Sailboat Runs over DiveFlags at BHB

[Splitlip]

Search on YouTube. It's there. I can't post the links from my iPad.

 

[ScubaSteve]

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Imagine what would happen if a person driving a car, decided that the pedestrian walking in front of his car, was wrong to be in front of his car--should be crossing somewhere else, and not in his way...so the guy driving the car just decides to run the pedestrian over....( a situation where the driver easily sees the pedestrian, and could easily stop)
How do you think that would play in court- even if the pedestrian had no business crossing at this particular point.?

Remember, the sailboat could easily have decided not to enter the under bridge crossing--he had visual of the divers in the water in front of his path, and had the diveboat telling him with loudspeakers that could be heard over a 1/4 mile away.

I thought motorists generally saved that type of response for cyclists, not jaywalking pedestrians.

 

[Splitlip]

I thought motorists generally saved that type of response for cyclists, not jaywalking pedestrians.

I'm not an avid cyclist, but I'll tell you there are lots of motorist who don't comply with the law when it comes to cyclist.

There is one Ocean front community popular with cyclists where the residents have taken to putting out tacks to discourage them.

The Town's constabulary harrases them as well.

 

[deepstops]

That aside, I think Florida law says if a boat is operating within 300/100 ft of a dive flag it must must do so at idle speed. From the video it appears the captain operated at a speed just fast enough to maintain control of the rudder.
Am I wrong?

That would be my assessment as well and I find it difficult to believe they charged anyone with a crime here.

 

[Herb-alaska]

I'm not an avid cyclist, but I'll tell you there are lots of motorist who don't comply with the law when it comes to cyclist.

There is one Ocean front community popular with cyclists where the residents have taken to putting out tacks to discourage them.

The Town's constabulary harrases them as well.

You Floridians are wonderful caring people. We have some pretty bad cyclists as well however we would never think about intentionally causing harm to another person just because they are annoying.

If there are only 2 or 3 sailboats that use this are of the bridge did you ever think that maybe they have to because of bridge height or possibly it could just be used as a educational time. I can tell you that a bridge looks closer to the mast head from the boat than it really is. And I again don't feel the divers made much of an effort to diffuse the situation.

 

[jimw]

If the sailboat had gone thru there at any time other than high tide, no one would be in the water there as high slack tide is the time to dive BHB. And if bridge clearance is the problem, the boat would get another 3 feet or so at low tide. The marked channel is deeper at all times so that was not why the sailboater went where he did.

The boat was not within 100 feet, it was on TOP of dive flags. The divers had proper flags and the sailboat chose to barge thru disregarding diver safety and the sailboat's responsibilities.

 

[DennisS]

(6) Any vessel other than a law enforcement or rescue vessel that approaches within 100 feet of a divers-down flag on a river, inlet, or navigation channel, or within 300 feet of a divers-down flag on waters other than a river, inlet, or navigation channel, must proceed no faster than is necessary to maintain headway and steerageway.

If it goes to court, it comes down to whether he was going faster than needed to maintain headway and steerage. The way the law is written he has to go slow, not stop. He could argue that by stopping his engine he would put his vessel in danger due to the height of his mast. Any good lawyer would be able to get him off.

 

[sportxlh]

Ifthe sailboat had gone thru there at any time other than high tide, no one wouldbe in the water there as high slack tide is the time to dive BHB. And if bridgeclearance is the problem, the boat would get another 3 feet or so at low tide.The marked channel is deeper at all times so that was not why the sailboaterwent where he did. …….

…..
If there are only 2 or 3 sailboats that use this are of the bridge did you everthink that maybe they have to because of bridge height or possibly it could just be used as a educational time. I can tell you that a bridge looks closerto the mast head from the boat than it really is. And I again don't feel thedivers made much of an effort to diffuse the situation.

At the BHB sanctuary meeting last year, the president of the yacht club indicated that the issue at high tide is the distance between the water line and the bottom of the bridge (not the depth of the channel underwater). According to him, the FDOT or the contractor that build the bridge screwed up and bridge is actually lower over the regular channel compared to the ‘alternate’ channel directly to the east, that is often dove by scuba divers. So during hightide, the tallest masts can not fit under the bridge at the normal channel, but can only pass under the bridge around the ‘alternate’ channel where we all dive.

I can’t verify any of this, but am simply reporting what he said at the meeting: it provides a different perspective since a few were thinking that there is no possible reason for a boat to be there or thinking that the depth of the channel (e.g. water line to sea floor) was an issue.

At the sanctuary meeting, someone suggested a sounding mechanism or some sort of underwater horn that would allow divers to know that the rare instance of a boat coming through where we dive, was about to happen.

One can still question why a boat might not wait an hour or two before departing.....

Since seeing the video, I’ve tried to be much more aware of my surroundings when I dive thewest side of the bridge.

 

[jimw]

(6) Any vessel other than a law enforcement or rescue vessel that approaches within 100 feet of a divers-down flag on a river, inlet, or navigation channel, or within 300 feet of a divers-down flag on waters other than a river, inlet, or navigation channel, must proceed no faster than is necessary to maintain headway and steerageway.

100 feet does not mean a boater is free to run over people in the water!!