Anyone know where the no wake zone in the harbor outside of hot waters ends? I have always thought it was the last stone wall by the foghorn but every now and then someone comes out of the river on plane.
Worksucks
There may well be a difference in what is enforced and what the law is.
Per the Ohio Revised Code the no wake would extend 300 ft out into the lake PAST the last stone wall.
No person shall operate a vessel at greater than idle speed or create a wake under any of the following circumstances:
Within any area buoyed or marked as a "no wake" area
Within 300 feet of any marina, boat docking facility, boat gasoline dock, launch ramp, recreational boat harbor, harbor entrance on Lake Erie or on the Ohio River
Per the Ohio Revised Code the no wake would extend 300 ft out into the lake PAST the last stone wall.
No person shall operate a vessel at greater than idle speed or create a wake under any of the following circumstances:
Within any area buoyed or marked as a "no wake" area
Within 300 feet of any marina, boat docking facility, boat gasoline dock, launch ramp, recreational boat harbor, harbor entrance on Lake Erie or on the Ohio River
We used to wait till we were in by the light house to slow down, but were warned a few years back (Lorain police boat) that no wake area starts as soon as you are behind the outer breakwall.
I know first hand that the no wake zone extends 300' out past the outer breakwall.
It is really if they elect to enforce that law. It seems to vary from location to location.
A municipality just west of Lorain
certainly issued bunches of tickets for wake violations for those that were outside the breakwall yet within the 300 ft restriction the law specifies.
I know this law very, very well. I have 175 reasons to remember it
It is really if they elect to enforce that law. It seems to vary from location to location.
A municipality just west of Lorain
certainly issued bunches of tickets for wake violations for those that were outside the breakwall yet within the 300 ft restriction the law specifies.I know this law very, very well. I have 175 reasons to remember it
I Think it would have only been around $100 but the ticket was written on a Sunday, court date set for Tuesday ( I didn't notice the quick date). I flew out of town on business Monday morning, missed my court date, Ohio drivers license suspended Tuesday, so after other costs it adds up.
This was a bad way to learn the actual law about the no wake extending 300' from ANY harbor entrance. I am sure that almost everyone on Erie has violated this law unknowingly. I just happened to learn it when someplace wanted to use it to write tickets, and they wrote a BUNCH!!!
I know first hand that the no wake zone extends 300' out past the outer breakwall.
It is really if they elect to enforce that law. It seems to vary from location to location.
A municipality just west of Lorain
I know this law very, very well. I have 175 reasons to remember it
I assume I'll catch sh*% for saying this, but these sort of "operations" chap my ass. Reason why is nothing CONSTRUCTIVE is done by sitting there and ticketing a bunch of law abiding fishermen with a law that not many people know about. So they write 200 tickets, and 200 people get a "lesson."
Take the $$$ that was spent paying coast guard/police for that day and the fuel for their boat, and make a sign at the dock to INFORM people, that there is to be no wake within 300 ft of the breakwall. Thousands of people will get the "lesson" for free! PROTECTING AND SERVING. Not harassing and ticketing. My 2 cents.
I'll be gone for the weekend so I'll look for any bashing on Monday!
Good luck to everyone fishing out there!
Actually it was the City Police in their police boat.
As I understand it they purchase this boat and pay part of the officers salary through a grant from the ODOW.
The other thing I learned during this is that the ODOW will provide at no cost to the municipality "No Wake" buoys to put out in the lake at the outer boundary of the no wake area. This obviously wasn't done and hasn't been done
This particular day was without a doubt set up to write tickets, nothing more, nothing less in my mind.
As I understand it they purchase this boat and pay part of the officers salary through a grant from the ODOW.
The other thing I learned during this is that the ODOW will provide at no cost to the municipality "No Wake" buoys to put out in the lake at the outer boundary of the no wake area. This obviously wasn't done and hasn't been done
This particular day was without a doubt set up to write tickets, nothing more, nothing less in my mind.
I see boats flying into 'Hotwaters Harbour' every time I launch there. Some are easily in excess of 20-25 mph. I don't mean that they throttle down as soon as they pass the lighthouse, I'm talking they stay on plane darn near to the launch ramp.
