This article ignores or fails to mention that the majority of these incidents occur in the offshore channel approaches to ports where due to the size of vessels , vessel handling characteristics, weather and channel design restrictions dictate that vessels need to operate at a speed that keeps the vessel safely in the channel. In fact, vessels are legally allowed to exceed these speed restrictions, if in the opinion of the responsible officer in charge of navigation, slower speed transits will put the lives of the crew, vessel or the environment in jeopardy…an inconvenient truth the article fails to mention…
Capt Mike Getchell
Jacksonville Marine Information Exchange