Putz of the day award goes to...

[msavold]

The video is titled "Washington State Ferry hits a boat near Vashon Island" but, uh, more like boat hits ferry! Asleep? Drunk? Both?

 

[dbrunone]

Damn. Well the boat is named "nap time" so....that makes sense

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

I'm not a navigation expert but technically didn't the little white boat have the right away and the ferry should have given way? Maybe rules different being fact it's a ferry?

Then again there are several times in a day in the car that I have the right of way, but I'm not going to pull out in front of that 25,000 lb tractor-trailer just to prove I am right.

 

[McMark]

There seems to be a lot of folks where I boat that think they own their boat and everything in front of it. hehe.

 

[Andy S]

My guess based on the way the white boat seemed to correct it's course after hit the ferry, that the white boat was on autopilot and the captain was below decks busy doing something.

 

[ToddW850]

I was thinking along the same lines as @mrmeaniemeateaterman . I would have thought the white boat had the right of way, unless there is something else giving the ferry priority.

 

[Lextacy03]

commercial vessels restricted by their draft or by fishing gear, such as nets or trawls, hold privilege over all recreational vessels

 

[rkluck]

I think the ferry was supposed to yield (small boat on the starboard side with both boats being powered) but it did seem like the smaller boat was not reacting. I think the regulation says the smaller boat should hold course but in the event of a collision right or wrong they could have navigated out of the way since they were more maneuverable. As mentioned above even if you are in the right it may be best to avid the collision. I do think fishing boats with there nets out are supposed to avoided as well. Any idea what happened after this?

 

[spatty99]

Like Lextacy said, ferry would qualify as commercial and/or restricted maneuverability and have right of way. On top of that the ferry signaled repeatedly in advance and appeared to attempt to avoid collision (as evidenced by backward wash seen right at about impact).

 

[itsdgm]

I can't believe the smaller boat wasn't crushed like a beer can run over by a steam roller. Almost funny how he just "kept on trucking".

MY OFFICIAL RULING: No harm no foul

 

[Micah Thompson]

I can't believe the smaller boat wasn't crushed like a beer can run over by a steam roller.

I think the ferry going hard reverse at the last second saved the smaller boat. If you notice the prop thrust wash created by the ferry pushed the other boat away, saving it from a hard collision!

 

[McMark]

I heard last night on the news that the guy was in the head.

 

[swatski]

I heard last night on the news that the guy was in the head.

Oh that would suck.

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[rkluck]

Oh wow! He must have heard the whistle and thought "Oh S..t!". Then he gets back on deck survives this and probably has to go back down to get cleaned up! HA! I didn't realize commercial ships had the right away. I thought that if they were in a restricted water way or fishing (something that limits their move) other boaters had to yield but other than that the same right always as normal would prevail. Good info to know. When in Savannah I always kept my distance any way simply because they are hugh and made giant waves. Even on our lake I just don't take any chances and will always look to avoid and not even get close to another boat. I know some of them were in the wrong but I prefer to not wreck or even come close.

 

[a4effort]

It appears to me the Ferry had plenty of Time to avoid the incident and should have, in good conscience hit the reverse thrusters a lot sooner than they did. Just because you have the right of way doesn't mean you own the water. I think it's pretty clear early on in the video that the smaller boat was not responding and the prudent thing to do is yield and avoid. At the impact point you finally see the turbulence of the reverse thrust. Yes it probably cost a bundle in diesel to throw that ferry in reverse but it could have avoided an obviously bad situation. Just my opinion, and we know what people say about opinions.

 

[swatski]

It appears to me the Ferry had plenty of Time to avoid the incident and should have, in good conscience hit the reverse thrusters a lot sooner than they did. Just because you have the right of way doesn't mean you own the water. I think it's pretty clear early on in the video that the smaller boat was not responding and the prudent thing to do is yield and avoid. At the impact point you finally see the turbulence of the reverse thrust. Yes it probably cost a bundle in diesel to throw that ferry in reverse but it could have avoided an obviously bad situation. Just my opinion, and we know what people say about opinions.

No way! There is about 20 (long) seconds from the time the ferry first blows the horn til the impact. That recreational vessel had more than enough time to stop, slow down or change course. It's too bad, but seems like he has not suffered any catastrophic damage.

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[Dough]

Don't care what the "rules of the water" say. People seem really hung up on that. The smaller boat was moving with no driver, so I don't care about right-away. What if it were a canoe tour, sup boarders? Not to mention, the ferry barely rocked, smaller boat could have been smashed to pieces.

 

[a4effort]

No way! There is about 20 (long) seconds from the time the ferry first blows the horn til the impact. That recreational vessel had more than enough time to stop, slow down or change course. It's too bad, but seems like he has not suffered any catastrophic damage.

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I'm not disagreeing. Yes the recreational vessel had more than enough time to stop. I'm merely saying in those "20 long seconds" the ferry, which was clearly aware the small boat was not responding to their horn, might have done more to avoid the incident. And your reference to the big barges that will "gladly run you over" perhaps that is bigger problem that should be addressed. All I'm saying is, ya the guy in the small vessel is an ass, obviously not to swift if he allowed that to happen. But if he had a heart attack, seizure etc why is it such a reach that the ferry driver make safety the priority over "right of way". Now I could be all wet, and it took all that time "20 long seconds" just to get that massive ferry shifted into reverse and the ferry driver should be commended for his efforts to minimize the damage. It just didn't look like that to me.

 

[kindtampa]

Doesn't seem like a big enough channel to simply go on auto-pilot, and go to the head. Also looks like the smaller boat has radar.

Problem: I have to poop. No one else on board.

Solution: Maybe drop anchor outside the channel, through an anchor light on, and poop?

 

[swatski]

Okay, so I checked what the REAL story was. Turns out, he was just trying to park his boat and missed:



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