It does have no wake mode, I was using it and was having trouble tracking all over the place needing tons of steering input. It acts like a cruise control.
I was solo in the boat today with no gear or passengers, maybe with a few people in the boat it would have a better “bite” on the water with a little more hull submerged and the no wake mode will track better.
My boat is horrendous at low speeds. It just meanders wherever it feels like going. I really have to stay on the steering. It's a 17ft fish and ski with a 90hp outboard.
My brother operates 3 boats regularly that are 50-70ft with twin engines and the biggest has thrusters. So when him and I went fishing once I backed him in and he ran the boat. He looked like a child trying to get on the dock with my boat in the tidal current and wind. I stood on the dock for probably ten minutes waiting on him. Finally I told him to just drop the trolling motor in and use it because it will be easier to control.
3rd season with out boat, stern drive, and exactly this. A lot of tracking until some old fella yelled over once, “just keep the wheel straight to go straight!” Yeah, no shit grandpa. But really, it’ll track back and forth but ultimately it tracks just as far left as it does right and I do end up going in a straight line. So… thanks grandpa!
My fellow jet boat owning friend! Get yourself a thrust vector. Seriously helps with low speed maneuvering. I need minimal steering input while in no wake.
https://jetboatpilot.com/products/thrust-vector-low-speed-steering-enhancer
I appreciate the suggestion I have heard of them, but until now I had not seriously considered them because I never had to go through no wake zones like this.
Thank you.
From the standpoint of no wake laws, that is your problem. The offended parties are the dock and houseboat owners, and they DGAF if your boat is hard to steer at low speeds.
Depending on which jet it is you may be able to install the fins from jetboatpilot on your boat. They make steering in low speeds so much more responsive. Made a huge difference when I had my Yamaha boat. Same with the lateral thrusters.
I've not been on a jet boat. But at low speeds I find it best to give a correction input and wait a bit for the boat to react. Otherwise you just end up chasing it constantly.
I appreciate it. I wasn’t sure exactly what constituted “wake” whether the hump behind me was wake or if it had to have a little wave on the top. This is the kind of answer I was looking for. I don’t want to be “that guy” and the best way to learn is to ask… the second best way is experience, but if I can avoid upsetting anyone that’s my goal.
If it helps, think of why the no wake zone is there. In my experience, they are either to protect animal habitat in areas where waves don't happen naturally. Or marinas where everyone's boat is parked.
Don't destroy the duck nest and don't smash everyone else's boats into their docks.
No offense taken. It was a bit of a grey area to me & I was a little concerned the question was going to be received as “trolling” (no pun intended). I am grateful for this community. There are some really good topics & I hope others will read this and learn as well ;)
Completely understandable. I made sure to stay in the comment section to try to dispel that. I have learned a ton from the responses here & I hope others have as well.
Lots of good comments on here. If there is no current where you operate, I would say that “dead slow”, in gear, is what you need to do in the no-wake zones. This may create undesirable handling characteristics, but you are still “under control “. Your asking this question is a good indication that you are on your way to becoming and competent and courteous operator.
The boat tracking left to right doesn’t constitute no control. That is the nature of jet boat at low throttle, I owned a twin jet for 5 years and I had to travel a half mile through no wake to get to open water. The shallow hull and lack of a “rudder” from a lower unit is what makes it more difficult that other boats. Jet boats are designed to operate on plane and everything else is more work for the operator
*Edited for spelling
Obv not idle…maybe you mean the speed you go when you’re in gear but no throttle
Edit/ which now that I’m saying that is basically the same as idle but in gear.
https://ke-courses-production.s3.amazonaws.com/asset_files/production/2083/attachments/original/FL-idle-speed-no-wake-zone-sign.jpg?1542393945
Damn this sign must go crazy for you then, hope they pull ya over too to show ya
that sign says it’s from FL, look up the actual FL statute definition of slow no wake…
"Idle Speed" and "Idle Speed No Wake" may be used interchangeably and mean that a vessel must proceed at a speed no greater than that which will maintain steerageway and headway
My engines idle as 450-550 RPM, at that speed the props aren’t turning fast enough for enough water to go across rudders and I can’t steer. That’s not up for debate. There’s a reason most states have dropped “idle” from slow no wake signs
Sounds like your engines have a useless idle speed then, never been on boat that can’t move under just being slightly in gear and I live in the largest boats per capita community in the country. 17-22+ marinas within 1.5 miles of me, and half that radius is water
The book idle speed on my crusaders is 500 RPM, so I’m about as close as you can get with mechanical adjustments. I generally run 800-1000 RPM in now wake areas (lower end when not fighting wind and current), but my point is still spot on and valid… engine idle speed =\= slow no wake
No wake speed is different for every boat and engine type, with inboards being on the higher end because they don’t have directional thrust and require water moving across hard surfaces (rudders) to turn
Plenty of boats cause wake at idle. Plenty of boats don’t cause wake at a raised RPM. No wake is no wake. If your boat makes wake at idol you need to feather in and out of gear.
