Subscribe to our newsletter  The Responsibilities of a Captain
Michael PetersSightlines - July 2014  Down With the Ship  Are
captains courageous in short supply?  Captain's hatsBack in the
late 1980s my friend Tommy and I were in Italy aboard a local
tour boat watching the start of the Viareggio-Bastia-Viareggio
offshore race. The vessel was about 90 feet and was full to
capacity with about 150 people onboard, all of whom wanted to be
on the upper deck for the best viewing of the race. The race
boats took a slow lap to the south, made a turn, and lined up
for a running start heading north. As the boats approached the
starting line at over 100 miles per hour all the spectators ran
to one side to catch the spectacle, causing the boat to list
violently, feeling like she was about to capsize. Standing as
far to the high side as possible, Tommy asked me, “Is that
safe?” My answer: “Look at which side the naval architect is
standing on.” No one else seemed at all alarmed.  The fact is,
the average person is a bit