I just talked to the Coast Guard yesterday on that very issue. They said it is no wake all the way past the lighthouse. They also said they don't pursue it that much for some reason. I always wondered what the deal was myself since I see the same thing. Boats flying past me all the way to the ramp.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse, it's up to you to know the laws, just as you need to when operating a car...
I was warned by the official guys in the big orange boat that the harbor (at the lighthouse?) to the no wake signs is 10 mph. I've been doing that since they warned me about it - 8-10 years ago, with no problem, even when they are out there. What really irritates me is the guys in the bass boats that hold at the end of the ramp until their trailer shows up, then gun it on to the trailer and blows everybody behind them all over the place!
I'm not a lawyer but I did hear a Judge tell this to a boat owner while waiting for my testimony in a different case.Does this mean we should all be lawyers...? If so, I shutter the thought.
It is up to you to learn the law if you own a boat. It is called being responsible. Not knowing boating laws could be considered negligence in any legal proceedings from your use of your boat.
Free course is here: http://www.boat-ed.com/oh/index.htm?gclid=CImzhMfP86ICFR5V5wodbTcOjw
And if you take the test and pass you can get an insurance reduction.
Operation in Restricted Areas (ORC 1547.08)
No person shall operate a vessel in a designated “swim area,” in areas buoyed off as “no boats,” or within any restricted area in violation of the designated restriction.
No person shall operate a vessel at greater speed than idle speed– Slowest possible speed needed to maintain steerage and maneuverability. “Wake” is defined as a track left in the water by a watercraft, causing waves that may cause discomfort, injury, or damage to persons, watercraft, or property. or create a wake under any of the following circumstances:
* Within an area buoyed or marked as a “no wake” area
* Within 300 feet of any marina, boat-docking facility, gasoline dock, launch ramp, recreational boat harbor, or harbor entrance on Lake Erie or the Ohio River
Well so far we have three different answers, Someone needs to research this and get the correct one so we all adhere to the law and no one gets a citation. I nominate Het for the job...
I was told this same thing by others. They also told me the Black River has a max speed of 5 mph in addition to no wake. I have done this for the last 4 years with no problems. I assume the entrance to Hotwaters has the same rules as the river.
Bingo. You got it right fishinfool. My wife and I took the course years ago. Ignorance is unacceptable.
300 ft. from the breakwall is not that far.Seems like A good law to me.Could be fishermen or kids on the wall.They deserve common courtsey also. Where is every one going in such A hurry anyway?
That certainly was not my point. Please re-read the statement. I took it to mean all laws, not just the boating thing.
Hell, even a Judge doesn't know all the laws...just saying...!
Hell, even a Judge doesn't know all the laws...just saying...!
Now we need to legally define "harbor entrance". As a matter of convenience, we all refer to south of the outer breakwall as the "Lorain harbor", but is it really? Going 10 mph from the breakwall to the piers isn't going to bother any of the "no wake" zones.
Not meant to target you. Just used the quote to raise the point of what I heard the judge say.That certainly was not my point. Please re-read the statement. I took it to mean all laws, not just the boating thing.
Hell, even a Judge doesn't know all the laws...just saying...!
Sorry if it was taken personally.
The law is clear, there is no room for interpretation, a harbor entrance is a harbor entrance.
As I stated earlier is much more a matter of local enforcement of the law.
I think everyone knows that it is a no wake zone inside the last breakwalls. In my case the last breakwall itself was painted with no wake signs, no question about that.
I had been boating on Erie for over 25 years and was ignorant of the 300' law, as still is , and was a very large majority of the boating public. When I that day had come off of plane and was no longer making any wake I was around 50 yds North of the wall, there was a lot of traffic coming out of the river. I came around the breakwall and entered the river to be waved over a couple of hundred yds down the river along with a 1/2 dozen other boats. It was kindof am assembly line of pulling boats in, writing tickets and then freeing up a spot to wave the next boat in for their ticket. All of these boats were being ticketed, best I could tell, for the 300' violation.
There is no doubt I was wrong and violating the law, my fault, I'm responsible and accountable, never said otherwise.
It was however setup as a ticket writing operation, not a boater education session. That was their choice, however as I pointed out to the various city councilmen, police chief and the mayor that may not be the best way to treat tourists and visitors to your fine city if you would like them to return. Changes, relayed to me, were made in procedure and policy.
