Today, we were monitoring Channel 14 as the Washington state ferry, M/V Hyak, departed Pier 52 for Bremerton. Shortly after departure, the ferry hailed the captain of M/V Fortune Daisy, a 40,000 T bulk carrier that was passing across the ferry lanes to a berth at Pier 86, the Port of Seattle grain terminal, and asked the captain to switch to Channel 13, the frequency designated by the FCC for bridge-to-bridge communications.
The ferry captain confirmed the Fortune Daisy's course and suggested that the vessels pass starboard-to-starboard, or green-to-green. The Fortune Daisy's captain acknowledged the Hyak and agreed.
This type of communication between vessels happens constantly on Elliott Bay and serves to remind us of the care exercised by captains of large vessels transiting these waters.
In the above photo, the vessels can be seen in the distance, passing as agreed (starboard-to-starboard). The vessel in the foreground is M/V Goodtime II, a tour boat operated by Argosy Cruises.
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