Simple question

As a rule, i judge my speed by going slower than the joggers, slighly faster than most of the walkers and half the speed of the passenger vessels.

And I always check my wash, though more out of courtesy towards moored boats and rowers than a way of judging speed.
 
+ 1 GPS set to KPH

Also by looking behind at wash as 8 kph upstream with the river flowing and in the narrow bits or traveling with other boats then wash can be greater and anti social.
 
Last edited:
Rascal Joe said:
Use an iPad/iPhone App (displays mph, kph or knots):
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/speedometer-speed-limit-alert/id530829008?mt=8
cheapest solution by far (and, as accurate as any!)
Click to expand...
Good God … thats £1.49 !!!!! …. and its only a solution if you have a device which many people do not.
(BTW this one is free: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/speedometer-free-speed-box/id307529605?mt=8 )

Sorry to be pedantic but the question is "how do YOU measure your speed on the river" :D

I have both a Raytheon impeller log (knots) and a small Garmin SatNav set to kph so I can see both speed through the water and over the ground (riverbed) - and, of course, I keep looking behind me. As joejo said wash can be a serious issue if you are intent on making 8kph against a strong stream.

Like many of you, I'm sure, I also know that both engines at around 1400rpm is around 8kph.
 
Last edited:
As the EA set the speed over ground, anything other than GPS is a waste of time, totally and utterly.

This is not a bad thing, as most Boat related devices don't usually work...

That said, sometimes 5mph causes a bit of wash, yet other times (especially when running on one engine) 6mph causes none.

Therefore, a combination of the GPS and 'Visible wash' seems to work just fine.
 
Is it OK say to say that do not give a monkeys about speed.
Always go by wash.
If we are kicking up a wash likely to bother people we slow down.
Even if that means crawling well below recommended speed limit.
If you are trying to get past me .......tough ...I have all day.
Probably only B1 waiting for me anyway. :)
 
Last edited:
I too have an app on the iphone which uses GPS. I rarely use it now but it has given me a good understanding of what 8 k.p.h. is like. I appreciate the river is narrow 'up here' and I may have the wrong sort of hull but frequently 8 k.p.h. seems too fast - e.g. when there are (bird) chicks about.
 
Again, wash. Trust me, as an ex liveaboard, that's what counts!!

I can use a combination of GPS and log, and even revs (700 rpm = 4.6kts. Technically speeding, I know!)

But wash is THE most important factor, both for other river users and river environment.
 
I use an Android app called Ulysee Speedometer (free). I use it less now as I have a good idea what 8Km/h looks and feels like.
 
GPS is the only reliable method surely and for any kind of enforcement it must be SOG, all paddle wheel logs and pitots are usually fairly inaccurate at low speeds and prone to fouling.

Perhaps the EA should allow for the stream during enforcement, I set my engines to 1150rpm which gives 4.5knts up and 5knts down but the wash is always negligable. Don't really see the actual speed as a big issue though, its usually the taligating and impatience to overtake between locks that winds people up.
 
Wash, feel and sound of the engine (don't have a rev counter). More often than not I'm well below the speed limit as not in any hurry. When I am going somewhere I check from time to time (such as when overtaken by commercial boats!!) with iphone GPS.
A.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top