Boat Crash

[dumpsterDiver]

I drive a State LE patrol boat. With blue lights and siren. I would never have done what the Coastie boat did. The Coast Guard boat was negligent. The speedboat was the priveleged vessel and had the right of way. True, the speed boat operator was not maintaining a proper lookout, but in a crossing situation the vessel on the starboard is priveleged and the vessel to port is the stand on vessel. Hard to believe but seeing is believing....

I agree. Also, are not operators of a vessel required to make reasonable attempts to avoid a collision. The other boat did not see the USCG, but they obviously saw the other vessel. Even a slight turn by the USCG would have put them behind the poor guy instead of on top of him. Wonder how much the CG paid in that settlement?

 

[Skull]

CG captain needs to take a course at the CG Auxilary what on earth was he/she thinking ...man as N points out their a plenty more horse necks than there are horses ...

 

[Missdirected]

I drive a State LE patrol boat. With blue lights and siren. I would never have done what the Coastie boat did. The Coast Guard boat was negligent. The speedboat was the priveleged vessel and had the right of way. True, the speed boat operator was not maintaining a proper lookout, but in a crossing situation the vessel on the starboard is priveleged and the vessel to port is the stand on vessel. Hard to believe but seeing is believing....

Absolutely correct. I like the arrogance in the CG's voice - as if he is going to shout his way into having the right of way.. what a moron. No lights or anything going - you are just like Jo blo out there - and are subject to the same rules.

 

[Nemrod]

Well, I did not start the thread to bash the CG, just show you have to watch out. Gotta wonder though what was going through the skippers head. They are on their way to a rescue and meanwhile run over a boat with two people who then needed to be rescued. Does it make sense to nearly kill two people to save a couple of more---all he/she had to do was to slow down or steer off a bit to let the speedboat pass. Don't they have a horn? My little tub has a horn and it seems half effective, you would think they would have the mother of all horns on a boat like that. Oh well, who knows. Is duck and cover a PadI skill? If not it should be.

N

 

[stiebs]

If you watch the position of the third vessel, it looks like the CG is veering to port, and turning harder as the speed boat gets nearer. This is made more obvious by the angle at which the vessels collided.

If the speed boat let off the throttle, the CG vessel would have been able to turn enough to avoid the collision. On the other hand, if the CG veered starboard, he probably would have crossed safely over the speed boat's wash - unless the speed boat let off the throttle, in which case the CG would be heading straight at the speed boat again.

The Coast Guard was obviously in a hurry to get somewhere, and the evasive move from the captain would have worked if the speed boat driver made only a slight veer to starboard.

The vessel to starboard does have "right of way". However a vessel to port must "give way" to one at starboard. Slight difference. True, the CG did not "give way", but he did make an effort to avoid a collision. The speed boat driver was driving in a dangerously negligent manner and was lucky that;

a. he got out unhurt and only lost his boat

b. he didn't hit a swimmer, skier, diver or smaller boat and harm or even kill someone. In which case he could have possibly found himself facing manslaughter charges.

 

[c-snake]

Regardless of the inadequacies in operation by the speedboat captain, it appears to me that the CG could have completely avoided this collision by making a hard turn to port and chopping the throttles.

He may indeed be veering slightly, but could have taken a more extreme action, as is his duty.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

It's not the USCG, but the USCG Auxiliary. IIRC, they don't get blue lights. The speedboat was
stand-on, the USCGA was give-way (yield). The film was shot by a Chicago TV station, IIRC.

That said, you gotta keep a sharp lookout, and don't get target fixation. I suspect the speedboat
was focused on passing the third boat (on the wrong side, BTW). Target fixation is REALLY easy,
I've done it myself -- got focused on passing astern of a big whalewatch boat coming out of
Monterey Harbor, and not see the second big whalewatch boat in his wake. No damage (thanks
to 90HP on a 16'7" boat) but whew. BTW, I was stand-on to both whalewatch boats.

 

[matt_unique]

I have seen that video before, it's quite a shot. There is no opportunity for ambiguity here, the CG vessel was negligent and responsible for the accident.

If the CG vessel veered off at the last second I would just assume stupid arrogance. To collide means it was intentional or they were not keeping watch. Wow....

I once had a small patrol boat pass my bow at 9:30pm (dark) in Boston Harbor at about 20 knots, I was lumbering along at 6 knots with passengers aboard (passenger transport). It was a punk at the helm of that patrol boat....and it reflects poorly on the USCG. I have extreme respect for the USCG but they do screw up sometimes.

 

[Spearo]

There are two words that comes to mind...Dos Estupidos!

 

[james croft]

Sooner or later everyone screws up on the water. Last time I noticed there were no painted lines on the water or stoplights. Have respect for your passengers, for other boaters and keep that head swiveling 360 degrees. I wear a PFD all the time on the water (a suspender auto inflate) I hardly notice it. Many distractions while skippering a vessel. Just realize that when it goes bad on the water, it goes bad with little or no warning.