I guess it depends on the judge you get. :-) In my last two visits to local
courts, I've won minor skirmishes. And I'm not a trial lawyer, either. Just
be armed with facts.

Considering how poorly we pay Coast Guard people, you could probably buy an
expert witness in return for a gift certificate to the nearest Bennigan's.

"Gfretwell" wrote in message
...
That's probably why the signs say "idle speed", not "idle RPMs".

That sounds like an interesting argument, ever tried it on a cop?
I have never seen any enforcement at the Big Carlos bridge but I can
imagine an
over zealous deputy trying to enforce "no wake" in a flood tide. (FMP/FWC
does
seem smarter than that ... usually)
This bay is draining about 400 square miles of sheet flow through 4
passes.
When you have 17 inches of rain in a month that is a lot of water going
under
the bridge. As I said, it was 12 knots the other day on my GPS. That was
what
got me thinking about the sign. I was moving at ~3000 RPM, just to keep
headway.

"Gfretwell" wrote in message
...
Considering how poorly we pay Coast Guard people, you could probably buy
an
expert witness in return for a gift certificate to the nearest
Bennigan's.

If the teenager on the local RIB is an expert I am a professor. At 6 years
(65-71) I have more time in the USCG than most of the guys at Station Ft
Myers.


Great, as long as the judge is inclined to not consider the accused to be
biased. Circular reasoning, but hey...that's what judges do. :-)

Point Ybel is not the same as Big Carlos Pass. They're near by, but the Big
Carlos Pass bridge span is a lot narrower constriction...causing much faster
current flow. Try going in/out of Hickory Pass on a strong tide!




"LaBomba182" wrote in message
...
Subject: Slow/idle speed under bridges?
From: reg

As I said, it was 12 knots the other day on my GPS.

Wow! Ten times or more the predicted speed!?

Point Ybel (0.4 Mi. NW of), Florida Current
10 September 2003 - 11 September 2003
Point Ybel (0.4 Mi. NW of), Florida Current
26.4567° N, 82.0183° W

2003-09-10 03:51 EDT -0.00 knots Slack, Ebb Begins
2003-09-10 06:02 EDT -0.60 knots Max Ebb
2003-09-10 07:11 EDT Sunrise
2003-09-10 07:59 EDT 0.00 knots Slack, Flood Begins
2003-09-10 11:01 EDT 1.22 knots Max Flood
2003-09-10 12:36 EDT Full Moon
2003-09-10 14:26 EDT -0.00 knots Slack, Ebb Begins
2003-09-10 18:17 EDT -1.47 knots Max Ebb
2003-09-10 19:38 EDT Sunset
2003-09-10 21:22 EDT 0.00 knots Slack, Flood Begins
2003-09-11 00:03 EDT 1.06 knots Max Flood
2003-09-11 03:56 EDT -0.00 knots Slack, Ebb Begins
2003-09-11 06:36 EDT -0.73 knots Max Ebb
2003-09-11 07:11 EDT Sunrise
2003-09-11 08:44 EDT 0.00 knots Slack, Flood Begins
2003-09-11 11:39 EDT 1.27 knots Max Flood
2003-09-11 15:07 EDT -0.00 knots Slack, Ebb Begins
2003-09-11 18:52 EDT -1.28 knots Max Ebb
2003-09-11 19:37 EDT Sunset
2003-09-11 21:44 EDT 0.00 knots Slack, Flood Begins
2003-09-12 00:17 EDT 1.07 knots Max Flood

A bit hard to believe. But I'd like to see that. Is it still going out
that
fast? Maybe I'll run down and check it out.

Capt. Bill

Subject: Slow/idle speed under bridges?
From: reg

BTW is that a prediction or a measured flow?

Predicted, I believe. Thanks for the links.


Capt. Bill

These USGS flow stations only look at volume of water entering the estuaries
from upland but that will relate to current. The upstream stations (North
Estero river branch etc) are flow monitors and the ones in the bay and closer
to river mouths look at the other factors like salinity and dissolved oxygen.
If you look at the graph on site 02291610 (a mile up the Estero River) you can
watch the salt water wedge come and go on the tide changes. It swings from
almost zero salt to 18PPT or so (the Gulf being 38 or so). In the winter when
the flow rates are down that will consistantly be above 16.