Magothy river entrance from Chesapeake Bay Speed Limit
Greg Page
the Magothy river. It is marked with channel markers on both sides,
and has a 6 mph speed limit bouy at the entrance and exit to the
channel.
My question is, does the speed limit also apply "outside" of the
channel? While I've prefered personally not to slalom the crab floats
and run on plane outside of the channel, I've often seen it done and
wondered if it is technically "legal" to exceed the speed limit if
your outside the channel.
-Greg
PS - Anyone notice the bay/rivers are just a little low today? The
boats across the creek are all in the mud, and you could walk across
without getting your ankles wet. Glad my boat is on a lift.
Scott
No idea on the spefics of the Mag.. I would bet, however, that those
speed limit bouys are there to protect docks and shorelines or make it
quiter for local residents. Not protect the center of the channel.
(If I am visualizing it correctly) It would seem to me moving fast
down the outside of the channel, closer to shore, would be a pretty
silly rationalization for grossly exceeding the posted speed.
As for people doing it. Imagine that, some boaters speed through no
wake zones. Who woulda thunk it! <grins>.
Hope to make it down there this summer!
Scott
samorgan [at] myndspryng daht kahm
Greg Page
shallow) I've always "assumed" the speed limit was due to the
congestion in the channel (it gets quite crowded on a summer weekend).
There are no docks on either shore untill you get into the river
proper, where it gets deeper along the sides.
-Greg
Chris Davies
not the greatest scan of my life, but the source material was quite bad and
I've lost the original sometime over the last year and a half.
If you're not in that box (which is where the 'deep' water is) you can go up
to 35 knots.
I used to boat on the Severn/South and Magothy rivers -- and that little
channel is not only a pain when there is traffic, but when the tide is going
out. Since you have the Magothy dumping water, the Chesapeake dumping water
on both sides of Gibson Island, you can get quite a bit of chop in that
little channel when the rest of the bay is fairly normal.
Hope that document helps (I also have links to the Severn and South River
documents as provided by the DNR Police)
Greg Page <gregory...@nrl.navy.mil> wrote in message
news:3822f73d.9610280@ra...
Chris Davies
larger wake -- even though your ground speed is 6 knots, you're at 12 knots
and that for me is bow fairly high pushing a nice wall of water -- hardly
what I would consider 'no-wake' :-) at no-wake speed.
I think in situations like that, you really have to use your best judgment
to progress underway.
I think the 6 knots is there more for traffic calming and preventing wake
damage on bridge abutments, docks, moorages, etc.
By Kent Island near the Kent Narrows bridge I actually witnessed a 4 knot
south current with the tide coming in. So the water is rushing south (or
out) but the water level is rising. I've seen that a few times around the
bay, but never with the frequency as near Kent Island.
Richard1572 <~richa...@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:wsMU3.77$_k.1...@server2.news.adelphia.net...
> While on the subject of speed limits. Do posted speed limits on the water
> mean speed over ground or speed over the water? Minimum wake is pretty
> clear, steerage, but is cases of strong tides and narrow channels 6 knots
> over the water and you are going backwards.
>
> --
> http://home.adelphia.net/~richard1572/index.htm
> Email me your fishing pics and I'll post them on my page.
> Remove the "~" to email.
>
>
> Scott Morgan/Lisa Byan wrote in message
> <382392d2...@news.mindspring.com>...
> >Thanks for the enlightenment on that Chris. If I make it down that
> >way I'll be a few steps ahead of the normal transient. <g>. The
> >document was quite informative, IMO. Gotta love the bay, smooth in
> >some places and choppy as all get out elsewhere!
> >
> >SM
Scott Morgan/Lisa Byan
Richard1572
mean speed over ground or speed over the water? Minimum wake is pretty
clear, steerage, but is cases of strong tides and narrow channels 6 knots
over the water and you are going backwards.
--
http://home.adelphia.net/~richard1572/index.htm
Email me your fishing pics and I'll post them on my page.
Remove the "~" to email.
Scott Morgan/Lisa Byan wrote in message
<382392d2...@news.mindspring.com>...
Greg Page
live on the end of Mill Creek on the map.
-Greg
On Fri, 5 Nov 1999 14:36:52 -0500, "Chris Davies"
<m...@no.firewall.spam.com> wrote:
>http://www.firewall.com/~mcd/boating/magothy2.GIF
>
>not the greatest scan of my life, but the source material was quite bad and
>I've lost the original sometime over the last year and a half.
>
>If you're not in that box (which is where the 'deep' water is) you can go up
>to 35 knots.
