Faster,Faster

[Oldcunarder]

Whilst the subject of Jet Skis (Particularly at the Deben entrance where they do an excellent job of ruining a beautiful place ) has been well documented, yachties are also capable of showing a complete lack of consideration.
I was lying on the hammerhead at The Royal Harwich in the Orwell last Sat, at around 1400 a H.R 54 came down the river with the bow wave of a warship, she must have been doing 10 to 12 knots approx 5 metres from the Squib moorings. The wash was far greater than any commercial ship that passes there and positively dangerous. There were numerous dinghies launching and other yachts coming alongside. If the skipper of the Halberg did not understand the consequences of his speed he should not be in control of such a large yacht. If he did understand then either way he should be prosecuted. Does anyone know the boat? The was no obvious name.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[tcm]

Re: prosecution

Perhaps, if the skipper normally drove a much larger boat then that might indeed produce less wash than a smaller HR54 which is at the limit of displacement speed.

But surely you can't be proposing that he is prosecuted "either way"? indeed, dare i say - it even sounds a little green-eyed of you to say that.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Mirelle]

With respect,

I don't think what you are saying can be right. It is surely very obvious to anyone when a boat which they have command of is apporaching displacement speed and throwing up a large bow wave. It is quite impossible not to be aware of it - the boat develops an "angle of attack" as she attempts to climb her own bow wave.

To say that someone used to a much larger boat than an HR 54 would not appreciate the wash caused by driving at a speed close to hull speed suggests that the helmsman/woman was looking only at the speedo dial. This seems violently improbable. Easy in a car or on a motorbike with more performance than you are used to - I've done it myself, taking a BMW with a kph speedo for a test ride thinking it was mph - but not really possible in a boat.

The "larger" boat that you posit would have to be a ship - the 1.4 x square root of waterline length formula tells us that no boat smaller than the size at which the MCA calls for proper certification would have a safe, non-wash causing, displacement speed much different to the hull speed of an HR 54.

Anyone having command of a boat at such a speed within a very few metres of moored boats and marina berths (many people will know the spot in question) is acting most irresponsibly, and I agree with Old Cunarder!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[oilyrag]

There is a statutory 6 knot speed limit for leisure craft in the Orwell so you can report such behaviour to the Ipswich Harbourmaster's office. They could observe the git on their CCTV, which covers large stretches of the Orwell, log his speed with their sophisticated radars and presumably, in extreme cases, could get the Harwich Harbour Patrol to intercept. That would be a larf!

<hr width=100% size=1>