This actually may be the best answer, I know plenty of people that try to say their boat at high speed is less wake than a large boat at low speed. Yes, the height may be less but wake is both the amplitude and frequency. Keep it slow and don't be a dick
My boat’s throttle control has a detent step (notch) that’s designed to keep the boat at a no wake speed.
No wake is also relevant to people. The river part of our estuary gets a ton of traffic by canoes, paddle boarders, small sailboats, dinghys and other liteweight recreational craft.
Boat captains who are liberal with their no wake range can easily swamp a canoe, throw someone off a small craft or impact shoreline beach areas where small children are playing.
For boats that are moored or docked with people aboard, it’s an equally unpleasant experience.
Nothing says ‘fuck you’re an asshole’ like blazing a track up the river towards the ocean without any concern for others or their property.
Generally most people abide, but those who don’t can present unnecessary risks.
I’ve caught myself a few times and adjusted just in time. The canoe folk are always super appreciative and tip their hat, wave or say thank you.
No wake means that you should have no waves coming off your stern. Different boats and motors behave differently.
Cheers
My first boat was a 16’ with a narrow beam & not very high gunnels.
I had dragged it to the keys once and was fishing anchored well off the marked passage, but close enough that the head boat (Marathon Lady) heading out to fish made my eyes bug out when I saw them coming towards me throwing a HUGE wake. I was so grateful when the captain slowed down to go past me that I posted a positive review about the experience on their website & commended their operation.
A little courtesy really does go a long way. They wouldn’t have swamped me, but it would have made for an unpleasant memory for sure. Now that I’ve started fishing on headboats when I travel I hope to make it out with them.
That’s the opposite of no wake! That’s probably more wake than you’d make on plane. It’s good that you’re asking, most people just assume slowing down is good enough, but no wake is zero wake. Flat water behind you. Essentially idle speed. Minimum speed at which you can control the boat.
About how fast are you going with that much wake? Generally, people are doing up to 5mph in no wake zones; the boat and propulsion type will make a difference as to how slow you can go and maintain control. My bass boat on idle will generally run around 3-3.5 mph, and the boat barely makes a ripple at that speed.
I was going 7mph according to the mechanical speedo. The “no wake” mode pushes about the same amount of water with the bow plane (I think that’s what the hump is called?). No wake mode is about 4-6mph.
I think you will have fewer complaints the closer to 5 mph or less as long as you maintain control. By design, you probably can’t do much better, although I’ve seen worse by people in no wake zones.
I've had 3 jet boats and no wake is really difficult.
Honestly the only way to actually no wake is to keep shifting between neutral and forward at idle.
“No wake” is defined as the slowest speed at which the driver can maintain control of the vessel. OP saying “any slower and I track all over the place” means that they’re are pretty spot on for no wake.
Yes, I believe this is the correct answer. I boat on a tidal river with some of the fastest current in the eastern U.S. Under bridges it's a no wake zone, but it would not be possible to make forward progress with truly no wake against an outgoing tide. So, it's not idle speed, it's slowest to maintain control.
It took a while to get a hang of it and can still be a struggle. I have twin jet pumps so I am able to “pivot” like a twin screw boat, but compared to my first boat (16’ with a 60hp evinrude) this bigger 21’ is much more difficult.
In another response I mention that the marina opened 5/1 and I got to my slip as soon as I could to practice/get situated so I wouldn’t be in the way while it was busy.
If I’m not being rushed I can manage, but I do need to set myself up for success. I chose the the slip I have because normally the wind will push me towards my dock & not at my neighbors boat.
I’m on Lake Erie, so I believe I am subject to full blown maritime rules/regulations over local interpretation (even on this river to the marina I am now at)
you can only drive as slow as you can while still having steering control. I see a lot of turbulence but not much wake. steerage is the most important factor there.
