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The other night at work we embarked to conduct night operations training. Left berth about 2100 and headed south down Seddon Channel toward the Hillsborough Bay Shipping Channel. Relatively calm seas with a light breeze out of the North. It was a very dark night with no moon for several more hours so it was perfect conditions for training. As we start into more open bay waters and away from land, I notice a moving target on the radar about 1/4 mile off our stern but a request to the deck watch to attempt to make visual contact comes back with a negative. I'm guessing its a small vessel with no running lights visible. As we transition from Cut D to Cut C, I ask for the watch to scan forward and I check the radar. All clear ahead but now the target at the stern has gotten a bit closer but still well behind us. I bring the throttles up and the vessel on plane. We settle to about slow 23 knot cruise speed an proceed down the channel to our training destination away from any potential commercial vessel traffic.
A few moments later one of the crew pans our remote gyro stabilized low light/IR camera around to the stern and announces he hs spotted a small vessel a couple hundred feet off our stern just starboard of our wash and slowly gaining possibly to pass on our starboard side. I attempt to make VHF contact on 16, 9 then 13 with no success. I then look at our camera monitor to watch as the small vessel turn to cross our wake at speed.
Now mind you the fire boat is a bit more than 120,000 pounds empty. We're now carrying a full fuel load and fire fighting foam adding about 12,000 more pounds. Our wake at this speed leaves about four foot rollers off the stern.
Within moments I watch the camera monitor as the small vessel encounters our wake, rides vertical, then barrel roles to it's starboard side. Its obvious anyone on board is now in the water.
I immediately order the camera to IR mode and to lock and track the target as I initiate man over board procedures since the vessel had been so close to our stern. I make a high speed J-turn to return to our wash as the crew takes appropriate positions to locate anyone in the water.
We quickly return to the disabled vessel now upright with two persons now attempting to climb aboard. Within short order we make voice contact with the persons, throw them PFDs, establish their stated level of injury, and are able to throw them a line and bring the vessel with them aboard to our stern platform. We then take both persons aboard.
The vessel turns out to be an 84 Montauk which had recently returned to the water after a three year restoration. The vessel now sits in poor shape. The rails have been torn away, the RPS is gone, the center console is torn from the floor but hanging off the side of the boat by what appeared to be the control cables.
After what turns out to be a very long night, we learn from FWC both persons were legally intoxicated which appeared obvious to us without formal investigation. They stated to FWC they were proceeding in the channel underway when we crossed their bow moving across the shipping channel from their starboard side swamping them. The FWC charges the owner/operator of the Montauk with a long list of infractions and confirms our report after watching the recorded footage from our camera system which clearly shows our path, the actions of the other vessel, and establishes our position in the channel prior to the event.
Though not what we originally had in mind, it turned out to be a good night of training. Maybe the owner is a member here or maybe somebody here knows of him. Hopefully some good lessons were learned.
That was very rude of you to swamp that mans boat. Wow what a story. I suppose it goes to show people do see things differently when drinking. I am glad it seems no one was injured but I bet they will be sore when the numbness wears off.
Our impression of the vessel operator's story to investigators was that he gave a deceptive report to try and alleviate himself of blame for the incident. I have no doubt they were well aware of us for quite some time before trying to cross our wake.
Our immediate area of operation has a significant mix of large commercial and recreational traffic. Incidents that result in persons in the water are not at all uncommon. However this is one of only a few such dramatic events I've personally been witness to.
I was watching a show on, I believe Animal planet, two nights ago that featured the FCW down in the Florida keys just before the opening weekend for lobsters. The main Officer, Jimmy Johnson, was one of the main guys they rode along with during that episode. There was an 80's model Montauk with a 70 Yamaha on the back that Jimmy pulled up too. Apparently the guys were poaching lobsters two days prior to the season opening.
That just goes to show ya that just because the captain was smart enough to use/buy a Whaler, doesn't mean they are smart enough to use it.
Back in the late 80's and early 90's, I worked with Jimmy when I was a part of the FMP.....he's a good man.
Edited by CES on 08/24/11 - 1:18 PM
Cliff
1966 13' Sport with a 1993 40hp Yamaha 2 Smoker
