Officials urge caution when crabbing or boating near ferries: 'Stay out of our way'

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Washington officials are asking boaters to exercise caution around ferries during the busy summer season, preventing costly and potentially dangerous conflicts for the craft.

“Stay out of our way, OK? We really do try and stay out of theirs, share the waterways best we can,” Captain Bob Merideth said. “The fact is it takes a long time to stop.”

Merideth is the captain of the M/V Spokane, which runs the Edmonds-Kingstone ferry route.

Just in one crossing, Merideth saw multiple smaller boats cut in front of the ferry, forcing them to slow down once.

“If you’re trying to beat a ferry in its path, that’s a significant problem,” Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police Sergeant Erik Olson said. “There could be significant consequences, deadly consequences quite honestly.”

-snip-

The pair also warned of another summer hazard: crab pots that are placed or drift into the path of the ferry.

“Crab pots are a real hazard for us,” Merideth said. “Crab pots are a lot of times out of our way, but a lot of times they get put where we navigate, especially coming into Bainbridge Island. They can cause real damage to the vessel.”

Merideth said the small lines can get tangled in the seal around the propeller shaft, leading to a costly repair in a drydock. This also takes the ship out of service, taxing the system.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/officials-urge-caution-when-crabbing-or-boating-near-ferries-stay-out-of-our-way/ar-AAEXCWA

[RainCaster]

1. I like Bob

Bob Merideth used to live down the street from me, before he moved away years ago. At that time, he was a lowly First Mate, which is actually quite awesome. What those wheelhouse crews do every day is rather amazing- most of the time it's calm, but then on occasion, it gets messy. Bob was always a very calm dude in such situations. I know several other WSF captains, and they are all VERY qualified.