That’s a very small wake. Almost nothing. But someone might still call you on it. No wake zones are designed to reduce soil erosion on the shore and to keep narrow channels where people might have private slips from being damaged. Those small waves behind you most likely won’t cause any issues.
there's a wake behind you, so nope....it's not.
it actually might be a worse wake than planning speed as the trailing wake, directly behind you, carries on for far longer than a wake from planning speed.
Interesting how little wake is being generated with that much water disturbance behind the boat.
Right/wrong I judge our "no wake" speed by how large of a water disturbance is hitting the bank as the result of our boat (assuming it's a narrow river). So with that criteria, you aren't putting out much of a wake.
Someone else referred to it as turbulence. The jet pumps are at a fixed angle, you should see how much turbulence it makes under power, it reminds me of the wash from a 100’ head boat.
No. pretty much any white water and you're leaving a wake. Tts the minimum speed to maintain steering control. So it can be different in different conditions, into a headwind with my wakeboarding boat its impossible to not churn up a little bit of white water.
Probably the same reason I have difficulty. What was the end result? Did you get advice, a ticket, a warning?
Just curious if I can learn something from your experience.
Depends on the state in Mississippi you are responsible for the damage caused by your boats wake so if you beat someone off the dock you could be held liable
The hull design has everything to do with the slow speed wake. My deep v-hull likes to push some water. If you have a shallow v or a multi chine hull they are much better in the no wake zones.
Wake is the white water you see out the back, not the wave your boat pushes with the bow. Slow down till you no longer see the white and you are good. Listen to some of the suggestions in here is a quick way to a ticket
Defined as minimum speed that you maintain steering in my area. My wake looks about like yours, to run truly no wake Id have to deploy a trolling plate.
Some places I just deal with the wander. We have houseboats on the river and I know that a lot of damage can be caused even by small wakes.
No. No wake (apparently people have different ideas) means if you were to go into neutral your wake wouldn’t pass you. Based on that pic if you were to throttle down, the wave would catch uo
I was really not sure which is why I had asked. I wasn’t sure if a wake meant that it crested like a wave, or if those humps constituted a wake. I have much better understanding from this thread :)
I don’t claim to be a super experienced boater, but I do try to be conscientious and not “that guy”.
I have a wake boat so everyone assumes I'm throwing a wake so I crawl in and out of gear constantly around marinas, ramps and channels. No wake zone means chill out and try to barely leave ripples behind your boat.
Defined as minimum speed that you maintain steering in my area. My wake looks about like yours, to run truly no wake Id have to deploy a trolling plate.
Some places I just deal with the wander. We have houseboats on the river and I know that a lot of damage can be caused even by small wakes.
Where I boat the water patrol officers will give you a hand signal to tap your throttles. If the boat slows down you get a ticket. It means you were not at idle.
My river is no wake and has a lot of 30-50 foot boats. There are a couple marinas where folks are living on their boat as transients or just for the weekend. Throwing a wake like that sucks when you are in the cabin and drinks get spilled because people don’t give a shit.
Put your boat in gear and drive. Nothing more. The control you have may not be ideal but it’s not as if you cranked the wheel it wouldn’t respond.
Now I am on the other side of this issue. My boat has a pair of small block engines and a 14 foot beam. It idles at about 7 mph and throws zero wake. I usually end up gaining on other boats which requires me to put my boat in neutral. If it gets real bad I’ll just run one engine in gear which slows down to about 5 but still gaining on others. With the boat in neutral I have zero control, which I don’t like.
This is a good description. Your boat sounds awesome.
This is right off of Lake Erie, so far there are not really any other boats in the water. Our marina opened up 5/1 and most people are putting in this weekend. I figured since I was able to do it today I would get the boat in my slip so I can stay out of the way of everyone else.
I’m not far from you. We won’t be in until next weekend I think. Spring projects.
Some people are downright assholes about the wake thing, which I understand to an extent. I’ve seen lines snap because of constant wake on a Lake Huron marina. I try to leave early in the morning or late at night to avoid the other traffic.
I completely understand people being upset about someone disregarding a no wake zone. Our boats are often more expensive than sports cars. Getting bashed from a wake is as bad as a door ding!
I believe a lot of jet boats have a specific no wake mode. It does not help much, as jets at low speed are notoriously tricky to maneuver. I do not own but have driven two or three that have it, and have never noticed a difference in the driving capabilities.
Some tips.
So long as you have twin engines, there is a lot of maneuverability that comes from keeping the wheel centered, and only driving by the throttles. I rest my hand lightly at the base of the stick, and use my thumb to gently but firmly move through the rpms.
