Reply With Quoteyep rather sad, but this is why the regulations and rules are there in the first place. A shame they were not followed in this case
a sad outcome to a sad situation..
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...8-2702,00.html
yep rather sad, but this is why the regulations and rules are there in the first place. A shame they were not followed in this case
Yep it is a tragedy, all for the sake of switching a few lights on. We are all reminded how easy it is to get into strife when on the water but there are some people out there that for one reason or another just seem to flaunt the laws.
There is always a boat or two travelling/anchored whenever I am on the water that run without lights after dark. Just the other night I mentioned it to a skipper as he came into the ramp and he very unpolitely told me where I could put those lights.
Not pointing any fingers but it doesn't help when the places that sell you the boat can't even get the lighting placement right. How many times do we see a boat at anchor displaying red/green but no visible white alround light. That is until you are nearly passed it and the light is 6 inches from the transom which is obscured from view by the cabin when approaching???? Happens all the time.
I got pinged by the water police whilst approaching spot x at wello a few years back because the bulb had blown on the way out. They waited until I anchored before approaching. There were 8 other boats anchored up....3 without lights, 2 showing navvies whilst anchoring and the rest ok. No one else in that group was picked on that night.
Sorry guys but for something so simple there seems to be a lot of misinformed/ignorant people out there and lights cost buggerall. Much less than the cost of a human life anyway.....It is a pet hate of mine.
Shane
You know Nav light don't draw your attention to the vessel or Aircraft.
I flew a lot at night and the strobe light drew your attention to something out there.
Then the Nav light would let you know if you were comming up from behind on the left, or head on from the front or just side on.
It's a bit of a worry that purely because a ferry boat captain didn't notice any nav lights that he was able to cut a 30 ft flybridge cruiser in half on Sydney harbour.
I would hope they had better means to identify traffic than just someone elses nav lights eg. a dedicated lookout,spotties or even a radar?...maybe they could even slow down a bit at night.
True mate very true. Although was the captain of the other boat doing all he/she could to also avoid an accident? I.e. keeping a good lookout. If they had seen this coming, they could have at least flashed a light up to the bridge to warn the ferry?Originally Posted by disorderly
Probably both a bit in the wrong, but lack of lights on the cruiser will always be the first thing to blame in the rule book.
Just for the record the ferry also hit on the starboard side of the cruiser so it should of been the cruiser that altered course to avoid the collision as the ferry had the right of way. Terrible accident however
Just for the record the ferry also hit on the starboard side of the cruiser so it should of been the cruiser that altered course to avoid the collision as the ferry had the right of way. Terrible accident however
I think half the problem is just that.
Sydney harbour ferries have right of way over any other vessell and that's wrong!
The stupid amber flashing light is suposed to alert any other captain that the ferry has right of way on the harbour.
Hell I worked around the harbour for 4 years before I even noticed they had a flashing amber light and what it means to other traffic.
Why I wonder does the ferry have right of way??? cause it has time tables to maintain! why can't it be late like the trains in Sydney.
But the ferry had finished for the night and going back to it's dock, hmmm not on duty, so was the deck hand driving the boat ? and was the Amber light flashing ?
Sure the ferry was driving in to a black hole under the bridge where it's hard to see from city lights and there reflections to no lights.
But then why so fast ? otherwise there would only be a slight ding in the other vessel.
Do these ferries have auto pilot ??? pre programed tracks that steer themselves ?
I bet they do! was that engaged ? So was anyone actually maintaining lookout ?
Or where they busy emtying bins, and cleaning up so they could all go home quicker?
Yes very unfortunate with a tragic result, I hope we all learn from it.
Roghasguts even if the amber light wasn't flashing or if it wasn't a ferry you are sposed to "give way" to your starboard side or a boat approaching from the right.
Depends on speed a fair bit as well, if one is crising at 5 knots and the other is blasting along at 28 knots, then I think the one at 5 knots is going to find evasive action very dificuilt under the circumstances. So therefore the one with the highest turn of speed would be more suited for evasive action.
I guess it's a bit like saying Granny has her walking frame going and pottering down the Mall, and the kid is flying around the corner on his skate board, regardles of who has right of way all Granny could do, was see the crash comming and little else to avoid it.
Although I think you will find lighting or the lack of it under the bridge, then all the refracted light outside the bridges cloak had a lot to do with it.
Last edited by Roughasguts; 28-03-2008 at 01:37 PM.
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