Washington state ferry video

[NWboater2]

Washington state ferries decided yesterday was as good as any to move the Issaquah from Bainbridge to anacortes. Gale wind warning in the straight I think. Very windy and rough in the sound.

I don’t know if it was in any real danger but looks uncomfortable and it was unnecessary.
(Sorry if this has been posted)

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/rough-seas-viral-video-spots-waves-spilling-across-washington-ferry-damaging-car/NODF6YTWDVD5NNPBR4YDTDKBOU/

 

[NWboater2]

https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/waves-crash-inside-ferry-boat-washington

Oops try this few videos in there

 

[Mako]

That was a hell of a gale which hit us around 0000hrs on Monday. I live SE of you and the rains and winds were horrendous. When I was running around checking my windows I was thinking to myself that I'm so glad not be out in a boat at that point.

 

[slowgoesit]

Isn't the water supposed to stay OUTSIDE of the car deck?!?
I hope those employees got a thorough washing of their cars with fresh water, to include undersides and engine compartments after they got ashore!

 

[AlaskaProf]

Isn't the water supposed to stay OUTSIDE of the car deck?!?

Hope that video was on the lower car deck!:lol:

 

[RedRascal]

I am curious if current had something to do with stuffing the bow. I would think just north of Point Wilson or maybe when they turned towards Rosario Strait they may have had current against wind to stack up a few waves.

I didn't notice in the video all three lanes have cars in them where as the still photo(credit Sarah Geist) shows the center lane clear. Looks like mother nature re-parked a car or two.

 

[J.T kearney]

YIKES !!!!!!
That will make you run for PFD's fast.
Cheers J.T.

 

[RedRascal]

A couple other perspectives and some look like they were from the bridge. The safety net across the bow definitely wasn't up to the task. As usual everything was okay except for that one wave that always gets you.
https://www.facebook.com/1085105901/videos/pcb.10227025221871553/1098942077952425

 

[Goody]

It does make you wonder... just because you have something scheduled does that really mean you 'have to' do it that day? The ferry made the destination but you have to wonder about who is responsible for the risk management program for that department. If something bad had happened there would be some huge investigation with lots of those 'why did they do this on that day' type of questions to be answered. Just me though...

 

[twistedtree]

Was normal ferry operation shut down in Puget Sound that day?

 

[Goody]

That is a good point that I had not thought of to be completely honest. As such, not that I am aware of for that day/time.

But then, this vessel was not transiting the normal route it makes each and every day. This was a special trip to get to Anacortes for maintenance. So, it is possible that a weather forecast for one part of the sound has no bearing on another area. The northern area can be in a frenzy all the while the south is calm.
I'm glad they made it but just wonder how urgent was the trip that day/time is all. Could it have waited a day or two to avoid the weather (even if the wave was extremely rare in occurrence). Was there a critical need to arrive at a particular time?

These are factors that sometimes play into problems we all encounter as boaters. Going someplace because we have to meet a schedule of some kind.

Besides, we have enough issues with the ferry's here in WA state, so we don't need to risk these precious resources without good reason.

 

[psneeld]

Not sure they were risking anything more than a few vehicles on the car deck.

Have flown over ferries in similar weather situations (probably a bit less) on regular scheduled runs.

 

[AlaskaProf]

But then, this vessel was not transiting the normal route it makes each and every day. This was a special trip to get to Anacortes for maintenance....

Could it have waited a day or two to avoid the weather (even if the wave was extremely rare in occurrence). Was there a critical need to arrive at a particular time?
.

I have no "insider" knowledge, but here's what I surmise from many years of ridership:

The vessel was almost certainly being repositioned after maint. which is generally done in Winslow where the shops are. While we are all conditioned to wait for our "weather window" because there is nothing out there worth dying for, it is quite likely that the vessel was scheduled to be put into service on arrival at Anacortes, which would place some pressure on crew and management.

Any Washingtonian can tell you how annoying it is to hear: "We are operating on a one boat schedule; delays as much as ___ hours are to be expected." :lol:

 

[AlaskaProf]

Was normal ferry operation shut down in Puget Sound that day?

Unlikely. There are almost no open-water passages such as you see in the repositioning video.

 

[twistedtree]

Unlikely. There are almost no open-water passages such as you see in the repositioning video.

Does repositioning from Bainbridge to Anacortes really pass through more exposed waters than the Edmunds ferry, or the Port Townsend ferries?


Anyway, my experience with ferries (not a lot of it) is that they go pretty much no matter what. So I'm not surprised the regular routes were running, and not surprised they proceeded with repositioning. I wouldn't have wanted to be on that run, but was there any damage reported?

 

[Xfirepop]

Another case of....If you could do it..should you do it?

 

[psneeld]

Big difference between losing or severely damaging the vessel (which the video showed no remote sign of) and underestimating the car deck water taken on from the forecast.

