into our no wake zones and I often wonder if they don't understand what no wake means. No one has ever said anything to us. We just go as slow as we can. About 700 rpm usually I believe.

Yeah, I agree with that. I think we just look fast. I know I see plenty of bass boats creating much more of a wake than I do. The technical definition of "no wake speed" is as slow as you can go and still keep control of your vessel. And you're responsible for any damage your wake causes. I'm literally just creating ripples in the water. It's frustrating that you can do everything right and because others are clueless - you could end up paying the price.

[jasun]

I've been yelled at too "no wake!!! No wake!!!!" I told him it was a 23' boat going less then 5 mph. Not much I could do


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[Jetlink]

I replied to the local waterway agency patrols once, "Hey dude, if you can get it to idle any lower without stalling, knock your socks off." But then he suddenly found a jet skier to go harass instead.

[SquamInboards]

In NH the "no wake" concept is a false rule, the law requires "headway speed" which is defined as "the slowest speed at which you can maintain steerage, or 6 mph whichever is slower." For an inboard, this is arguably just in gear, at whatever speed your idle is set to, and it might be close to 5 mph but it's definitely under 6; however, it's not hard to steer the boat as long as you have some momentum, if you take it in and out of gear. But that's a lot of wear and tear on the transmission, so I stick with the "just in gear" philosophy and inevitably some people will yell; they do not understand the law OR (more importantly) how 300 hp pushes a boat at idle versus a little 25 hp outboard.

*Your laws may vary.