How does a jet ski hit a barge?

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
61,855
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Maybe the guy underestimated how much distance he required to be able to turn, at his current speed?
 
Nov 17, 2019
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"A typical 200′ barge has the capacity of 25 rail cars or 90 heavy trucks. "

It isn't like they sneak up on you of out nowhere.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
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Yes, they're big. I was just throwing out a guess at how you'd manage to hit one.
 

BudAshes

Lifer
Jul 20, 2003
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Probably trying to jump the wake from it and was going to fast and fucked up.
 

skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
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Probably trying to jump the wake from it and was going to fast and fucked up.
That. Jetskis are fast but mostly a 2 dimensional thing. You get bored and look for things to do to help show the relative speed to your lizard brain. Playing off the big bow wave on a barge would seem to be an ideal pursuit, right? It is not turning or doing anything fast, so it is a stationary wave to play with, so to speak.
if you misjudge that and highside into the side of the barge, that is about as sudden a stop as your brain bucket is going to get. if you happen to end up in front of the barge bow it will grind you under for the full length of the barge before you pop up by the tow boat. They do not push things to the side like the bow of a boat. We are aware of that " feature" working on the water.
You can end up in deep shit in a strong current with a moored barge, for example. They had to rescue a workboat from in front of a barge in Agate Passage when my old employer was doing some bridge work there. It is not long from the fucking around to the finding out.
 
Nov 17, 2019
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So far all of the stories I can find are essentially the same wording, as if from a single press release. Some change the order a bit.


One is a bit different and mentions the mother.


None of them mention substances or intoxication.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
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That. Jetskis are fast but mostly a 2 dimensional thing. You get bored and look for things to do to help show the relative speed to your lizard brain. Playing off the big bow wave on a barge would seem to be an ideal pursuit, right? It is not turning or doing anything fast, so it is a stationary wave to play with, so to speak.
if you misjudge that and highside into the side of the barge, that is about as sudden a stop as your brain bucket is going to get. if you happen to end up in front of the barge bow it will grind you under for the full length of the barge before you pop up by the tow boat. They do not push things to the side like the bow of a boat. We are aware of that " feature" working on the water.
You can end up in deep shit in a strong current with a moored barge, for example. They had to rescue a workboat from in front of a barge in Agate Passage when my old employer was doing some bridge work there. It is not long from the fucking around to the finding out.

When I worked on crane barges in SF Bay, the weekend sailboaters occasionally got hung up in our anchor cables. One managed to get free of the cables...and the tide pushed him sidewright up to the front of the barge...we managed to get him and his wife off the boat before the boat before the tide pushed it under the barge.
 
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WilliamM2

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2012
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Yep. sunset was 7:05 pm. It was probably completely dark. Which also explains why they couldn't find the kid, even though he was wearing a life jacket..
Here in MIchigan it's illegal to be on a jetski after sunset.
 
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skyking

Lifer
Nov 21, 2001
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barges are fookin spooky in the dark. I had to sneak through these piling and whatever else was across them, and read a tide board on one of them every night while dredging the Duwamish River in Seattle. bonus points for foggy winter nights.
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