The Qualified Captain: Fuel dock crash highlights importance of staying alert

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — A boating crash at a fuel dock is serving as this week’s boating safety lesson from The Qualified Captain.

In the latest edition of WWAY’s ongoing partnership with The Qualified Captain, boating safety specialist Chris Juall breaks down a video showing a sailboat heading toward a fuel dock while another boater is filling up.

The sailboat continues toward the dock before crashing into the back of the other boat.

“So you see the sailboat in the background, there’s no sail, it’s just under motor, under power, so it’s considered a powerboat at this point, and it’s just going right for the fuel dock,” Juall said.

Juall said the impact broke a line attached to the boat at the dock, leaving it nearly drifting away.

“I don’t know what they’re thinking. Clearly, they’re not paying attention. All of a sudden, last minute, they see it, and bam, the thing hits the boat,” Juall said.

Pay attention and keep a lookout

Juall said the biggest problem in the video is that the person operating the sailboat was not watching where they were going.

“The guy in the sailboat is not paying attention. In fact, not only is he not paying attention, I mean, he’s not even looking,” Juall said.

He said the operator appeared to be looking down just before the boat went off course and headed toward the fuel dock.

Juall said a fuel dock is an especially dangerous place for a crash because of the fuel nearby.

“The one thing you want to avoid if you’re on the water and you’re going to collide into something is the fuel dock. Talking about a recipe for disaster,” Juall said.

Two key takeaways

Juall said the incident offers two major takeaways:

• Keep a lookout.
• Pay attention

Juall said the person operating the boat should always be watching what is happening around them, and passengers can also help keep an eye out.

“The key takeaway here is having a lookout and paying attention. They’re one and the same,” Juall said.

He said boaters should stay especially alert around docks and other boats.

The Qualified Captain also offers boating safety education courses, including NASBLA Approved State Online Boating Course and Non-NASBLA Approved Courses.