|
|
« Dead sea turtle washes up on Atlantic Beach | Today | Tonight: Blues on the Beach returns to Misquamicut » July 2, 2008Update: Coast Guard vessel, Block Island ferry collide
No injuries were reported, and neither vessel took on any water, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Amy Thomas, a spokeswoman out of Boston, said. The multi-level ferry -- named the Block Island Ferry -- was held up for a short time on the water until it could be checked out. Escorted by two other Coast Guard boats, it then continued under its own power to its Old Harbor port on the island, arriving at about 2:25 p.m. The Coast Guard vessel -- Morro Bay, a 140-foot buoy tender that had once served as an ice breaker -- had been on its way back to its home port, in New London, Conn., from Newport. The ferry had left Point Judith in Narragansett at 11:45 p.m. It was carrying 257 people plus its crew, the Coast Guard said, to the popular summer tourism location. Visibility was about 200 yards at the time of the 12:15 p.m. collision, according the Coast Guard, but passengers described conditions as foggy. Although no one was seriously injured, three people complained and were taken to the medical center on Block Island, where they were treated and released, according to a ferry company spokesman. The ferry was left with a 44-inch-long dent about 5 feet above the water line, Petty Officer Etta Smith said. The incident is under investigation by the Coast Guard, who is expected to hold a press conference later this evening. Late this afternoon, William McCombe, the security officer for the ferry operators, Interstate Navigation, gave a statement about the incident, which he confirmed happened in thick fog. When the ferry captain saw the Coast Guard vessel, McCombe said, he put the boat in neutral, then reversed and tried to back down. There was a "minor hit," he said. "The captain took evasive action to minimize a minor collision,” he said. McCombe would not comment on who might have had the right of way, saying he didn't want to interfere with an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. However, he did say he thought it was "not so much a speed as a visibility issue." -- With reports from projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, Journal city editor Tim Murphy and Journal staff writers Paul Davis and Donita Naylor Passengers John and Michelle Daveau, of Webster, Mass., said earlier today that the collision occured in thick fog. Shortly before the collision, John Daveau said he heard the ferry sounding its horn and felt the ferry trying to slow. Then he saw the Coast Guard vessel cutting across the bow of the ferry. He said the ferry hit the cutter in the stern. It was a bump "like hitting a dock," said Daveau, who was sitting near the bow. "People started running for lifejackets," Daveau said. "All the kids put on lifejackets." His wife, Michelle, said, "It took 20 years off my life." John Austin, of Greenfield, Mass., was also aboard the ferry when it was hit, on the upper deck on the starboard side. In a phone conversation with projo.com as he returned home on another ferry later today, he said that the Coast Guard vessel "just appeared right out of the mist in front of us." It had approached from portside to starboard, he said, "almost perpendicular." He said the ferry captain sounded the foghorn two or three times while steaming at normal speed. The ferry then slowed, Austin said, and the foghorn sounded a couple more times. Then, it seemed as if the boat was thrown into reverse. "It took a few seconds for contact –– it was like everything was in slow motion," he said, before the collision, which he described as "one glancing blow." The ferry then glided to a stop. The fog, he said, had gotten thicker as the ferry headed out from Galilee. But, even so, he wondered what the Coast Guard vessel was doing in what he figured had to be a known travel lane, with set ferry times. Austin noted that the collision so was glancing that it didn't seem to knock anyone over. And it certainly didn't deter him from the ferry ride home. "How else we gonna get back," he said, laughing. After the ferry arrived on Block Island, passengers were allowed to disembark. One woman was carrying a girl. She had gotten sick, according to other passengers. The girl, who appeared to be about 6, and her mother were escorted to an ambulance. The trip between Point Judith and Old Harbor is about 13 miles long, and usually takes about 55 minutes by ferry. See an aerial view of the area. Shortly after the report of the collision, the Coast Guard sent out its traditional boating safety message in advance of the Fourth of July holiday weekend. It said in part: "The Coast Guard advises all boaters and paddlers venturing out on the water this Fourth of July to be responsible and prudent mariners, to save the alcohol for when the trip is completed, and to maintain a constant safety vigil. " Posted by Andrea Panciera CommentsBea | July 2, 2008 1:50 PM link Ha Ha Ha - we are vacationing on Block Island right now and I heard about this by a phone call from a friend of mine in Denver! She heard it on Fox News. All I can say is we were eating lunch at the Harbor Hotel at that time and were watching the fog roll in - any boater would know enough to use radar in those conditions - these 2 pilots have no excuse for the collision. Wouldn't want to be in their shoes now... Win | July 2, 2008 2:56 PM link The PVD to BI ferry was involved in a collision before in the 80's. Someone is not tracking targets on the radar properly ....... Radar and GPS location systems can give a false sense of confidence. I was nearly run down myself by the PVD to Newport RIPTA ferry last fall. Scott | July 2, 2008 2:58 PM link More blind leading the blind in RI? Where's the - duh - radar????????????? Now will the ferry be out of commission for the 4th???? There's no end to our stupid stuff in this state. Is there something in the water - no pun intended! Dan | July 2, 2008 3:35 PM link One word, "INCREDIBLE". Henry | July 2, 2008 4:14 PM link According to a Coast Guard press release "The Morro Bay will be homeported in New London and will also be used as a training ship for cadets and officer candidates at the Coast Guard Academy and Officer Candidate School." Guess they need a little more Training. Alan | July 2, 2008 4:18 PM link I can not understand how a Coast Guard vessel or for that matter a ferry colide if they were watching there radar. I have not only been around boats most of my life but I also build them and install radar systems on them and it should of shown up on the radar. If anyone can exsplain this i would like to know. David | July 2, 2008 5:08 PM link If I understand this right it sound like the ferry was going from PJ to BI and the Bouy Tender was heading to New London Basic logic this sounds like a crossing situation that the BI ferry had the right of way. Navigation 101 the vessel on the right has the right of way. the CG boat would have seen the port running light of the ferry PORT-RED-STOP Sounds like the CG blew it but both captians are screwed! I am sure the cockroach RI lawyers are already watering at the gums have a happy fourth everyone and if you go out in the fog post a live lookout to look and listen dont depend on GPS and Radar
bill | July 2, 2008 5:11 PM link "Hey Gilligan, little buddy, I thought I told you to keep your eye on that big green blip..." JC Brotherhood | July 2, 2008 5:29 PM link Link to a photo of the USCG vessel involved http://www.wellandcanal.ca/shiparc/uscg/morrobay/bay.htm Dan | July 2, 2008 6:10 PM link Dave, it seems as though you only have a "slight" understanding of Nav Rules. You would be correct in a normal situation, but once you add reduced visibility, you are operating soley under Rule 19. Suggest you go read that one...all other rules just went out the window! Coastie | July 2, 2008 7:16 PM link We were on the road today from Athens, Georgia to arrive at Pt. Judith, RI tomorrow (Thursday) to catch the 5:30 pm ferry to Block Island. At 1:30 pm, while we are driving up the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia my wife's cell phone rings - it is her cousin from Columbia, SC - she asks, where are you? My wife tells her, and she says good because the BI ferry just hit a Coast Guard vessel and I was afraid you were on the ferry. She heard about the accident on CNN's Headline News. We then picked up the news on our car's satellite radio but never heard a report. It wasn't until we were able to check the ProJo and WJAR online that we got the details. I have been on that ferry many, many times since I was a child in the 1950s. How did this happen? That fog must have been really thick or someone was not checking radar. David Shipley Dave Shipley | July 2, 2008 7:31 PM link Let's clear up one thing about the Navigation Rules - in fog, there is no right of way or crossing situation. Those rules apply only to vessels within sight of one another. In 200 yards of visibility, you aren't going to be seeing anything, especially not a sidelight. Rules 19 and 35 clearly define what the vessels' actions should have been - but let's at least apply the right ones. Ashley | July 2, 2008 7:40 PM link both vessels in this situation should have continious tracking radar and should have been using it. I spent over 20 years fishing out of point judith on commercial draggers. Some vessels that I worked on didn't have radars with this feature,but it is hard for me to believe that in this day and age,both of these vessels should have radars with this feature, especialy the coast guard. They should have been in communication on channel 16 from 1 mile out at least. Both vessels were certainly large enough to make a signiture on the radar. Modern radars with this feature alow you to put your cursor on the other vessel and gives you thier exact lat and lon or Gps location to use in your communication with them. My first question in this investigation would be to find out if either vessel tried to call the other. Clearly the ferry had the right-of-way ,but in doubt turn about. It sounds to me that the captain of the ferry was doing what he was supposed to do. gerald knowles | July 2, 2008 10:05 PM link Lets all review the rules of the road. First, Part B Steering and Sailing Rules, Subpart 1, Conduct of Vessels in ANY CONDITION OF Visibilty, Includes rules4-10, specificly, rules 6,7,8. all of these rules discuss the observation of vessels by radar. Subpart 3, Rule 19, Conduct of vessels