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Seamanship

How Fast Is Too Fast?

BoatTEST.com measures the top speed of boats we test (so long as our testing captain feels it is safe), but please don’t misconstrue this into thinking that we are encouraging high-speed boat operation. Au contraire! BoatTEST.com promotes only the safe operation of boats, which in many cases means that they should not be driven at their top speeds. We encourage boaters to discover what their “best cruise” speed is for comfort, fuel economy, and safety. In fact, we think that going 70 mph in a small boat, such as a bass boat, is nuts. And we are glad to see that responsible builders are not encouraging excessive speed. The USCG says that excessive speed is the #4 cause of boating accidents.

How Fast Is Too Fast boat
Donald Campbell was trying to go 300 mph and thereby set the world speed record on water, when his boat, Bluebird, got out of control and crashed. His body was not found for 34 years.

“Operator inattention” ranks #1 as the cause for boating accidents, and given the fact that at 60 mph you are travelling 88 feet per second, it does not take much inattention to have an accident at that speed. In fact, there have been several serious accidents reported recently where the helmsman was distracted with chartplotters or other instruments and diverted his eyes a few seconds too long.

Keeping a proper lookout is also important and relates to speed. The faster you are going, the more pairs of eyes you need to be scanning the water for dangers.

How Fast Is Too Fast stat
The latest available data indicates that excessive speed is the fourth most common cause of accidents. Source: USCG Recreational Boating Statistics 2016.

 

Donald Campbell, RIP

 

On January 4, 1967, Donald Campbell was killed when the Bluebird K7 flipped and disintegrated at a speed in excess of 300 mph on Lake Coniston in England. The cause of the crash has been variously attributed to Campbell not waiting to refuel after doing a first run of 297 mph, and hence the boat being lighter; the waves caused by his wash; and, most likely, a cut-out of the jet engine.

The wreckage of his craft and the body of Campbell were not recovered until May 28, 2001, when diver Bill Smith was inspired to look for the wreck after hearing the Marillion song "Out Of This World" (from the album Afraid of Sunlight), which was written about Campbell and the Bluebird. The body of Campbell was recovered soon after and was laid to rest in Coniston cemetery.

How Fast Is Too Fast tombstone
A memorial to a man who wanted to go fast.