Speeding Fine

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

If you think you've got a problem you should see some of the racing boats coming out of Poole trying to keep to 10 knots. They trim in/out constantly til the prop is spraying water up in the air to keep the speed down. It sounds pretty good but I bet they go through a fair few impellers.

It's a damn good argument for having an auxiliary really-apart from the safety aspect of it.

That's my whole point. Some people just can't stick to 4kts without causing expensive damage to their boats. Something like a Sunseeker for example - unless you keep dropping in and out of gear which doesn't do you any good at all. Don't think an aux would help either - unless it's got a tiller steered 225.....

WHY walking pace anyway? So much depends on the kind of boat - a heavy displacement craft will just keep going when the power is cut - my RIB almost comes to a dead stop as soon as you chop the throttle.

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

If you think you've got a problem you should see some of the racing boats coming out of Poole trying to keep to 10 knots. They trim in/out constantly til the prop is spraying water up in the air to keep the speed down. It sounds pretty good but I bet they go through a fair few impellers.

It's a damn good argument for having an auxiliary really-apart from the safety aspect of it.

I have no idea which race boats you've been watching, but if it was the class III and RIBs, then it's not like that at all - we run big pitch props and at 8 or 10 knots the boat is almost on the plane and the prop is slipping a fair bit - hence the noise and spray - no impellors would be harmed doing this!

Codprawn - I seriously doubt if you would get done for 6 knots in a 4 knot limit, but if that really is how fast you're going without the tide your tickover probably is a bit high!

[codprawn]

Tickover is only about 700rpm or so - it's the stupid 24" prop that's to blame!!!

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Cookee

I have no idea which race boats you've been watching, but if it was the class III and RIBs, then it's not like that at all - we run big pitch props and at 8 or 10 knots the boat is almost on the plane and the prop is slipping a fair bit - hence the noise and spray - no impellors would be harmed doing this!

Thanks for that-I did wonder! I've only ever seen the odd one on the way out to practice and they've been behind me on the way out so couldn't see the engine too well but that's what it sounded like-I just assumed. Hell of a noise though and sounds REALLY sexy!

[ADS]

The Christchurch harbour speed limit is only enforced at weekends and the odd week day during the summer, by the ex-bin men running the council patrol boat. There is no harbour authority and the speed limit is not enforced in the winter months, the navigation marks are also removed during the winter.
In the winter it is quite safe to travel up the harbour just on the plane and you will notice alot of the locals and the fishermen do just that. At the time of the offence (August 30th) I suspect that it was around fire work night/ annual regatta when there are alot of boats on the water and after the fireworks they all speed down the harbour. However, I very much doubt that it was the council patrol boat that booked him, more likely the Police RIB from Poole that attends such events. The council patrol boat quite honestly is a comedy act.

[Robox]

Originally Posted by ADS

In the winter it is quite safe to travel up the harbour just on the plane and you will notice alot of the locals and the fishermen do just that.

I quite agree, i've done it myself early morning/ dusk when you're the only boat about, but there is always the ' the rules don't apply to me ' who will do it regardless of circumstances and they are the ones who deserve what they get.

Rob C

[Powerboats]

Originally Posted by Robox

Sorry,
Totally disagree with you on this.I use Christchurch all the time and I have only seen the harbour patrol go for the ones taking the piss.If you use the harbour then you know that the channel is frequently crossed by windsurfers and inexperienced kids in dinghys . So stopping arseholes , of which there are a few in Christchurch, doing 20Knots in a 4 knot limit IS all about safety. If it was out of peak time then it is unlikely the patrol would have been there.

Rob C

Indeed, if it was the case that he was doing this speed, and endangering other users then he should have been booked, and a fine of £600 is more than acceptable.

Originally Posted by ADS

The council patrol boat quite honestly is a comedy act.

This is the beef behind my argument!!