in Restricted visibility clearly states and references rules 4-10, and mirrors those of the rules in subpart 2, in discussing what options these vessesls can take to aviod collision. Lets all take the time to review these rules and maybe take a radar observer class, which is nota requirement for the ferry capt, of the Capt of the CG vessel. Manny | July 2, 2008 10:07 PM link No radar reflectors? Radar reflector: A device that efficiently reflects radar signals. Usually made of aluminum, though foil covered plastic is also used. Common radar reflectors usually consist of three circular disks that intersect to form a three-dimensional ball-shaped device. Some have square panels to form a cubic shaped reflector or other shape. In essence, radar reflectors can allow radar equipped vessels to see other vessels with a reflector at night and/or in fog. What happened? Mikee | July 2, 2008 10:46 PM link So what you are saying is that the coast guard can just ram into anyone once a little fog sets in? First of all, rule 15 regarding right of way does not go "out the window" once visibilty is reduced. Many captains operate by use of radar and still follow these basic right of way rules. Rules 19 and 35 do apply to operating in limited visibilty, but to suggest that you ignore the basic right of way rules is nonsense. Tim | July 2, 2008 10:53 PM link I was on the ferry today with my family and it was our first trip to BI. The coast guard cutter came right out of the fog on the left side of the boat and right towards ours. It was like watching a movie in slow motion and no one expected the boats to collide. I can still hear everyone screaming that we were going to crash into the other boat. The collision put all the passengers into a total state of shock! Brittany | July 2, 2008 11:32 PM link If you think about the tragic results of what might have been if that cutter was just 60 to 90 seconds slower... had it hit the ferry broadside. Could you imagine the number of kids that are on board that ferry heading to vacation or day trip. This incident could not have ended better but pause for a moment and think of what could have occured. We wouldnt be taking rule 19 fellas.. we would be talking a far different story.. try forming a rescue in fog with 200 yard visibility after people float for more than 10 minutes... These two captains need to be where the staten island ferry captain is now.. on land never to run a boat again. A parent | July 3, 2008 3:57 AM link coast guard does the same thing every year. They cut in front of the ferry back and forth to show off to the crowd! Saw them doing it last year and the year before. jdoe | July 3, 2008 6:33 AM link Obviously someone was not paying attention to their radar readings. Having been a former Coast Guardsman and having been on the site of the Andrea Doria and Stockholmn collision I can only say that thank the Lord that there were no serious injuries or deaths as a result of this collision. Robert White | July 3, 2008 7:01 AM link All I know is the guy in the red shirt on the coast guard boat is a hottie!!! Jules | July 3, 2008 1:59 PM link It was so foggy I kept asking my husband how we would get there. We were on the top left deck and the coast guard boat appears out of the fog. We brace for the collision. It felt like slow motion. My hands could not stop shaking and I prayed for our safety. We were then sitting ducks for almost two hours. That was nerve wrecking. Where was the technology?? All passengers should have been given a free roundtrip ticket. Once there we ate and left. I was too upset to stay and enjoy the island. All I know is I'll "Block that island" out of my mind for a long while. Thank God for our safety. Micki | July 5, 2008 2:03 PM link Whoever stated that the CG is just showing off is wrong. You are referring to a random escort of the ferry that is conducted for YOUR safety. This situation has nothing to do with what you have seen previously. I have operated in the fog in that area many times, and even with a radar you still may have a poor picture. My guess would be that the radar equipment on both vessels is outdated. Jason | July 5, 2008 3:05 PM link Hasn't "right of way" language been modified, to give way, and stand on. Isn't it true no vessel has "right of way". Sailor | July 5, 2008 7:24 PM link Hey to all you holyer than thou's out there.... Explain to me how people have a car accident or better yet, roll their car over on a nice clear dry day with lines on the road and the road doesn't even move???? Colleen | July 7, 2008 3:08 PM link Gotta laugh at the above poster who was a passenger and complained, "All passengers should have been given a free roundtrip ticket. Once there we ate and left. I was too upset to stay and enjoy the island. All I know is I'll 'Block that island' out of my mind for a long while." It reminds me of that old joke about the two old ladies who were eating at a restaurant. The first one says to the other, "The food here is not so good," to which her friend replies, "Yes, and such small portions, too." More or less upset | July 7, 2008 6:37 PM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
|
ADVERTISING |
|
|
|
|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006
SOMEone wasn't paying attention.