Thanks to Danny McMillin for the photo! A sailboat appears to have gotten a close-up look at this submarine as it passed between West Seattle and Bainbridge Island a few hours ago. MarineTraffic.com doesn’t identify the sub beyond “U.S. Warship” but shows that it is still northbound right now, off Whidbey Island.
I just looked up the law. ‘It’s illegal to come within 100 yards of a Navy vessel.’
It looks like this photo was taken with a long telephoto lens. Thus, the distances in the photo are compressed, and the sailboat wasn’t nearly as close to the submarine as it appears in the photo.
Subs usually have escort boats. Guarantee you the sailboat is NOT as close as the photo indicates.
There’s a couple posts of that opinion, anyway you can post the actual distance, like facts, I’m not being hostile I truly want to know how far it was. I think this was a just a ginned up story, was there a press release about it or is everything about this story based on a very unprofessional, grainy, vague photo shot from what could be a mile away.
No, there was no “press release.” We often feature readers’ photos of interesting vessels seen off West Seattle, and that’s all this is, an interesting photo – nothing more, nothing less – TR
Indeed there is some compression from my telephoto lens. But the sailboat is still close enough to cause the machine gun mounted on the conning tower to be pointed in the direction of the boat. Also, there is gunboat between the sub and sailboat.Danny McMillin
You’re right and that’s insanely close. This is seriously a good way to get shot at or even shot. I am a professional sailor out on the water nearly every day and I’ve never ever seen a boat that close.They really don’t mess around with sub security. Boaters need to know the rules out on the water. Subs also have a different legal separation distance than other Navy ships. Not to mention at least to gunboats at all times.
“Machine gun mounted on the conning tower”?What are you smoking? No such thing there!
Something does not add up here. Subs ( of the nuclear variety) always have an escort. And a slow moving sailboat would never be allowed near a submarine.
There is no escort it looks more like 2 subs and another sailboat..
Sorry Mrs Smith. You’re incorrect. The pilot boat is clear when you zoom in. Same color as sub and the rest of the ships in Bremerton. It’s a Naval thing.
The subs have motor boats (aka pilot boats) that escort them through the sound. If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see a gray motorboat along the side of the sail boat. That’s one of the pilot boat. These pilot boats zip around and alert nearby vessels to stay out of the way. My guess is the sailboat was too close and that’s why the pilot boat is next to them.
Might add that due to the speed difference the sailboat may not have had the ability to sufficiently clear the subs path before a close encounter.
That sailboat’s best speed is what, 6 knots? It can’t get out of the way of the sub. The sub is probably darn near invisible from dead ahead. It’s not the same as a container ship you can see from ten miles away. If anything, the escort vessels waited too long to head off the sailboat.
Which is why people on the water should constantly be checking their AIS (or phone app if not equipped with nav systems). I’ve worked on the water for many years, and sailboats are always the worst at knowing or caring about nav rules.
Navy vessels rarely broadcast their AIS. They receive yes, but what we call “run quiet” and do not send
Are these sailboats supposed to be there or is it a restricted part of the water ? If it is , these people should be charged for invading private waters m especially if they are not from Washington. Got to learn .
It’s a telephoto lens, it makes things look closer together. The sailboat is far behind the sub and there is an escort boat in between them. Look at the photo more closely.
Got her from the ferry – https://twitter.com/AtomicAerials/status/1447704014460645376?s=20
I was listening to Seattle traffic channel 14 while getting ready to kayak over to Blake from Alki when the sub went by. Traffic seemed concerned about it being a nearly invisible hazard, asking which lane it was traveling in. The controller tried to raise the sub, calling it Navy Unit 08. But for the longest time the sub did not respond. So I guess it was running silent but not very deep.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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