Dangerous boaters

[glasseye]

I couldn't find a thread to talk about incidents of stupid boaters putting themselves at risk around the ferries so I've created this one.

Today I was on the 12:10 from HSB to Bowen when this apparently rented (?) boat from Sewells Marina got too close to the Capilano. Sewell boat #760 drove in front of the Capilano as it was loading for departure and then slowed to a crawl in the channel almost directly in front of the Capilano as the ferry was pulling out of its berth. The boat driver appeared to be completely unaware of his surroundings.

None of the boat's five occupants were looking towards the ferry terminal (nor were any wearing life jackets or PFDs) as Capilano approached.

Capilano sounded six blasts on its whistle once it came within a few hundred feet of #760. The boat promptly left the area, presumably after the driver realized that he didn't want to become Capilano's underwater hood ornament.

I took one photo of the 760 and video-recorded the incident as soon as it became clear that the boat was at risk of being run over to the time it departed the area.



How many other incidents have people witnessed where boaters have got close enough for a ferry to sound a collision warning?

[Low Light Mike]

I've heard the "six blasts warning" from the Cumberland and from the Howe Sound Queen, for similar boaters cutting across the path of the bow.

Apparently it's a regular occurrence on the Route-9 Queen of Nanaimo as she sails from Pender Island across to Long Harbour.

[Ferryman]

For the sake of being politcally correct, the proper horn sounding is 5 short blasts on the whistle. But who's paying attention

This happens quite often, more often than you would probably think. Typically I see this happen in places like Active Pass, or even Gosse Pass just outside of Swartz Bay. It's amazing how many people do not understand the rules of the water. I wish there was a better way of enforcing these rules. The pleasure craft operators card is too simple to get, and I was able to actually get it when I was 11 years old. I am 22 now. They teach you all of the basic theories of boating, with no actual phyical boat handling training. It's too bad you don't have to do a road test, so to speak, like you do for a drivers license to prove that you actually know what you're doing.

[Scott]

When I got my pleasure craft operators card, I actually had to go to a location and take the test supervised and on paper. I know that's still not quite up to the standards that Ferryman would like to see, but it was more difficult than it is now. People can now get the card without ever taking the test... anyone can do it online and there is absolutely no way to prove that it's the actual person doing it or that they're not cheating. It's just a money grab now... the card has pretty much been rendered useless. The irony is that the police seem to be checking for the card more now than they ever have.

[Balfour]

I got my Pleasure Craft operator's card back in April. It was extremely easy especially since I had some experience driving my dad's 21' Maxum, but still the questions were easy. Personally I'd like to see the Power Squadron Course be mandatory for obtaining an operator's card. My dad took the course a couple of years ago and he learned so much more than what you would need for the operator's card.

[lmtengs]

At SALTS, we go through pretty much everything you could think of, including all the rules of the road, many horn signals, light signals ("red-over-red, captain is dead", "green over white, fishing at night", and more.....), we learned horn signals, how to read and use charts, including stuff regarding how long it would take to get from lat/long A to lat/long B at #kts. , how to control the ship, how to maintain it, and more. I feel this is just about adequate.

[Mirrlees]

I was on the 12:50pm Coastal Renaissance from Horseshoe Bay on August 20th. We had just pulled out and were coming up to that rock with the marker on it when a sailboat under power, not sail tried to cut accross our bow. I was having lunch and was sitting right there with an eagle-eye view. Renny sounded 5 short blasts of her whistle; needless to say the sailboat heeded our warning.

[fargowolf]

Had it happen to me in Alberta. Some local s**ts from Peace River, buzzed the Shaftesbury Ferry for over half an hour in a powerboat. All of them well over .08 to boot. They were so close, I could identify the brand of beer they were all drinking too (Kokanee), in addition to tossing the empties overboard. They also created a sizeable wake that wreaked havoc with the aprons on the barge slipping up and out of position from where they rested on the dock. Called it in to my supervisor, who in turn passed it on to the local RCMP detachment. Don't know what, if anything was ever done, but that was the only deliberate stupidity.

I had a few other close calls with boaters launching their boats a tad too close and getting in my blind spot.

[novabus9228]

GOT IT ON FILM, minus the Horn Blast!

Glasseye, I was on the Renaissance having just arrived in Berth 1 when you Departed and I got it on Video. Sorry, I missed the Horn Blast as I was walking off the Ship, But You can just see the Idiot at the end of the video. Look just above the Lifeboat

See here!




You know what? BC Ferry masters are partly at faut. Why the heck does a ferry depart (Especially) Horseshoe Bay without blasting thier horn? I do not think the Cap did on this particular sailing and the Coquitlam and Surrey Certinaly did not on thier next departure, See My videos when uploaded.

