The captain of a Washington State ferry lost situational awareness before his vessel hit a dolphin near its terminal in southwest Seattle at its cruising speed of about 15 knots, according to a newly released internal investigation.
One car was damaged and one passenger suffered minor injuries in the allision (a collision with a stationary object) at 8:13 a.m. on Thursday, July 22 last year. The weather was clear with negligible wind at the time and the investigation, by the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Transportation Board, and Washington State Ferries, determined that the MV Cathlamet, a 328-feet-long ferry, did not have any mechanical or navigation malfunctions; everything was operating normally.
U.S. Coast Guard Photo
The investigation concluded that the captain’s loss of situational awareness caused the accident, but it said it was not able to determine any more details. The captain refused to answer any questions during the investigation; he did pass a drug and alcohol test at the time.
The Cathlamet left its terminal on Vashon Island on a regular run to the Fauntleroy Terminal on the mainland at 8:03. Everything was routine until the allision. Built in 1981, the ferry can carry 124 cars on two decks and 1,200 passengers on a third deck.
A watch captain who was in his stateroom at the time of the accident said, “I knew immediately it wasn’t just a bump off a wing wall. I put my shoes on and headed up to the number two pilothouse.” That captain took over and docked the boat in its regular slip, but he told the investigators, “I was in a state of shock.”
Read the report here:
https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/WSF-Cathlamet-FauntleroyAllisionInvestigation.pdf