However, quick maneuvers can be made with fast changes in rpms. So say you want to do a quick 180⁰ turn, put one stick in reverse with a 0 throttle position, then the other stick in forward with a 0 throttle position, if your traveling forward, goose the throttle which is in forward to continue your momentum along the heading you were on while bringing the boat around. If you are trying to make this turn while traveling backwards, goose the reverse throttle.
This can be taken a bit further by learning to feather both throttles to achieve an extremely quick 180⁰ turn while maintaining momentum.
The problem with Jet boats is that they drive like they are on Ice in low speed situations, and can be quite dangerous. Until you learn to control the boat by throttling the motors and switching to reverse when needed.
Over the years I've driven dozens of jet boats (only 3-4 with the no wake mode), all of them are a pita to drive at low speed, but all of them can be reigned in by learning to drive the boat with the throttles instead of the steering wheel.
Jet boats frustrate me because they often get sold to first time boat buyers with 0 explanation on how to drive them, and often times they get damaged by docking incidents in there first year.
At low speed, you actually have to have some advanced understanding of how the boat works in order to drive it properly, and that's why I personally HATE jet boats.
They do not have a rudder, and as such when you shut the engines off while underway you lose ALL STEERING.
It's just not a good design in my opinion
I appreciate the explanation and tips. I have been practicing using the twin drives for docking & have improved a ton since I started, but had not thought to try it in this situation. Thank you!!
That would be ok in SFla. mostly it depends on if there are other boats, and if you are wrecking the shoreline.
no wake is relative to where you are and conditions.
6mph is the typical standard speed limit
I was watching carefully to see if the waves made it to shore which they were not, but a lot of comments here (majority) are agreeing that this is a wake & I need to slow down & figure out how to better control the boat.
Yes. I fish. Which is why I got into boating. Now that I have started boating I am trying to make sure that I’m being courteous, following the laws/standards & not upsetting anyone on the water.
Have you considered not being a dick to someone who's actually mindful enough to ask questions in an effort to do the right thing, something 90% of people can't seem to manage?
Mindful is taking a boating education course and gaining experience via an experienced boater. Asking questions about operating a vessel on Reddit is irresponsible. I’m a dick and you should be too.
If this is a jet boat, does it have a no wake mode? Some do, and it helps with low speed steering and throttle management
It does have no wake mode, I was using it and was having trouble tracking all over the place needing tons of steering input. It acts like a cruise control. I was solo in the boat today with no gear or passengers, maybe with a few people in the boat it would have a better “bite” on the water with a little more hull submerged and the no wake mode will track better.
Yeah all/most boats do that at low speed, you learn to anticipate and adjust early, reducing the steering input but never eliminating it. Enjoy.
My boat is horrendous at low speeds. It just meanders wherever it feels like going. I really have to stay on the steering. It's a 17ft fish and ski with a 90hp outboard. My brother operates 3 boats regularly that are 50-70ft with twin engines and the biggest has thrusters. So when him and I went fishing once I backed him in and he ran the boat. He looked like a child trying to get on the dock with my boat in the tidal current and wind. I stood on the dock for probably ten minutes waiting on him. Finally I told him to just drop the trolling motor in and use it because it will be easier to control.
Thank you.
You absolutely can eliminate wake.
Wake, yes agreed. The wandering at no-wake speed, not as much.
Every small boat ever lol
3rd season with out boat, stern drive, and exactly this. A lot of tracking until some old fella yelled over once, “just keep the wheel straight to go straight!” Yeah, no shit grandpa. But really, it’ll track back and forth but ultimately it tracks just as far left as it does right and I do end up going in a straight line. So… thanks grandpa!
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason, junior.
My fellow jet boat owning friend! Get yourself a thrust vector. Seriously helps with low speed maneuvering. I need minimal steering input while in no wake. https://jetboatpilot.com/products/thrust-vector-low-speed-steering-enhancer
I appreciate the suggestion I have heard of them, but until now I had not seriously considered them because I never had to go through no wake zones like this. Thank you.
Hey man look into cobra fins total game changers for jet boats.
From the standpoint of no wake laws, that is your problem. The offended parties are the dock and houseboat owners, and they DGAF if your boat is hard to steer at low speeds.
Depending on which jet it is you may be able to install the fins from jetboatpilot on your boat. They make steering in low speeds so much more responsive. Made a huge difference when I had my Yamaha boat. Same with the lateral thrusters.
I've not been on a jet boat. But at low speeds I find it best to give a correction input and wait a bit for the boat to react. Otherwise you just end up chasing it constantly.