You can see in this video below how much the huge Coastal Renaissance blocks the view of Berth 2. It is impossible for a smaller vessle to see. How does a small boat suppossed to know of a departure of the 'tiny" capilano or Bowen Queen from berth 2 without it blasting its horn.



It is only common sense for every departure out of HB to blow its horn. I can say the Renaissance did, and so did the Cowichan.

[glasseye]

I don't recall Capilano sounding its whistle when it left dock on that sailing, either. As you say, departing silently is certainly questionable given poor visibility at HSB.

Never the less, boaters should be keeping an adequate lookout, especially if they're going to stop in the middle of a channel as this particular boater did.

[Ian]

I may be and probably am mistaken but I believe that the ferries sound their whistles on departures as a precaution and not because they are supposed to under maritime regulation. I remember hearing or reading something about only having to sound your whistle on departure when you are berthed for more than 24 hours. I may be mistaken but this might be the case. Additionally, it is convention that ferries come and go frequently and you keep the area clear around the docks, especially when they are putting out that much wash holding into the dock.

One area I find especially bad for boaters making poor course alterations is Swanson channel and Trincomali Channel. Many times the ships will give 5 warning blasts.

[uricanejack]

Up until a few years ago it was a mandatory requirment for any vessel leaving a dock anywhere in Canada
to sound one prolonged blast of 4 to 6 seconds.
The people of Horseshoe Bay, Swartz Bay and many other bays near the ferry terminals complained so the ferries got the rules changed and now the captain only has to blow the Whistle if there is boat trafic around.

This is also why the Spirit Class and other newer ferries have real wimpy sounding little horn's. Passengers were allways complaining they were to loud. Now they have special horns on the Spirit Class you can hear miles away but which are not to loud when you are on the front of the ship.
kinda usless when you need a small boat crossing in front to hear it.

Me I like the old loud horns they sound like real ships

And the silly little boats who need to hear them can hear them. who ever would have thunk that was a good idea

[whalebreath]

Sept 10, 2010 15:21:00 GMT -8 uricanejack said:

...Me I like the old loud horns they sound like real ships...

Yeah me too.

Thanks for the other info.

[Koastal Karl]

Dont get me started in this topic! I have no sympathy for people that complain about the noise who live close to a ferry terminal or airport. They chose to live there. If they dont like the noise then why live near a ferry terminal or airport!

[Northern Exploration]

Sept 13, 2010 7:55:38 GMT -8 Koastal Karl said:

Dont get me started in this topic! I have no sympathy for people that complain about the noise who live close to a ferry terminal or airport. They chose to live there. If they dont like the noise then why live near a ferry terminal or airport!

It is the same for airports. Bonehead people bought condos on Toronto's waterfront then complained about the Toronto Island Airport that was there years before the condos were built. Still on various days they stand around just off the airport property where you catch the ferry and bang on a drum with signs. (people complaining about noise banging a drum hmmm).

YVR experiences nosie complaints just like many airports and has detailed noise abatement procedures. Mississauga made developers put signs up in their communities that warn people of possible airport operations and put them up in existing communities that were near flightpaths. So the tactic is to still move there and then flood the hotline for noise at every opportunity. People's peace of mind and noise bylaws are very important in our cities that are getting denser, however they can't make up for a lack of common sense and peoples supposed right to stupidity .

[lmtengs]

Sept 13, 2010 10:58:56 GMT -8 Northern Exploration said:

Sept 13, 2010 7:55:38 GMT -8 Koastal Karl said:

Dont get me started in this topic! I have no sympathy for people that complain about the noise who live close to a ferry terminal or airport. They chose to live there. If they dont like the noise then why live near a ferry terminal or airport!

It is the same for airports. Bonehead people bought condos on Toronto's waterfront then complained about the Toronto Island Airport that was there years before the condos were built. Still on various days they stand around just off the airport property where you catch the ferry and bang on a drum with signs. (people complaining about noise banging a drum hmmm).

YVR experiences nosie complaints just like many airports and has detailed noise abatement procedures. Mississauga made developers put signs up in their communities that warn people of possible airport operations and put them up in existing communities that were near flightpaths. So the tactic is to still move there and then flood the hotline for noise at every opportunity. People's peace of mind and noise bylaws are very important in our cities that are getting denser, however they can't make up for a lack of common sense and peoples supposed right to stupidity .

If forum posts had 'like' buttons, I'd be clicking it right now

[Mirrlees]

This is the reason Coastal Celebration only sounds her fog signal instead of the full chord.