[richardjawilson]

I am sure most of us would like to travel at a planing speed say of 12 knots as a minium 'safe' speed, but unfortuntely rules are rules and if its 4 knots then so be it.

richard

[robineff]

The trouble with enforcing marine speed limits is that the boat driver may be keeping absolutely at the correct limit through the water but the water, unlike a road, may also be moving in the same direction. Speed guns only measure the speed over the ground from a fixed position so our responsible boater will probably be 'speeding' with a sluicing tide under him.
I have never been sure if these limits are 'through the water' or 'over the ground'. I would welcome some guidance.

Robin

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by robineff

The trouble with enforcing marine speed limits is that the boat driver may be keeping absolutely at the correct limit through the water but the water, unlike a road, may also be moving in the same direction. Speed guns only measure the speed over the ground from a fixed position so our responsible boater will probably be 'speeding' with a sluicing tide under him.
I have never been sure if these limits are 'through the water' or 'over the ground'. I would welcome some guidance.

Robin

Robin,

You probably need no guidance.

I say this because with a decent lawyer you will get off. there are just too many variables as long as you don't go silly with the speed.

The radar gun needs to be calibrated and certified. Even then you could get a good lawyer to say that the movement of the detecting boat due to waves etc distorts figures. The operator needs to be qualified.
I have a feeling most of the courts that Marine infringemments are tried in are little more than Kangaroo courts and as such a decent Lawyer will soon earn his money.

And as for Yachties that dance up and down on their boats when a RIB goes past indicating you are going to fast, when your doing the harbour limit, then they really need to get a life and they need to go out in some rough stuff.

They are absolute saddos....

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by Biggles

You probably need no guidance.

I say this because with a decent lawyer you will get off. there are just too many variables as long as you don't go silly with the speed.

Agreed, but nothing to do with lawyers. You're very unlikely to get a speeding ticket unless you are doing several times the speed limit. A couple of knots either way due to tide is unlikely to be of any great substance.

And as for Yachties that dance up and down on their boats when a RIB goes past indicating you are going to fast, when your doing the harbour limit, then they really need to get a life and they need to go out in some rough stuff.

No, it indicates that although your speed may be within the limit your wash is substantial enough to be a nuisance to others. Slow down, or if possible take a wider course away from the other boats.

Mostly people are out on the water to have fun in whatever way happens to suit them. A bit of extra consideration for others goes a long way.

John

[wavecrosschris]

Originally Posted by robineff

I have never been sure if these limits are 'through the water' or 'over the ground'. I would welcome some guidance.

Robin

I'm pretty sure they will be 'through the water' limits. Although I wonder how lenient a harbour master would be, if say you were doing the speed limit (didn't have a gps, so couldn't tell what over the ground you were doing) but with 3 knots of tide were in effect breaking it. I guess they'd certainly not bother with you, unless you were umoungst a school of kids in sailing dinghies in a harbour like christchurch.

I think this entire subject comes down to the situation when you get caught. As above, if you are exeeding a limit in a dangerous situation, or when you could endanger someone else on the water, then you do deserve to get booked - on the other hand I have heard that speeding fines being handed out in chichester harbour, for example, are avoided by the harbour master and generally they prefer to give you a good 'b*llocking' before letting you go. (this generally has a better effect on everyone anyway) - It also costs the harbour authority a fortune apparently everytime they have to take someone to court.

Most of the speed limits are set in these harbours to stop shore line erosion - which seems a bit mad, when I consider my RIB kicks out a ten times bigger wake when the whole hull is dragging through the water at 8 knots than it does at 15 or 20! But there we go!

[codprawn]

I really annoys me when they always use the "excessive wash" line to set speed limits. I was following a big fast fishing boat the other day - at speed there was hardly any wake - I know cos I was trying to jump it - coming into the harbour he dropped off the plane - it was awesome the size of the wash.

[Lets go boating]

who here has had a fine. I did when i was 7yrs old, i still have the ticket, upon lake windermere, doing about 15knots over the limit.

[fast fred]

wow, all this for 20-25 Knots,that bein about 25-30mph, thare must be more to it, anyway, hear unless posted, or less than 150ft from shore or a swimmer ,the limit is what ever you can do or unlimited. i've got one or two over the years,
never had to pay them.