Coast Goard hovercraft hits unlit anchored sailboat with no radar reflector.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Much the same story here ... but includes comments from a witness ...

https://www.gulfislandsdriftwood.com...bour-sailboat/

Maybe some should read the EYE Witness Accounts of those interviewed by CG,
There is video too, we haven't seen it here though.

The Boat they Clipped, WAS LIT, at the Bow.
Eye Witnesses, several revel this FACT.

I'm sure glad no one got hurt!
Boatyarddog

[bcboomer]

Would this even be a storey if an ambulance clipped a car mirror while responding to a call?

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Boatyarddog

Maybe some should read the EYE Witness Accounts of those interviewed by CG

We know the eyewitness account of the hovercraft at 10-20+ kts is wrong from AIS data. I think we discount the 10 ft report. The light in the bow is suspect due to the poor credibility of the eyewitness. Eyewitness accounts are rarely fact.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by OneBoatman

...

Notwithstanding, I do believe both the Coast Guard and the Harbor Police have a responsibilty to clear derelict vessels which are obvious hazard in and around the fairways of a harbor before such incidences occur.

Alas in Canada the CG has very little authority outside S & R and, the waters being under Federal jurisdiction, are not under the aegis of the municipal or provincial authorities. Hazardous/abandoned boats are huge point of contention in Canadian waters and Ottawa is a loooong way from the coastlines.

[Nibiruwayne]

Sailor should have had a reflector on the mast. What was his mast ht?
Sailor clearly the stand on vessel- coast guard had obligation to avoid. Could have happened if sailor was moving, as well.
Sooo fortunate no one was killed or injured.
My guess is this one will quietly go away.
Both parties at fault

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Alas in Canada the CG has very little authority outside S & R and, the waters being under Federal jurisdiction, are not under the aegis of the municipal or provincial authorities. Hazardous/abandoned boats are huge point of contention in Canadian waters and Ottawa is a loooong way from the coastlines.

The RCMP conducts enforcement in the recreation section in Canada. The CG does conduct commercial Fisheries enforcement. They also maintain aids to navigation.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by jackdale

The RCMP conducts enforcement in the recreation section in Canada. The CG does conduct commercial Fisheries enforcement. They also maintain aids to navigation.

Huh, I thought they had to have RCMP on board to do enforcement... but then again I'm not a commercial fisherman so what do I know

[OneBoatman]

I agree with Jordan, strange wording in the original post indeed. All boats at anchor with bow sprits, which are unlit, having mast or no mast are not automatically sailboats. A vessel at anchor is just that, and they only suddenly appear when you first notice them, or in this case just before you hit them. The CG vessels I am familiar with generally do not travel outside the designated channel when there is one available, the exception being when they have specific reason. 8 knots might seems like it could be the case even if outside the marked channel however if accurate, it suggests to the gallery the captain felt he had adequate visibilty to avoid other vessels. The CG gets a pretty good deal on fuel and don't generally rush except when chasing bad guys or their shift is ending. Boats, both rec and commercial do anchor outside designated anchorages particularly when the depth, protection, bottom characteristics, and price are in their favor. Apparently an "eye witnesses" was well able to see this encounter between the vessels yet another "eye witness" has described the vessel as suddenly appearing, it's a shame they don't proffer on this forum to clear the air. Was the anchored vessel lit or not, did someone put an anchor light bulb in their pocket after the collision or not, what if it did or didn't have a mast or a bow sprit, was it not in the common anchorage or just not where most boats anchor? Were the CG folks merely taking the shortest path home and failed to avoid a vessel not under command that had been there for years also which for any number of reasons hadn't been foremost in the captain's mind as it lay at anchor between them and their destination. If the lights were out and nobody was home that adds up to "at fault"? Someone knows the answer to many of these things and the rest of us don't.

[garyfdl]

Isn't it SOP for hovercraft that, if there is anything in the vicinity to hit, said hovercraft must hit it? Or is that one of the laws of physics pertaining to gravity?

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Huh, I thought they had to have RCMP on board to do enforcement... but then again I'm not a commercial fisherman so what do I know

You could be right.

