This happened a couple of months ago, but thanks to the WSF investigators, and this being a public boat, we can read the investigation conclusions. This is one of those accidents that when you hear about it, you can’t quite imagine how something like that could ever happen…in good visibility, how could a ferry just straight up run over a sailboat from astern of it…? Anyhow the answer is mundane. The 2nd mate just turned into it, that’s how. Sometimes I tell people that driving boats isn’t hard, its just that making mistakes can be incredibly problematic.
Hey, its not hard to turn to port when the captain tells you to. Easy job. Problem is, if you accidentally turn to starboard instead, you’ve just royally screwed up…
Here is an article: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Report-Hyak-ferry-crew-at-fault-in-collision-with-25-foot-boat-231815911.html
Here is a pdf of the report: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/767E130A-4A93-4799-A9F3-3DB924D97A37/95262/HyakReportforWeb.pdf