Semi OT: What happens when a boat cross paths with a ferry

We just bought our R25SC and it's the first boat with a real Autopilot. There's a real temptation, especially if single handing, to set 'hold course' and check out the radio or get something out of a locker. The message here is that could be a disaster! I have no way of knowing if Autopilot was set except the boat did seem to attempt a return to course right after the collision. Just supposition.

Great reminder to pay attention at all times.
 
This post sounds like an advertisement for an AIS purchase. We spent about six weeks in those waters this summer. I thought AIS was a good investment. Nice to get an alarm, know the distance from, speed, course, size, and in most cases the name of the boat. Got questions for a boat in close proximity? You can call them on your VHF radio by name. Great tool. We use the Vesper 850 Watchmate. We would not leave home without it.
 
The whole seaplane thing is out there is especially bizarre at least in our way of thinking. At the least we see a slow deliberate vigilant approach to harbors where they operate to be a good plan. While being on the lookout for floating junk, ferries, absent minded boaters and not the least seaplanes. Not good places to be traveling on auto pilot leaving the helm unattended.
 
Beside all of the coast guard rules of the waterways and common sense, there was on simple rule an old salt passed on to me, GROSS TONNAGE HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY!
 
Float planes are classifies as a boat once they are on the water. In areas where they are active boaters are expected to be on the look out for planes landing. Float planes should do a fly by first when there are boats in the area, to make boats aware of their intentions to land once on the water they follow the same rules as any other boat. Stay out of the way of boat traffic that is limited to fixed traffic patterns and limited manouverablity.
 
This is an interesting one regarding the rules. Since the Nap Tyme was the "Stand On" vessel approaching from the starboard side "by the rules" it was the ferry captain who was supposed to "Give Way". However, when it became clear he was not going to (or could not!) the Nap Tyme should have taken action to avoid the collision. So "by the rules" both captains are each partially to blame.

I always thought it was strange that there is no Gross Tonnage rule. Given the momentum of a ferry (or someone bigger!) and the response time to make course changes it just doesn't make sense to expect the much larger vessel to give way. I, for one, always give the big guys plenty of room regardless "the rules".

In this case it appears clear that the Nap Tyme captain (or anyone else) was not at the wheel. A very dangerous mistake. Didn't even hear the ferry blaring his horn!

I love AIS and use it specifically for situations like this. With AIS you can see if a ferry is underway or at the dock even when it it not visible. I can't count the times in the San Juans were there was a ferry approaching around an island and I couldn't see him visually until he was right there. With AIS I could see the ferry coming from behind the island with plenty of time to get out of the way.
 
I like this thread as I am a big fan of the Washington State Ferries. I have visited several pilot houses and watched the crews in action. While the COLREGS are pretty clear on who has to give way to whom, common sense and Gross Tonnage makes a lot of sense.

Two summers ago a Washington State Ferry heading into the Orcus Landing ran over a 32 foot sailboat who was coming out from his moorage. Fortunately the man and his dog were saved. He was on the right. However the Coast Guard ascertained that the Ferry Boat was construed to be in a narrow channel and that the sailboat should have been more aware. Unfortunately the ferry boat skipper and the first mate lost their jobs with the reasoning they should have been more watchful.

Ferries go back and forward but they don't turn very well...particularly at slow speeds.

One of the things that puzzled me in that recent collusion is that why didn't the ferry beep five horn blasts. "You are placing me in a unsafe position." All ferries have duel radars running all the time. At least one of them has AIS and should have sounded an alarm. I wonder what was going on in the bridge--'tis a puzzlement.

My advice is the stay away from all ferries, they are constrained in their routes by the Coast Guard.
 
You can't fix stupid and all the rationalization in the world can't make up for the fact that the smaller boat ran into the larger boat with no attempt to stop or slow down. The captain of the smaller vessel needs to be banned from the water for life. Just sayin'.
 
Sorry, I am in error. The Ferry Captain did blow five or more blasts on the horn. The other boat didn't respond (see ABC news tonight with a video of the incident
 
Per:
http://komonews.com/news/local/no-injuries-after-state-ferry-struck-by-unpiloted-boat
It turns out that the only person aboard the boat was using the bathroom at the time of the impact.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, strikes me that having the boat in motion while using bathroom is a bad idea. Chimo, maybe you're right here - autopilot? I could imagine someone making the error of relying on autopilot while using the head. I was watching a video where someone put their boat into autopilot while making a coffee.
 
In our travels I have made coffee or taken care of natures callings while on autopilot. I always travel with my wife or a fishing buddy or two. So normally my wife takes over the helm while I'm indisposed. She knows the basics of forward reverse and how to steer and to be able to turn the autopilot on or to standby. Maybe when your in the autopilot mode and no one is sitting at the helm the boat just shuts off. Just like our $2500 lawn mower. I'm sure there are reasons this will never happen. I guess people would just pile some books on it to be able to beat the system.
A couple years ago three or four fisherman got run over but a yacht traveling south off the New Jersey coast. Some of the fisherman died. I can't imagine them not being able to get out of the way but I guess they could not believe what was happening. The right of way theory or you being the stand on vessel gets minimized by knowing there are people driving cars and boats that are dumber than a bucket of rocks.
 