They do deal with derelicts.

https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/awah-ienad/index-eng.html

[Oeanda]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Huh, I thought they had to have RCMP on board to do enforcement... but then again I'm not a commercial fisherman so what do I know

To my understanding (probably not 100% accurate) the Canadian Coast Guard actually has little enforcement mandate.
The DFO fisheries officers do often travel on the CG boats these days though, and as far as I know they’re the only ones tasked with enforcement, and walking around laden with weapons.
Coast Guard is capable of handing out tickets and enforcing safety but I don’t see them doing it much.

DFO fisheries officers- ugh don’t get me started... The CCG on the other hand has a lot of very competent crew and is generally well respected.

I doubt if enforcement officers feature in the subject of this thread though. Regular Coast Guard is search and rescue, along with a bit of navigational maintenance.

[Davidla]

I have thirty years plus of operating radars in the marine environment. I once picked up a submarine periscope at 30nm in a sea state 2. (Believe me they don't have radar reflectors.) I picked up yachts at that range and they did not have radar reflectors. A colleague picked up a fishing vessel cooler (esky) at about 20nm. This was completely made of plastic and had no radar signature at all! How did it get detected? It was carrying two refugees and it was lower in the water. Radar can detect a hole in the water easily. Thats why I can see whales in the great barrier reef at 30nm.
The problem with radar is it needs to be scanned continuously to be effective at dealing with issues such as this, by a competent operator who knows the area.

[desodave]

My sympathies are with the CCG hovercraft crew in this case, and I think the issue of reasonable speed has to be evaluated in context of it being a medevac mission. The craft was dispatched at 5:45 ... already after dark ... and it would have been approx 6:30 or so that the incident happened (approx 27nm from the Richmond CCG base, if that is where the hovercraft was based). Emergency road vehicles (ambulance, fire) push limits to respond quickly to emergencies imo and I would expect a hovercraft to do the same in responding ... it was deemed a "high priority" transfer and with “weather trending downward and daylight failing.”. Is 8kn really 'too fast" for an emergency vessel operating in those circumstances? On a craft capable of 50kn?

The Canadians may remember the recent court case involving a speedboat piloted by Linda O'Leary hitting a star-gazing boat with no lights on (court finding, despite person on board saying there was a light on) at night. She was found not guilty of careless operation when the prosecution couldn't establish that she was driving at an "excessive speed". O'Leary's boat was apparently "planing". Parallels?

The boat hit may have had a light on its bow that the witness says may have been obscured by the hovercraft spray. Guess that's one reason why your anchor light should be elevated. But after the evasive action ...

"the hovercraft was caught in a web of nearby boats after “nailing” the sailboat. “It was like bumper boats, to be honest.” "

So ... how far out of the normal anchorage was the hit boat? Doesn't sound like it was too far from the other anchored boats imo. And no comments re how bad the weather conditions were in Ganges Harbour at the time and the effects of it on the hovercraft operation. Was it going at a minimum speed to maintain steerage in windy conditions? What course was it on?

There are a number of "facts" that need to be fully established before apportioning fault imo. An emergency vessel capable of 50kn, but slowed to 8, responding to a high priority case entering a harbour well known to have multiple anchored boats in no defined anchorage, some relatively derelict, and they clipped the bowsprit of a boat without a proper anchor light that appears to be a derelict. I suspect a judge might rule similarly to the O'Leary case.



Sounds like the incident really slowed the evacuation though if the patient didn't get loaded until 8:30.

[Jim Cate]

I have thirty years plus of operating radars in the marine environment. I once picked up a submarine periscope at 30nm in a sea state 2.

That is kinda hard to visualize, mate! So you get a return from 30 miles away. How did you know that it was from a sub periscope? Not likely that you could see it visually to identify it, not likely that it would still be there if you had gone to investigate (and why would you do so?).

Perhaps you could elaborate a bit on this incredible sighting.

Jim

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by ovidiunelu

I BET NOBODY WAS LOOKING ON THE TOP OF THE MAST FOR A LIGHT BUT TO THE WATER LEVEL

Yes, there was a lite on the bow, near deck level. Witnessed reporting to CG and some video.

Was NO mast.
Doesn't matter if it's a sailboat or not.

Seems like no one reads anything before they start commenting.
This thread is rife with misinformation.
Boatyarddog