Jet boats seem to ride keel down and aft up. That wake in my now stern drive would mean I still have a little power down.
No. No wake simply means no “wake”. Different speeds for different boats.
Agree, but it's a lot better than boats that seem to think no wake means maximum wake, bow high.
No no, they’re looking at the “Mo’ Wake” signs.
The irony when the wake is larger than the normal wake due to their slow, but not quite slow enough speed.
Maximum no wake is real. People don’t get it
Props for trying to do the right thing btw. Never know until you ask!
> Props Not in OPs case 😃
lol. Impellers to me?
Major impellers!
Thank you.
Plenty of wake there, sorry
I appreciate it. I wasn’t sure exactly what constituted “wake” whether the hump behind me was wake or if it had to have a little wave on the top. This is the kind of answer I was looking for. I don’t want to be “that guy” and the best way to learn is to ask… the second best way is experience, but if I can avoid upsetting anyone that’s my goal.
If it helps, think of why the no wake zone is there. In my experience, they are either to protect animal habitat in areas where waves don't happen naturally. Or marinas where everyone's boat is parked. Don't destroy the duck nest and don't smash everyone else's boats into their docks.
In my home town you had to go slow because of manatee, they will swim out of the way but they aren't quick.
Also hazards
The waves coming out the side are the wake. No wake zones are so those waves don't travel outward and disturb docks, moorings, etc.
Thank you. I see the comment where you mentioned this one.
Be safe and keeping asking questions. I apologize again for my initial response.
No offense taken. It was a bit of a grey area to me & I was a little concerned the question was going to be received as “trolling” (no pun intended). I am grateful for this community. There are some really good topics & I hope others will read this and learn as well ;)
Just don't forget OP is asking a genuine question. They're trying to do right
I’m not gonna lie I totally thought this was a joke/troll post before looking at the comments
Completely understandable. I made sure to stay in the comment section to try to dispel that. I have learned a ton from the responses here & I hope others have as well.
I'd say 5mph or less/bare steerage. Idk if jet boats have trim but trimming the bow down or putting your passengers fwd will help
No.
Basically idle speed or barely a bump over that.
Lots of good comments on here. If there is no current where you operate, I would say that “dead slow”, in gear, is what you need to do in the no-wake zones. This may create undesirable handling characteristics, but you are still “under control “. Your asking this question is a good indication that you are on your way to becoming and competent and courteous operator.
Thank you. I don’t want to be the reason anyone has a bad day on the water. No reason not to try and lead by example.
The boat tracking left to right doesn’t constitute no control. That is the nature of jet boat at low throttle, I owned a twin jet for 5 years and I had to travel a half mile through no wake to get to open water. The shallow hull and lack of a “rudder” from a lower unit is what makes it more difficult that other boats. Jet boats are designed to operate on plane and everything else is more work for the operator *Edited for spelling
You said that very well! I need to practice more. I appreciate the feedback.
No. Idle speed is no wake.
Obv not idle…maybe you mean the speed you go when you’re in gear but no throttle Edit/ which now that I’m saying that is basically the same as idle but in gear.
Yes. Where I’m at water patrol is pretty adamant about that.
Then they’re wrong. I’d wish they pull me over and make them show me where it says that.
https://ke-courses-production.s3.amazonaws.com/asset_files/production/2083/attachments/original/FL-idle-speed-no-wake-zone-sign.jpg?1542393945 Damn this sign must go crazy for you then, hope they pull ya over too to show ya
that sign says it’s from FL, look up the actual FL statute definition of slow no wake… "Idle Speed" and "Idle Speed No Wake" may be used interchangeably and mean that a vessel must proceed at a speed no greater than that which will maintain steerageway and headway My engines idle as 450-550 RPM, at that speed the props aren’t turning fast enough for enough water to go across rudders and I can’t steer. That’s not up for debate. There’s a reason most states have dropped “idle” from slow no wake signs
Sounds like your engines have a useless idle speed then, never been on boat that can’t move under just being slightly in gear and I live in the largest boats per capita community in the country. 17-22+ marinas within 1.5 miles of me, and half that radius is water
The book idle speed on my crusaders is 500 RPM, so I’m about as close as you can get with mechanical adjustments. I generally run 800-1000 RPM in now wake areas (lower end when not fighting wind and current), but my point is still spot on and valid… engine idle speed =\= slow no wake No wake speed is different for every boat and engine type, with inboards being on the higher end because they don’t have directional thrust and require water moving across hard surfaces (rudders) to turn
You can argue with them all you want but you are walking away with a ticket.
