RedactedNarrative: Boating accident in the Gulf County Canal involving a tug pushing 3 empty barges, a sailboat, and two commercial fishing vessels. 
  
  On March 3, 2019, at approximately 1228 hours (EST), the commercial motor vessel HELENE MARIA (951999) was pushing three (3) empty barges, traveling westbound in the Gulf County Canal. She was attempting to dock on the south side of the canal across from Raffield's Fisheries & Captain's Cove Marina near Port St. Joe, Florida. 
  
  The tug had one 200 foot empty rock barge in the back and two 200 feet hopper barges attached at the forward position. The wind caught the bow of the tow, being the two large green in color (hopper) barges and pushed her across the canal where the front of the starboard barge struck a 32' sailboat that was moored to the dock.  
  
  It mashed the sailboat against the dock causing small cracks, rub rail damage, and scrapes to the vessel. The owner and her son were on board watching as this occurred. One of the deck hands who was on the bow of the front barge advised them to get off the vessel, which they did after the collision. The barge then struck a piling right behind the sailboat shoving it over and appearing to cause the dock to buckle up. 
  
  By this time the wind had pushed the tug boat further north as well so when the captain started reversing the engines he backed into the Captain Carl and the Captain Salty. The damage to these two vessels only appeared to be scrapes and paint transfers. These are commercial fishing vessels that were moored behind Raffield's Fisheries just up from the sailboat that was moored behind Captain's Cove.
  