The Unknown Vessel Operator News

An unidentified vessel operator forced five large commercial vessels to take evasive action in Puget Sound near Port Townsend, Wash., Thursday morning. At approximately 4:30 a.m., an intermittent radar contact was reported to the Coast Guard Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service (Seattle Traffic) by a tug operator and several Puget Sound Pilots transiting the area near Marrowstone Point, Wash. The unknown vessel operator impeded a procession of north and southbound commercial traffic in low visibility with no radio communications. Two southbound vessels, a large container ship followed by a laden tanker under escort, were forced to depart their charted traffic lane toward oncoming commercial traffic.