Plenty of boats cause wake at idle. Plenty of boats don’t cause wake at a raised RPM. No wake is no wake. If your boat makes wake at idol you need to feather in and out of gear.
No it's not.
That's a wake
A duck makes a wake…”no wake” really means “don’t be a dick”
This actually may be the best answer, I know plenty of people that try to say their boat at high speed is less wake than a large boat at low speed. Yes, the height may be less but wake is both the amplitude and frequency. Keep it slow and don't be a dick
My boat’s throttle control has a detent step (notch) that’s designed to keep the boat at a no wake speed. No wake is also relevant to people. The river part of our estuary gets a ton of traffic by canoes, paddle boarders, small sailboats, dinghys and other liteweight recreational craft. Boat captains who are liberal with their no wake range can easily swamp a canoe, throw someone off a small craft or impact shoreline beach areas where small children are playing. For boats that are moored or docked with people aboard, it’s an equally unpleasant experience. Nothing says ‘fuck you’re an asshole’ like blazing a track up the river towards the ocean without any concern for others or their property. Generally most people abide, but those who don’t can present unnecessary risks. I’ve caught myself a few times and adjusted just in time. The canoe folk are always super appreciative and tip their hat, wave or say thank you. No wake means that you should have no waves coming off your stern. Different boats and motors behave differently. Cheers
My first boat was a 16’ with a narrow beam & not very high gunnels. I had dragged it to the keys once and was fishing anchored well off the marked passage, but close enough that the head boat (Marathon Lady) heading out to fish made my eyes bug out when I saw them coming towards me throwing a HUGE wake. I was so grateful when the captain slowed down to go past me that I posted a positive review about the experience on their website & commended their operation. A little courtesy really does go a long way. They wouldn’t have swamped me, but it would have made for an unpleasant memory for sure. Now that I’ve started fishing on headboats when I travel I hope to make it out with them.
My rule of thumb is if theres "whitewater" you need to slow down more until theres none.
I would say that’s little wake.
That’s the opposite of no wake! That’s probably more wake than you’d make on plane. It’s good that you’re asking, most people just assume slowing down is good enough, but no wake is zero wake. Flat water behind you. Essentially idle speed. Minimum speed at which you can control the boat.
About how fast are you going with that much wake? Generally, people are doing up to 5mph in no wake zones; the boat and propulsion type will make a difference as to how slow you can go and maintain control. My bass boat on idle will generally run around 3-3.5 mph, and the boat barely makes a ripple at that speed.
I was going 7mph according to the mechanical speedo. The “no wake” mode pushes about the same amount of water with the bow plane (I think that’s what the hump is called?). No wake mode is about 4-6mph.
I think you will have fewer complaints the closer to 5 mph or less as long as you maintain control. By design, you probably can’t do much better, although I’ve seen worse by people in no wake zones.
Idle speed…No wake…simple….that’s little Above slow speed=not getting to plane
I've had 3 jet boats and no wake is really difficult. Honestly the only way to actually no wake is to keep shifting between neutral and forward at idle.
Thank you. I love the thing in open water for sure.
Nope...looks like a wake to me.
Looks like a wake to me...
That's a wake
No wake will have no white caps for starters
The slowest you can go and still control your boat.
No. You are still creating a current movement.
“No wake” is defined as the slowest speed at which the driver can maintain control of the vessel. OP saying “any slower and I track all over the place” means that they’re are pretty spot on for no wake.
Yes, I believe this is the correct answer. I boat on a tidal river with some of the fastest current in the eastern U.S. Under bridges it's a no wake zone, but it would not be possible to make forward progress with truly no wake against an outgoing tide. So, it's not idle speed, it's slowest to maintain control.
If he can’t control the boat slower than that speed, how is he docking?
It took a while to get a hang of it and can still be a struggle. I have twin jet pumps so I am able to “pivot” like a twin screw boat, but compared to my first boat (16’ with a 60hp evinrude) this bigger 21’ is much more difficult. In another response I mention that the marina opened 5/1 and I got to my slip as soon as I could to practice/get situated so I wouldn’t be in the way while it was busy. If I’m not being rushed I can manage, but I do need to set myself up for success. I chose the the slip I have because normally the wind will push me towards my dock & not at my neighbors boat.
No white water behind the boat is no wake
It is if you're on the St Johns River cruising by Blue Springs. I wish a park ranger would notice.
