A Washington State Ferries investigation into a Dec. 4 collision between the ferry Chetzemoka and a small personal vessel called Nap Tyme has found both captains at fault.

Documents obtained by The Beachcomber state the Chetzemoka was operating on its normal route between Tahlequah and Point Defiance around 3:45 p.m. when the collision occurred. The cause is listed as a combination of the fact the Nap Tyme captain was not in the wheelhouse looking out and controlling the boat and the captain of the Chetzemoka did not take “sufficient and timely action to avoid collision.”

Washington State Ferries (WSF) spokesman Ian Sterling said last week that maritime law requires captains to avoid a collision at all costs.

“He (the captain of the Chetzemoka) did a lot of things right. Could he have done more? Sure,” he said.

The investigation report states the Chetzemoka captain became aware of the small yacht five minutes before the collision and declined to steer right and avoid it. Instead, the captain carried on until the yacht came closer. He then attempted to turn right and then left and blew the Chetzemoka’s horn five times before the collision.

Sterling said the Chetzemoka had slowed down which prevented the collision from being worse than it was. There were no injuries and the Nap Tyme incurred minor damage to its deck rail. The Chetzemoka was not damaged and resumed service roughly 30 minutes after the incident.

The Chetzemoka captain is a 34-year veteran of WSF and, prior to the Dec. 4 incident, had a spotless record, Sterling said. He also said the captain was a “relief captain” who went from boat to boat as needed.

“He may not have been as familiar with the crew there (on the Chetzemoka),” he said.

Nevertheless, the Coast Guard suspended his merchant mariner credential for two weeks and required him to complete a the sea equivalent of a rules of the road refresher course. At the same time as the Coast Guard suspension, WSF also suspended him without pay for two weeks and made him take a bridge management course to refresh communication skills among those on the bridge.

Meanwhile, the Nap Tyme captain, who had his boat on autopilot at the time of the collision, was fined an undisclosed amount.

The Coast Guard has also completed an investigation with the same findings, but officials last week said it was not yet available to the public.

The collision was widely viewed as a passenger aboard the ferry took video footage of the events leading up to the collision and the impact.

“This is a good place to point out, if you have a pleasure craft, be careful,” Sterling said.