Joe Potter Ferry Crash

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
As long as I have been alive, there have been identical type ferries that crossed Lake Champlain from Vermont to New York State and back every day all day 365 days a year. They even reinforced the hull to make them icebreakers in the winter. Lake Champlain is a very windy open lake 187 miles long and up to 14 miles wide in places. To my knowledge those have never hit the dock area (again almost identical design to WDW). Has to make one wonder what the real story is.
 

EeyoreFan#24

Well-Known Member
From the info so far it sounds like there was a hard landing that 4 people were not prepared for. I always tried to be near the docking end and at one of the posts on that end, lean on post and read my paper riding to the MK, stroll off and enter the kingdom. Same on the return, brace for contact and then stroll off after the crew ties off.

I'm interested if it was all one party not paying attention or something like that and a common thing happened to all of them during a normal docking or if it was four spread out as a result of an overall bad dock.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
As long as I have been alive, there have been identical type ferries that crossed Lake Champlain from Vermont to New York State and back every day all day 365 days a year. They even reinforced the hull to make them icebreakers in the winter. Lake Champlain is a very windy open lake 187 miles long and up to 14 miles wide in places. To my knowledge those have never hit the dock area (again almost identical design to WDW). Has to make one wonder what the real story is.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
"Guys, it wasn't my fault! You gotta believe me!"

joe-potter-crash-ferry-magic-kingdom-1-1920x1280.jpg
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Well, damn, the things I miss by living in North Carolina. So one time in my 73 years then. To still put a finer point on it that last count I remember they have 8 ferry's traversing the lake all day long, every day without the benefit of the usually calm waters of Seven Seas Lagoon. Wicked bad timing though! I didn't see a date on there so I don't know for sure when it happened.

Years ago, I was boarding one of them, with my vehicle and I heard a loud squealing of tires as a car shot through the front chain barricade into the water. One of the men that was directing traffic on the boat dove in and managed to pull one person out of the car and up to the surface but couldn't get to the driver. Turned out the he had a heart attack and unfortunately his foot pressed down on the accelerator causing the car to speed forward.
 

zakattack99

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Fun fact: that boat is also known as the haunted one. It was involved in an accident with a guest on a rented boat(those little 1 or 2 seaters) and the mother was killed. CMs have many stories of things happening that make no sense!
So… where can I find these ghost stories!? Care to tell or any links? A quick google search turned this up from 2003 but no info really.

 

zulemara

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
So… where can I find these ghost stories!? Care to tell or any links? A quick google search turned this up from 2003 but no info really.

It ranges from a figure appearing in the window to a passing ferry boat to weird things in dry dock. Usually things like trash can doors popping open on their own when the boat was totally shut down and tied up. I can ask in the watercraft CM facebook group
 

wendysue

Well-Known Member
We had a hard docking on one of the ferries and thankfully were holding on to the railing, so always make sure we are sitting when they dock.
 

Disone

Well-Known Member
Somebody fact check me on this, but I heard from an unnamed source that these ferry captains work 12 to 15 hour shifts.
In general, employees / cast are not typically scheduled 12 + hour shifts. More typical is to be scheduled an extra day of the week.
Having said that 12 to 15 hours shifts do happen but are more likely the result of a person volunterring to stay and cover for a call in.
 

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