The rules of the road only apply whenever the risk of collision is deemed to exist. I try to stay far enough away from ferries (and other large ships) that the rules never apply. If I have to get close to a large ship it would only be because of a narrow channel -- at which time the large vessel clearly has the right of way, and i still maneuver to be some place else. Then there is the "general and prudential rule" that says (roughly translated from the bureaucratic) Get out of the road!
 
Scuffy":27vrtgd3 said:
In our travels I have made coffee or taken care of natures callings while on autopilot. I always travel with my wife or a fishing buddy or two. So normally my wife takes over the helm while I'm indisposed. She knows the basics of forward reverse and how to steer and to be able to turn the autopilot on or to standby. Maybe when your in the autopilot mode and no one is sitting at the helm the boat just shuts off. Just like our $2500 lawn mower. I'm sure there are reasons this will never happen. I guess people would just pile some books on it to be able to beat the system.
A couple years ago three or four fisherman got run over but a yacht traveling south off the New Jersey coast. Some of the fisherman died. I can't imagine them not being able to get out of the way but I guess they could not believe what was happening. The right of way theory or you being the stand on vessel gets minimized by knowing there are people driving cars and boats that are dumber than a bucket of rocks.
Click to expand...

Re: Fishermen

About 10 years ago I was fishing in the Chesapeake Bay in a 23 Boston Whaler. I had anchored in about 12 ft of water and was chumming off the stern when I saw a flybridge yacht coming toward me. As it got closer I became concerned that they had not seen me so I sounded my horn. Since they were coming straight at me I got to sounding continuous long blasts. With no winch and no time to get up on the bow and either retrieve the anchor or cut the rode I thought about jumping overboard but I always wear my inflatable PFD when I am on deck single handing and I knew I would not get far from the boat. I started up and went WOT ahead with 225HP. The anchor fortunately broke out after a real pull and the yacht passed right off my stern. The group on the flybridge sipping cocktails looked amazed as I screamed at them. I called the police on the VHF and reported the incident. The yacht chimed in with an apology. They just hadn't noticed such a small boat and the radar hadn't warned them. The police ordered them to report into Annapolis but I never heard anything more.
 
Everyone must remember, in a boating collision, each vessel shares a percentage of guilt in a Coast Guard hearing. In addition, the Coast Guard REQUIRES a lookout be posted at ALL times while the vessel is moving. Boating alone isn't a good idea. As previously stated, all vessels are required to take necessary steps to avoid collisions, even if its a violation of boating regulations.
Its nice to see everyone responding to this tragedy. It just reminds all of us to stay on our game so we aren't the ones the news is reporting
 
From the posts every one of you needs to take a refresher course either by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or the Power Squardron.

The larger commercial vessel, be it a ferry or cruise ship for freighter ALWAYS is the STAND ON VESSEL. Any vessel of great tonnage or towing MUST be given right of way. Those are the US Coast Guard rules. We are Always the GIVE WAY vessel to large commercial traffic.
Robert L. Porterfield, USCG Auxiliary, Flotilla 130-01-08, FSO-PV, VE

Please read A BOATER'S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS, published bythe U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division.
 
Robert,

Perhaps YOU need a refresher. Rules 15 and 18 of the NavRules state that when two power driven vessels are in a crossing situation the vessel on the starboard side is the stand on vessel. Nowhere does it mention size or tonnage. Other rules mention vessels restricted in ability to maneuver, but a ferry is not one of those listed. How about the rule for a narrow channel? Nope. Doesn't apply here. The only rules that place the burden on the smaller vessel in this situation are the ones requiring a look-out, and that all mariners must take action to avoid a collision.

Common sense dictates that a small, easily maneuvered boat should yield to a large ship, but it's not in the rules. Rule 2? Maybe, but it's pretty vague.

By the way, another possibility, not shown on the video, is if the smaller vessel was originally on a course to pass astern of the ferry, then altered course placing it ahead of the ferry. An autopilot set to follow the shoreline could do that and the ferry crew would have no way of anticipating it.
 
This may be an appropriate point to furnish this link to the Port of NY/NJ Safe Boating Guide.

It's almost 30 minutes, but well worth the time, IMHO.

Some good advice from experienced Pilots and Captains.
 
The private boat is obligated under the rules to 1. Keep a lookout at all times, and 2. Do whatever it takes to avoid a collision regardless of their status as the stand on vessel. He did neither. The "fact" that the ferry is the give way vessel really could not be more irrelevant:

Here lies the body of Michael O'Shea
Who died maintaining his right of way
He was right, dead right, as he sailed along
But he's just as dead
As if he'd been wrong

It's a fine line between entertaining YouTube video and needless death.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

  • Tugnuts.com is the community hub for Ranger Tug, Cutwater, and Solara owners. Since its inception in 2008, the Tugnuts forum has grown into an active and thriving community of more than 9,000 members. It serves as both a meeting place for the best boating community online, and an invaluable archive of information.

  • User menu
Back
Top