I was a passenger aboard a Washington State Ferry recently, enroute from Anacortes, WA to Sidney BC with a stop at Friday Harbor. As the ferry turned into the channel between Shaw Island and the northern end of Lopez Island, an aluminum outboard fishing boat in the 20-24 foot range (common for fishing in the PNW) came from the direction of Shaw Island at a good speed, maybe 15-20 knots. It came directly at the bow of the ferry. The ferry sounded it's horn as the boat seemed to continue on the head-on course. The ferry increased the horns progressively as the boat closed until the eventual continual blast. All this time, the ferry was reducing speed and finally coming to a full stop ensured by full reverse power. The fishing boat came right at the bow of the ferry at, what appeared to be, full speed. There were clearly two men in the boat, though it had tinted windows in the canopy cover. At the very last moment, the boat veered off of a collision course, passing quite close along the length of the starboard side of the ferry and then sped off.
I was standing on the 2nd deck platform at the starboard corner of the bow and watched the entire episode. The occupants of this boat were sitting in the two seats in the fishing boat and I could easily see their silhouettes through the darkened plexiglas looking at the ferry. It was clear they were playing chicken, or something similar. Maybe the owner said to his guest "watch this. I can stop a ferry".
It was a pathetic example of childishness, and lack of concern for one's fellow men, women and children.