>
>I used to boat on the Severn/South and Magothy rivers -- and that little
>channel is not only a pain when there is traffic, but when the tide is going
>out. Since you have the Magothy dumping water, the Chesapeake dumping water
>on both sides of Gibson Island, you can get quite a bit of chop in that
>little channel when the rest of the bay is fairly normal.
>
>Hope that document helps (I also have links to the Severn and South River
>documents as provided by the DNR Police)
>
CANTABENE
>congestion in the channel (it gets quite crowded on a summer weekend).
As do I. considering that the traffic through this narrow channel is heavy
and usually is a mix of sail boats under sail and powerboats, the speed limit
is essential. Even with the speed limit there is little latitude
to compensate for the unexpected.
Cantabene
Heaven is a place with only one kind of screwdriver.
highwire
areas. We once made the mistake of anchoring overnight in the Middle River
in a Slow Speed 6mph restricted area. We were getting slammed mercilessly
by boats cruising through there at 20+ kts with their wakes bouncing off
the seawalls, docks, and boats tied to fixed docks. The 4 ft wake of a
Hatteras MY on plane sinched the decision to head for the Eastern Shore.
On the way back out I took a closer look at the speed limit bouy; "Slow
Speed 6 MPH SAT,SUN and HOL".
I also observed the DNR in their Whalers using a handheld radar speed gun
to enforce the 6 MPH limit in Baltimore Inner Harbor at Ft McHenry. The bad
thing was they were idling ahead in gear while shooting the radar forward!
Greg Page <gregory...@nrl.navy.mil> wrote in article
<3822f73d.9610280@ra>...
Buck Webb
while. The controlled box extends in width from the Reds to the Greens at
that point, so technically the only way to "beat" it is by going to the
right hand side of the green markers.
I've always felt that those boaters doing it (and there are lots of them)
are beating the zone on a technicality, but they still have to watch their
wake. Isn't it also a "no wake" zone there?
When returning from the bay, a lot of boats sneak out of the box after the
last red marker where it gets deep right away, and plane up there. Same
situation.
I just feel like it violates the spirit of the zone, if it's not in fact a
violation.
BTW, Greg, I keep my boat on Mill Creek also. Ferry Point.
Buck
Greg Page
<buck...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>I've actually wondered about that particular area on the Magothy for quite a
>while. The controlled box extends in width from the Reds to the Greens at
>that point, so technically the only way to "beat" it is by going to the
>right hand side of the green markers.
>
>I've always felt that those boaters doing it (and there are lots of them)
>are beating the zone on a technicality, but they still have to watch their
>wake. Isn't it also a "no wake" zone there?
>
>When returning from the bay, a lot of boats sneak out of the box after the
>last red marker where it gets deep right away, and plane up there. Same
>situation.
>
>I just feel like it violates the spirit of the zone, if it's not in fact a
>violation.
Lost the prior post, but one responce linked to his page with the DNR
rules sheet on it, and according to it the speed limit is only in the
box. It does appear that slaloming the crab floats outside the box is
legal, but would be a bit of a challange with a big boat.
>
>BTW, Greg, I keep my boat on Mill Creek also. Ferry Point.
>
Which boat? I'll take a look for it next time I idle by (unfortunatly
that will be in the spring :(. If you see a rainbow stripped 40 ft
Formula go by thats me, so give a wave.
-Greg
Chris Davies
news:38315e8a.611171@ra...
> On Mon, 15 Nov 1999 19:37:24 -0500, "Buck Webb"
> <buck...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> >I've actually wondered about that particular area on the Magothy for
quite a
> >while. The controlled box extends in width from the Reds to the Greens at
> rules sheet on it, and according to it the speed limit is only in the
> box. It does appear that slaloming the crab floats outside the box is
> legal, but would be a bit of a challange with a big boat.
http://firewall.com/~mcd/boating/
There are links there to the Severn, South and Magothy River DNR pages that
I scanned a long time ago.
I think the specific document you're looking for is:
http://www.firewall.com/~mcd/boating/magothy2.GIF
One of these day's I'll update my page since I now live in Florida. :-)
Buck Webb
Express Cruiser on the North End of the marina, 4 slips in from the North
bulkhead at Mill Creek.
See you in the Spring, then.
Buck
Greg Page <gregory...@nrl.navy.mil> wrote in message
news:38315e8a.611171@ra...
> On Mon, 15 Nov 1999 19:37:24 -0500, "Buck Webb"
> <buck...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
<snip>...