[quote=“Kennebec_Captain, post:26, topic:17073, full:true”]
Is there something just a wee bit ironic about saying “Why is it that I alone can see that the only explanation is arrogance”?[/quote]
you are using quotation marks here but I do not see where anyone has used those exact words? Nobody is saying that they alone are some sooth seer and only they can say arrogance exists in the WSF. What is being said is that due to a closed culture and frankly a lot of interactions between pleasure vessels and ferries that some ferry watch officers have an attitude that following COLREGS to the letter during such ferry/yacht interactions is not required. That their size, schedule, service, etc… take priority over the rules and thus they choose when to not obey the Rules of the Road. The video between the CHETZEMOKA and the NAP TIME shows the ferry standing on as the pleasure vessel is approaching on a collision course for an extended period with no apparent attempt to take action to avoid a collision until such moment that the collision is inevitable. I believe the ferry master was steadfastly believing that his size was going to take the field and that the pleasure vessel was going to be the one to maneuver to avoid him which was the rules turned on their head and reversed. Only arrogance would lead to such a belief. THIS IS WHAT WAS WRONG and while you might believe this is a very isolated incident let me tell you that is is not. You can take to the bank that WSF ferries on all routes operate in this manner and there have been more collisions or near collisions than simply this one here.
Yes, pleasure vessels are operated in haphazard ways by all manner of operators however that reality does not give ferry watch officers justifiable reason to not follow and obey the COLREGS. They are the professionals operating in a sea of amateurs and I hold them the the higher standard and why the master of the ferry should have faced a more severe sanction than just two weeks of license suspension.