 

[Tator]

Does repositioning from Bainbridge to Anacortes really pass through more exposed waters than the Edmunds ferry, or the Port Townsend ferries?


Anyway, my experience with ferries (not a lot of it) is that they go pretty much no matter what. So I'm not surprised the regular routes were running, and not surprised they proceeded with repositioning. I wouldn't have wanted to be on that run, but was there any damage reported?

I've always stated that the worst seas I've been in in the PNW were between Admiralty Head, crossing Juan de Fuca Strait and into Rosario Strait. This includes over 30 years cruising the entire Inside Passage to Alaska many times. Opposing seas to wind, large currents and tides, and currents emptying into the Juan de Fuca strait from opposing directions can make for some large and confusing seas. Large boats don't have the option of taking the back way through the Swinomish Canal. It can be waaaay different than the other ferry runs.


Tator

 

[hollywood8118]

We rode the PT/Whidby ferry years ago and it was really tough conditions.. all the car alarms were going off from the motion and we saw water on the main deck as far back as mid boat. It was pretty crazy .. but didn't feel "unsafe". The cars up front definitely had a lot of salt water immersion.
HW

 

[AlaskaProf]

Does repositioning from Bainbridge to Anacortes really pass through more exposed waters than the Edmunds ferry, or the Port Townsend ferries?

Yes. more exposed and considerably longer. The Port Townsend crossing is about 35 minutes, but half of that is about docking. A west wind and an ebb tide can make the passage across the Juan de Fuca and up Rosario Strait most uncomfortable.

 

[lwarden]

I've got to imagine that pretty much ruined all cars on the deck. You just can't ever get all the salt water out of the seams and crevices and so each of these cars will just rust out before your eyes.

 

[twistedtree]

I've got to imagine that pretty much ruined all cars on the deck. You just can't ever get all the salt water out of the seams and crevices and so each of these cars will just rust out before your eyes.

You haven't lived in the North East. Our cars get drenched in that crap all winter, every winter.

 

[rslifkin]

You haven't lived in the North East. Our cars get drenched in that crap all winter, every winter.

Salt spray from roads is bad enough, but actually dipping parts of the car into salt water is worse. Generally anywhere salt gets into from road spray is somewhere possible to rinse out. But when you start immersing parts of the car, you get water into places that normally wouldn't from spray and may never get rinsed back out from washing the car or driving in heavy rain.

 

[twistedtree]

Salt spray from roads is bad enough, but actually dipping parts of the car into salt water is worse. Generally anywhere salt gets into from road spray is somewhere possible to rinse out. But when you start immersing parts of the car, you get water into places that normally wouldn't from spray and may never get rinsed back out from washing the car or driving in heavy rain.

True

 

[psneeld]

I don't know, if salt air has microparticles of salt in it and it gets into any crevice on a boat or shoreside house, multiple exposures and then repeated driving though rain pretty much washed it into those crevices in my opinion.

My F-250 was mint for a decade because it was garage kept and undersprayed with hot soapy water after every winter run in salty road conditions (I know it's not always salt used). After a few years of being denied the garage and hot water rinses, and another 10 years near the beach parked at a marina...it was so rusty a guy who just wanted it as a snowplow was scared to drive it home with the bed attachments so rusty.

A onetime dousing or driving through salty water isn't the killer, it's long term exposure to that environment....again in my experience in living very close to the coast/aboard for many decades.

 

[twistedtree]

Yes. more exposed and considerably longer. The Port Townsend crossing is about 35 minutes, but half of that is about docking. A west wind and an ebb tide can make the passage across the Juan de Fuca and up Rosario Strait most uncomfortable.

Of course, for some reason I forgot about that stretch. I've been tossed about there myself.

 

[Mark Laurnen]

I do not have an EV … but if I did, I don’t think being immersed in saltwater would be a warranty item?

 

[GMS]

I believe an official from the Ferry system was later quoted as saying that in retrospec the repositioning should have been delayed due to weather.

With the Ferry system down 1/3 of their ferries, it seems like a bad decision to risk any boat in unnecessary transit through rough waters. Probably also explains why this become such a big news story in the Seattle area ;-)

 

[psneeld]

I am curious to know why some here think that rough weather means or significantly sound vessel like the ferries?

Sure... a bad idea on having cars near the ferry ends...but possibly losing the ferry?

 

[Tad Roberts]

In retrospect this was insane.....luckily the boat was very lightly loaded. Ferries have been lost (Estonia ('94) and Herald Of Free Enterprise ('87)) with 100's of folks drowned due to water on deck and free surface effect. International regulations were changed in 2006-07 after the above disasters.

Again I'll say, it doesn't look or feel bad until suddenly it is, there is no warning of capsize in these types of conditions.....it happens in the blink of an eye....