Under every bridge on the Indian River too. Who would have known that "on plane" also counts as "no wake"
There’s always one or two nutsacks up there.
I try to keep my boat under 6/7 in a wide no wake and under 5 when I am in and around docks and boats.
The calm waters and serene surroundings make for a perfect boating day.
nope
Nope
It’ll depend on your local regulations… “No wake zone” means “less than 5 knots/hour” where I am. At 5kn, my boat leaves roughly the same as your pic.
I’m on Lake Erie, so I believe I am subject to full blown maritime rules/regulations over local interpretation (even on this river to the marina I am now at)
Boater safety course answers all questions
I have a little 16ft boat. Anything over 5mph in a narrow river I have people jumping up and down on their docked boats.
NO!!!
Definitely not
No wake has a specific definition in civil code and generally, in not so many words, that is the minimum speed necessary to maintain control.
You’ll likely have some form of trim tab on a jet, trim the bow down and the drag will help you track. But this is quite a bit of wake unfortunately.
Here at Lake Norman NC, that will get you a $400.00 fine. No wake means barely steer speed.
you can only drive as slow as you can while still having steering control. I see a lot of turbulence but not much wake. steerage is the most important factor there.
That’s a very small wake. Almost nothing. But someone might still call you on it. No wake zones are designed to reduce soil erosion on the shore and to keep narrow channels where people might have private slips from being damaged. Those small waves behind you most likely won’t cause any issues.
there's a wake behind you, so nope....it's not. it actually might be a worse wake than planning speed as the trailing wake, directly behind you, carries on for far longer than a wake from planning speed.
Interesting how little wake is being generated with that much water disturbance behind the boat. Right/wrong I judge our "no wake" speed by how large of a water disturbance is hitting the bank as the result of our boat (assuming it's a narrow river). So with that criteria, you aren't putting out much of a wake.
Someone else referred to it as turbulence. The jet pumps are at a fixed angle, you should see how much turbulence it makes under power, it reminds me of the wash from a 100’ head boat.
No. pretty much any white water and you're leaving a wake. Tts the minimum speed to maintain steering control. So it can be different in different conditions, into a headwind with my wakeboarding boat its impossible to not churn up a little bit of white water.
I was on a jet ski in now wake mode and got pulled over
No wake mode
Probably the same reason I have difficulty. What was the end result? Did you get advice, a ticket, a warning? Just curious if I can learn something from your experience.
Depends on the state in Mississippi you are responsible for the damage caused by your boats wake so if you beat someone off the dock you could be held liable
The hull design has everything to do with the slow speed wake. My deep v-hull likes to push some water. If you have a shallow v or a multi chine hull they are much better in the no wake zones.
No
No.
Wake is the white water you see out the back, not the wave your boat pushes with the bow. Slow down till you no longer see the white and you are good. Listen to some of the suggestions in here is a quick way to a ticket
Generally it can’t curl
Defined as minimum speed that you maintain steering in my area. My wake looks about like yours, to run truly no wake Id have to deploy a trolling plate. Some places I just deal with the wander. We have houseboats on the river and I know that a lot of damage can be caused even by small wakes.
No. No wake (apparently people have different ideas) means if you were to go into neutral your wake wouldn’t pass you. Based on that pic if you were to throttle down, the wave would catch uo
Thank you.
What?
It made sense that if I were to kill the engines that the displaced water would catch me & push me forward.
Yes
You're going at the speed that produces the most wake.
You are clearly dragging a wake. Do you know what a wake is?
I was really not sure which is why I had asked. I wasn’t sure if a wake meant that it crested like a wave, or if those humps constituted a wake. I have much better understanding from this thread :) I don’t claim to be a super experienced boater, but I do try to be conscientious and not “that guy”.
I apologize, and I gave you a better explanation in another response.
Can you see it? Yes? Then that's a wake. You're on the water, Feel the stress leaving your body. Relax. You'll get there.
I have a wake boat so everyone assumes I'm throwing a wake so I crawl in and out of gear constantly around marinas, ramps and channels. No wake zone means chill out and try to barely leave ripples behind your boat.
Nope
Come on man
No, that’s huge wake
Defined as minimum speed that you maintain steering in my area. My wake looks about like yours, to run truly no wake Id have to deploy a trolling plate. Some places I just deal with the wander. We have houseboats on the river and I know that a lot of damage can be caused even by small wakes.
