It’s boating time and everyone will be looking ahead to a really good season. But they’ll need to look back if they want to have a really safe one, according to Water Ranger Brian Macfarlane.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has just published its findings over an incident that saw a ferry run into a motor cruiser on the Solent last year, a scenario that could have played out on the Milford Haven Waterway.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the collision between the Red Funnel ferry and the cruiser, but the established causes of the incident are an important reminder about keeping a proper look out, especially when manoeuvring. The cruiser was heading to the Isle of Wight and entered the busy channel quite slowly and at a shallow angle. Had the skipper looked behind, he would have seen the ferry approaching fast on his port stern. The ferry’s master failed to spot the smaller vessel primarily because of glare on the windows and because attention had been focused on another boat that was on a heading likely to cause an issue after the ferry altered course. The ferry struck the cruiser. For what must have been a terrifying 18 seconds, the boat was pushed along, tipped over sharply, against the bow of the ferry before it slid to the side and righted itself. Although passengers on the ferry saw the collision and reported it to crew, the master did not believe there had been an incident and continued on to Cowes.

Caption: The terrifying moment a Red Funnel ferry collided with a Doral motor cruiser. The four people on the cruiser were badly shaken but fortunately unhurt. (Source: MAIB Report)

“We are very proud of the way that commercial shipping and leisure boats coexist on the Waterway. However, there are some important points to take away from this incident,” explained Brian Macfarlane, Water Ranger for the Port of Milford Haven. “The MAIB found that guidance provided by the Port to recreational boaters in the Solent was clear. However, investigators concluded that the actions of the cruiser’s owner in the run up to the collision prove there are still recreational boaters that the guidance has yet to reach. The bottom line is we need to say it again and again and again: keep a proper look out at all times to make sure you have good situational awareness,” said Brian. “The rules are very clearly laid out in our Tide Tables and Leisure User Guide, so it’s well worth getting hold of a copy to remind yourself.”

“Look behind you! And that’s particularly important if you’re in, or close to, a busy channel such as the one running up the Waterway.”

Caption: Leisure boats and shipping live in harmony on the Waterway, but knowing what’s around you at all times is crucial. (Credit: Alex Brown)

 

Wash out

Situational awareness does not only improve safety for you and people aboard your boat, of course. Keeping an eye on what’s in your wake, literally, is important too. “One thing we keep talking to people about, especially guys in larger cruisers and speedboats, is the effect their wash - the waves their boats make - has on other people and property,” says Brian. “Last year, we dealt with a female passenger who was badly injured when the boat she was in hit the wake of another. She ended up with a compressed spine,” he said. “Yes, there are places where you can go fast and that’s great. All we are saying is pay attention to how that affects others.”