Anyone had a problem with speeding boats in the canal

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Sea Flat

I have an 18.6 CC boat and have travelled through the canal about 6 times in it. I will say it is very difficult for me to keep the speedometer at 10mph. I usually will try and find the slowest speed possible for me in order to stay up on plane which is usually around 17mph. Most likely you are talking about the guys with twin engines doing 30+mph, but just wanted you to know it can be tough especially in a smaller boat to adhere exactly to the 10mph speed limit.

A light outboard on plane makes almost no wake. And it certainly is going to have a zero effect on fishing, other than making you hold up your cast if it's in range.

Originally Posted by trevier

the speeders bother me yes, how about the a-holes that are 40ft from shore when they have the whole canal to use, that really blows smoke up my arse for sure, you yell at them and they look at you like what I am I doing something wrong, duh

Sailboats are the worst for this--they seem to think that they have to run 50' from shore. I asked a guy once why he was so close--he told me he heard on the radio that a barge was approaching Hog Island Channel. He was around the Bourne Bridge at the time.

Originally Posted by Sweetwater

10 knots against a 7 knot current would barely be headway. But 10 mph against a 7 knot current would almost appear to someone on shore as a boat doing 17 mph as judged by its wake.

A displacement hull heading upcurrent makes twice the wake of one heading downcurrent. In a couple of spots, a barge fighting the current will create rips that take a half hour or more to subside.