Vancouver dragon boaters report close calls with False Creek ferries

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On the eve of Vancouver’s annual dragon boat festival, racers are raising concerns about near-miss collisions they say have been occurring between their watercraft and motorized boats in False Creek.

Gloria Zhang, manager of a racing team competing in this weekend’s Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival — North America’s largest — says that during training there have been several close calls between their team’s dragon boat and small ferries.

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“We need to find a better solution to this problem or else something much worse could happen in the future,” Zhang said. “Right now, I feel uncomfortable and unsafe.”

Zhang shared recent footage showing a ferry narrowly missing the bow of a 12-metre-long dragon boat with more than two dozen racers. Some were heard screaming at the vessel before it changed course.

One of them, Tony Suen, said the ferry came less than three metres from striking their dragon boat on Tuesday.

“We had finished one piece of training and waited for the boat to pass before our next, but the ferry continued straight at us, not turning or anything,” said the 52-year-old steerer.

“Once we were closer, we saw the boat operator was talking to passengers. After everyone yelled, he finally curved his direction.”

Suen and Zhang said it’s not the first time this has occurred during training.

False Creek ferry operators and the organizers of this weekend’s festival, Dragon Boat B.C., acknowledge there’ve been close calls between vessels and dragon boaters.

“We have had issues in the past where ferries and the dragon boats have become quite close together,” said Jeremy Patterson, who manages operations for False Creek Ferries.

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“It’s a small channel and there are lots of us ferries who have to pass through the race course so it increases the probability of a collision, which presents a challenge for both of us — but we haven’t had any calamities.”

Patterson said that the company continues to train its skippers, who zigzag ferries through the channel every seven minutes each day, to yield to dragon boats.

“We’ve told our employees not to worry about their schedule if they’re falling behind, but give way to dragon boats.”

Alexis Gall, executive director of Dragon Boat B.C., confirmed that “there has been some contact” between dragon boats and ferries in False Creek leading up to the festival.

Most Metro Vancouver dragon boat teams practise for an hour, four times a week, completing a circuit from a dock near Science World to Cambie Bridge.

“Human error happens,” said Gall, noting that the contact between the vessels hasn’t been severe, largely consisting of dragon boats slowing or stopping practice when ferries pass through the race route.

Paddlers are encouraged to report any potential collisions to the organization, which determines if the ferry operator becomes involved.

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Gall said that Tuesday’s incident involved a dragon boat that appeared to be facing the wrong way in the channel. Dragon Boat B.C. made a decision not to report it to Patterson. But Suen denied this, saying their vessel was positioned along its usual route.

Federal collision regulations for water vessels operating in False Creek dictate that power-driven boat operators must keep out of the way of vessels with restricted handling, such as rowboats. It is also mandated that all vessel operators be on the lookout — using sight, hearing and radio devices — to determine if there are any risk of collision with another vessel.

Aquabus Ferry Ltd., whose motorized vessels also travel through False Creek, employ a staff member to relay information to crews about the start and finish times of practice races.

“In doing so we have been able to stay clear of any dragon boats practising or racing in False Creek,” said owner Jake Pratt.

Both Patterson and Gall said that their ferry and dragon-boat fleets have been increasing with newer, inexperienced paddlers and skippers.

“There is a learning curve for people to understand the rules of navigation in the channel,” Gall added.

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“Dragon boaters, too, have the responsibility to navigate the water well — we see it as a shared responsibility between all users of boats.”

Neither Vancouver police nor the Canadian Coast Guard have received reports of collisions.

sgrochowski@postmedia.com

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