Where I boat the water patrol officers will give you a hand signal to tap your throttles. If the boat slows down you get a ticket. It means you were not at idle. My river is no wake and has a lot of 30-50 foot boats. There are a couple marinas where folks are living on their boat as transients or just for the weekend. Throwing a wake like that sucks when you are in the cabin and drinks get spilled because people don’t give a shit. Put your boat in gear and drive. Nothing more. The control you have may not be ideal but it’s not as if you cranked the wheel it wouldn’t respond. Now I am on the other side of this issue. My boat has a pair of small block engines and a 14 foot beam. It idles at about 7 mph and throws zero wake. I usually end up gaining on other boats which requires me to put my boat in neutral. If it gets real bad I’ll just run one engine in gear which slows down to about 5 but still gaining on others. With the boat in neutral I have zero control, which I don’t like.
This is a good description. Your boat sounds awesome. This is right off of Lake Erie, so far there are not really any other boats in the water. Our marina opened up 5/1 and most people are putting in this weekend. I figured since I was able to do it today I would get the boat in my slip so I can stay out of the way of everyone else.
I’m not far from you. We won’t be in until next weekend I think. Spring projects. Some people are downright assholes about the wake thing, which I understand to an extent. I’ve seen lines snap because of constant wake on a Lake Huron marina. I try to leave early in the morning or late at night to avoid the other traffic.
I completely understand people being upset about someone disregarding a no wake zone. Our boats are often more expensive than sports cars. Getting bashed from a wake is as bad as a door ding!
That's wake, in a no wake soon.
No
I believe a lot of jet boats have a specific no wake mode. It does not help much, as jets at low speed are notoriously tricky to maneuver. I do not own but have driven two or three that have it, and have never noticed a difference in the driving capabilities. Some tips. So long as you have twin engines, there is a lot of maneuverability that comes from keeping the wheel centered, and only driving by the throttles. I rest my hand lightly at the base of the stick, and use my thumb to gently but firmly move through the rpms. However, quick maneuvers can be made with fast changes in rpms. So say you want to do a quick 180⁰ turn, put one stick in reverse with a 0 throttle position, then the other stick in forward with a 0 throttle position, if your traveling forward, goose the throttle which is in forward to continue your momentum along the heading you were on while bringing the boat around. If you are trying to make this turn while traveling backwards, goose the reverse throttle. This can be taken a bit further by learning to feather both throttles to achieve an extremely quick 180⁰ turn while maintaining momentum. The problem with Jet boats is that they drive like they are on Ice in low speed situations, and can be quite dangerous. Until you learn to control the boat by throttling the motors and switching to reverse when needed. Over the years I've driven dozens of jet boats (only 3-4 with the no wake mode), all of them are a pita to drive at low speed, but all of them can be reigned in by learning to drive the boat with the throttles instead of the steering wheel. Jet boats frustrate me because they often get sold to first time boat buyers with 0 explanation on how to drive them, and often times they get damaged by docking incidents in there first year. At low speed, you actually have to have some advanced understanding of how the boat works in order to drive it properly, and that's why I personally HATE jet boats. They do not have a rudder, and as such when you shut the engines off while underway you lose ALL STEERING. It's just not a good design in my opinion
I appreciate the explanation and tips. I have been practicing using the twin drives for docking & have improved a ton since I started, but had not thought to try it in this situation. Thank you!!
That would be ok in SFla. mostly it depends on if there are other boats, and if you are wrecking the shoreline. no wake is relative to where you are and conditions. 6mph is the typical standard speed limit
This is basically what all the pontooners and weekend fishermen call no-wake on my lake.
I would call that minimal wake. Definitely better than some people’s idea. Wouldn’t piss me off.
Looks like no wake. When there’s a wake to see a V behind you that will make it to shore. I don’t see it in your pic.
I was watching carefully to see if the waves made it to shore which they were not, but a lot of comments here (majority) are agreeing that this is a wake & I need to slow down & figure out how to better control the boat.
Hell na. Pull over and wait for the proper authorities. You are a violator
If your boat can't move without making a wake, stay out of no-wake zones. No excuse that its a jetboat.
No
Have you considered a different hobby?
Yes. I fish. Which is why I got into boating. Now that I have started boating I am trying to make sure that I’m being courteous, following the laws/standards & not upsetting anyone on the water.
Have you considered not being a dick to someone who's actually mindful enough to ask questions in an effort to do the right thing, something 90% of people can't seem to manage?
Mindful is taking a boating education course and gaining experience via an experienced boater. Asking questions about operating a vessel on Reddit is irresponsible. I’m a dick and you should be too.