BIG waves created by high-speed vessels such as catamarans and jetfoils made sailing in the harbour difficult, a veteran coxswain said.
Wong Chow, 67, said the heavy wash from faster craft together with foggy weather, narrower channels and increased congestion were major factors leading to accidents.
Mr Wong, a senior coxswain in a ferry company, said collisions were more frequent than 40 years ago when he first sailed.
'At that time our channel was bigger and not many vessels travelled at sea. Sailing was a lot of fun,' he said.
'But now because of the reclamation work in Victoria Harbour, we have to use extra caution.' He said spring was usually a season of accidents in the harbour because of the foggy weather.
'Radar is a must for us. And we have to keep blowing our horns to check if there are other ships around our ferry. We also have to slow our speed to reduce the chance of accidents.'