Again, my fault. I can tell you that I have violated this law many times since at almost every harbor and will continue to do so depending on wind and wave conditions. The difference is now I know the law that I am violating.
So I have a question for all of you.
How many of you have ever violated this law? ( I would expect 100%)
How many of you had knowledge of this law ( I would expect around 20%)
As I stated earlier is much more a matter of local enforcement of the law.
I think everyone knows that it is a no wake zone inside the last breakwalls. In my case the last breakwall itself was painted with no wake signs, no question about that.
I had been boating on Erie for over 25 years and was ignorant of the 300' law, as still is , and was a very large majority of the boating public. When I that day had come off of plane and was no longer making any wake I was around 50 yds North of the wall, there was a lot of traffic coming out of the river. I came around the breakwall and entered the river to be waved over a couple of hundred yds down the river along with a 1/2 dozen other boats. It was kindof am assembly line of pulling boats in, writing tickets and then freeing up a spot to wave the next boat in for their ticket. All of these boats were being ticketed, best I could tell, for the 300' violation.
There is no doubt I was wrong and violating the law, my fault, I'm responsible and accountable, never said otherwise.
It was however setup as a ticket writing operation, not a boater education session. That was their choice, however as I pointed out to the various city councilmen, police chief and the mayor that may not be the best way to treat tourists and visitors to your fine city if you would like them to return. Changes, relayed to me, were made in procedure and policy.
Again, my fault. I can tell you that I have violated this law many times since at almost every harbor and will continue to do so depending on wind and wave conditions. The difference is now I know the law that I am violating.
So I have a question for all of you.
How many of you have ever violated this law? ( I would expect 100%)
How many of you had knowledge of this law ( I would expect around 20%)
That law is true and I knew this from an incident from a vermilion boater that was written about here on OGF awhile back and I'm aware of it expecially in lorain and vermilion. I came into Catawba "hot" one day this spring a police officer came up to me (he was sitting in care in lot) and asked me if I knew boating laws and I told him yes which I do.
He went on to tell me that I came into a unmarked no wake zone on plane and told me about the 300ft law (it's marked leaving Catawba but not coming in which I pointed out and he acknowledged it) to save myself from getting a ticket I explained to him that in Cleveland (hey had to come up with something) there is no speed zone inside the breakwall or within 300 ft he actually didn't know what to say, for the 7 miles of breakwall including the mouth of the cuyahoga river entrance it is not a no wake zone.
So the laws DO change depending on where you boat and that is why the judge probably said you need to know the laws because they do differ from area to area. Ignorance of the laws is defintely no excuse. I'm not even sure if a city cop can write you a ticket for something he saw you do on the water (probably DUI once you got off the boat and into a car or on the dock for public intox but defintely not a no wake zone ticket. Either way I consider myself lucky for not getting written up.
He went on to tell me that I came into a unmarked no wake zone on plane and told me about the 300ft law (it's marked leaving Catawba but not coming in which I pointed out and he acknowledged it) to save myself from getting a ticket I explained to him that in Cleveland (hey had to come up with something) there is no speed zone inside the breakwall or within 300 ft he actually didn't know what to say, for the 7 miles of breakwall including the mouth of the cuyahoga river entrance it is not a no wake zone.
So the laws DO change depending on where you boat and that is why the judge probably said you need to know the laws because they do differ from area to area. Ignorance of the laws is defintely no excuse. I'm not even sure if a city cop can write you a ticket for something he saw you do on the water (probably DUI once you got off the boat and into a car or on the dock for public intox but defintely not a no wake zone ticket. Either way I consider myself lucky for not getting written up.
at 10 mph, i'm probably throwing a bigger wake then if i'm up on plane.
Also, there are a lot of BIG boats that put the hammer down as soon as they clear a breakwall. If I try to go "no wake" speed with that happening, I'm liable to get swamped. Boils down to common sense and safety.
I appreciate all of your responses here as I am a new operator/owner of a boat this year. The 300' rule is something I was vaguely aware of however please forward this thread to the Jetexpress which blew past me as I was coming in to Hotwaters on plane right next to the lighthouse. He offered the same curtiousy to a couple of small craft perch guys there as well.
TY for the heads up, this will probably save me some money at some point
TY for the heads up, this will probably save me some money at some point
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