Ferry And Powerboat Collide

[gamayun]

To my understanding, if the ferry captain was in "open" waters, he probably had a responsibility to make his evasive maneuver sooner when he realized the boat was on a collision course, but the recreational boater had equal responsibility (as perhaps the stand on vessel) to slow it down while he was not keeping a proper watch. His boat was moving at a pretty good clip and objects have a tendency to close in really fast at those speeds.

(Edit - I guess my terminology of "open" waters should be "not limited in maneuverability," as AdmiralSlater has stated.)

[donradcliffe]

The GCaptain site had a poll on who was in the wrong, and it was going 3 to 1 against the Nap Time. They have since taken down the poll, and the editors have written quite a bit on the subject.

Caught On Camera - Boater Crashes Into Washington State Ferry – gCaptain

The bottom line in their minds was that both vessels violated the Colregs, but the very short answer is

Despite what any rules do or don’t say… don’t pilot your boat from the shitter.

[SV DestinyAscen]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Despite what any rules do or don’t say… don’t pilot your boat from the shitter.

So true. Whether the ferry had right of way depends on its ability to maneuver. Yah both parties probablysscrewed up in duty to avert collision, but only one party was on autopilot and not maintaining a lookout.

Not really sure why anyone with sense would cross that region on autohelm and no lookout. Not exactly soloing to Hawaii.

[Celestialsailor]

If you look at the last 3 seconds of the YouTube video, a brown plume is in the water. I'll bet he was emptying his holding tank and while pumping it overboard, the electric or manual pump was making enough noise to hinder him hearing the Ferry.
Anyways, the burden vessel has the right of way. That would be the Ferry.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

If you look at the last 3 seconds of the YouTube video, a brown plume is in the water. I'll bet he was emptying his holding tank and while pumping it overboard, the electric or manual pump was making enough noise to hinder him hearing the Ferry.
Anyways, the burden vessel has the right of way. That would be the Ferry.

Or just mud stirred up off of the bottom

[SV DestinyAscen]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

If you look at the last 3 seconds of the YouTube video, a brown plume is in the water. I'll bet he was emptying his holding tank and while pumping it overboard, the electric or manual pump was making enough noise to hinder him hearing the Ferry.
Anyways, the burden vessel has the right of way. That would be the Ferry.

Burdened vessel has to give way to the privileged vessel? Not sure what you mean by burdened vessel has right of way.

[mickt243]

maybe the boat needs renaming....


to...


sh!t happens

[Cottontop]

Does the ferry captain swing hard over and potentially throw 100 passengers about?

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Really no way to know from the video, which was pointing to the starboard side of the ferry.

FWIW, the ONLY place in he entire world I know of where ferries give way and are courteous to recreational boaters is SF Bay. I sailed there for 35+ years.

AFIK, any ferry up here around my new home on Vancouver Island makes me the give way vessel, starboard crossing or not.

.

Agree the video doesn't show the whole story - just looks like what could be his wake shows a starboard turn towards the path of the ferry. See the screen shot.

Unless it's changed a lot since my time there, the ferries on both sides of the border are very professional and follow the colregs for the most part - there have been exceptions.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

If you look at the last 3 seconds of the YouTube video, a brown plume is in the water. I'll bet he was emptying his holding tank and while pumping it overboard, the electric or manual pump was making enough noise to hinder him hearing the Ferry.
Anyways, the burden vessel has the right of way. That would be the Ferry.

It looks to me that the brown water was churned up from the reverse thrust of the ferry as it tried to stop and turn to port just before the boat hit.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Or just mud stirred up off of the bottom

The water is between 150 and 400 ft deep where the collision occurred, so it's probably not mud.

Of course the power boat violated lots of rules: not on watch, no attempt to avoid the collision, not respecting the 100-yard security zone around the ferry, common sense, and courtesy.

But the ferry was the burdened vessel and to my eye it should have yielded to the power boat, and when a collision was imminent taken steps much sooner to avoid it. The ferry was not operating in a restricted channel or in a designated shipping lane. Ferries have no special rights in these waters. This was a port/starboard crossing with neither vessel constrained in its ability to maneuver.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by SV DestinyAscen

Burdened vessel has to give way to the privileged vessel? Not sure what you mean by burdened vessel has right of way.

The burdened vessel is the one that cannot stop as quickly or maneuver as quickly...meaning the Ferry was the burden vessel and the pleasure craft should have altered course in avoidance of a collision.
Also the term for the heading of the pleasure craft to the Ferry is called a bow to beam bearing. It is when the angle of the vessel coming towards you does not change and unless speed is varied or a course change, collision is imminent.

[Pyxis156]

I know Clark and Nap Tyme, we were neighbors at the same marina. The boat is his only home and he lives aboard. The boat is not a Bayliner, it is a Westport 47 I believe. While not being on watch was clearly a major blunder, he is not a weekend or amateur boater. A few observations from someone who calls these his "home waters":

Not sure what the brown water was, the water where the collision occurred is deep as Paul noted, and there was no restriction to the ferry's ability to maneuver; however,

Looking at the video, I believe the ferry was close enough to the Vashon Island terminal that it was probably lined up with the dock and reluctant to alter course. As Tacoma Sailor noted, there can be some stiff currents in that area. That said, at the start of the video the ferry seemed to still be at normal cruising speed so it wasn't on "final approach" and fully committed.

I am doubtful of the conjecture that a starboard turn was made right before the collision or that currents altered his course. Given his heading, he was returning home to Gig Harbor, a straight shot from the direction he was coming from. He would have had his autopilot steering to a waypoint at the mouth of Gig Harbor with the autopilot accounting for set due to current. Those of us that live and boat in this area are well aware of the current and its effects around Point Defiance, and I know Clarke is.

The ferries are very professional and will give way when required and sometimes even when not. I have been hailed when under sail and informed by a ferry that they will alter course and pass to my stern even when I am clearly in their direct path... much appreciated when beating upwind and AIS indicates a hair-raising CPA!

As Tacoma Sailor and tozz said, most of us boaters in this area try to be respectful of the ferries and alter course to avoid interfering with their routes. I suspect the proximity to the terminal led the ferry to hope (assume?) that Nap Tyme would do just that and waited for him to change course until it was too late.

Again, not defending Nap Tyme but he clearly had the right of way. Given that a State ferry was involved I am sure there will be a CG hearing with blame assigned to both parties, but I would definitely not want to be the captain of the ferry with that video as evidence.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

The burdened vessel is the one that cannot stop as quickly or maneuver as quickly...meaning the Ferry was the burden vessel and the pleasure craft should have altered course in avoidance of a collision.
Also the term for the heading of the pleasure craft to the Ferry is called a bow to beam bearing. It is when the angle of the vessel coming towards you does not change and unless speed is varied or a course change, collision is imminent.

My friend, you should review the colregs. The term "burdened vessel" is not in them, but is generally used to indicate the vessel that is required to give way in a rule of the road situation. I've never heard the term "bow to beam bearing" - although it may be alliterative, it has no real meaning. Steady or constant bearing (as in CBDR) are more common descriptives.

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by Pyxis156

Again, not defending Nap Tyme but he clearly had the right of way. Given that a State ferry was involved I am sure there will be a CG hearing with blame assigned to both parties, but I would definitely not want to be the captain of the ferry with that video as evidence.

Seattle traffic likely has the whole incident recorded on radar. I'm curious about your thoughts on the ferry's 5 short blasts of its whistle? Clearly he thought he was in the right.