Seattle Times: Q&A with a Washington State Ferries captain

Q: Do boats ever challenge you?

A: Oh, yeah, and sometimes we can’t divert if there are shallows on either side. I’ll give five blasts of the horn, which basically means “I’m in doubt about your intentions.” At 160 decibels, that usually does the trick. Sometimes we have to stop.

Q: On a happier note, do you allow weddings on board?

A: All the time. And memorial services. We slow to a stop so they can scatter the ashes, and we give three long blasts as a salute. An officer notes the latitude, longitude and time and takes that to the relatives. We try to be accommodating but we can’t do it if there’s a lot of wind or we’re on the 5:30 p.m. run out of Seattle.

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