Here’s the news from the boys and girls at Justice, below.
Patched up and riding high – the last time we saw the Cosco Busan back in 2007. Will it ever come back? She’s called the MSC Venezia these days, currently working in the Canaries.
Oh well, she’s not the first Hyundai to leak oil into San Francsico Bay, and she won’t be the last.
The full release, after the jump
The news of the day from the Associated Press: “Coast Guard scoops up oil in San Francisco Bay“
Except that the smallest branch of the United States military doesn’t actually scoop up spilled oil in San Francisco Bay - there’s a whole industry dedicated to doing that. And if you listen to the Coast Guard, they’ll tell you that, ad nauseum. Oh well.
The Coasties are handling this spill better than that one from the Cosco Busan. Hurray! That’s good practice for The Big Oil Spill in our future:
The Pacific Responder and the Ocean Liberty, along with smaller vessels, are out there right now, between San Francisco and the tip of Alameda Island that’s, oddly enough, also part of the City of San Francisco.
Anyway, the USCG don’t scoop up oil.
And keep up the good work, 11th District. Just try to resist the urge to lie to us for no reason, and you’ll do fine.
Carry on…
The United States Coast Guard has a bit of work to do per the National Transportation Safety Board’s news release today regarding the Cosco Busan oil spill of 2007. Sure, the pilot and the shipping firm get blamed, but the USCG takes a few under the waterline as well.
Read on below. Note that they don’t call the Delta Tower of the Bay Bridge the “Delta Span” as many, many people have (including Captain Cota on the day in question). Also note the figure of 53,000 gallons mentioned by the NTSB. It’s not clear whether this is the latest estimate of the size of the spill or if it’s the same exact figure leadership elements of the USCG falsely quoted to the press for months for some idiotic reason having to do with not wanting to be criticised for changing their minds or something. Bad form, Coast Guard. Wiki still says 58,000 gallons or so, so that’s good enough for me.
The USCG buzzing about on a happier day:
Washington, DC – The National Transportation Safety Board determined today that a medically unfit pilot, an ineffective master, and poor communications between the two were the cause of an accident in which the Cosco Busan container ship spilled thousands of gallons of fuel oil into the San Francisco Bay after striking a bridge support tower.
On November 7, 2007, at about 8:00 a.m. PST, in heavy fog with visibility of less than a quarter mile, the Hong Kong- registered, 901-foot-long container ship M/V Cosco Busan left its berth in the Port of Oakland destined for South Korea. The San Francisco Bay pilot, who was attempting to navigate the ship between the Delta and Echo support towers of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, issued directions that resulted in the ship heading directly toward the Delta support tower. While avoiding a direct hit, the side of the ship struck the fendering system at the base of the Delta tower, which created a 212-foot-long gash in the ship’s forward port side and breached two fuel tanks and a ballast tank.
More deets after the jump.
San Francisco’s Festival of Sail started yesterday - read all about it.
Movie star The Bounty in front of Alcatraz, as seen from the Crissy Field Overlook in the Presidio. Click to expand:
The Coast Guard’s Eagle, just after passing under the Golden Gate Bridge. Lot’s of great photos here, from Telstar Logistics. Can you spot the baggywrinkle?
A different view of the Eagle, next to the Alpha Tower of the Bay Bridge as witnessed by Petty Officer Sherri Eng:
Lots of people came out to see the SS Jeremiah O’Brien slowly chug along:
See you at the Festival of Sail!
It’s on! Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, July 22, 2008, you should come on down to San Francisco’s waterfront and check out all the old school ships. You’ll be able to see 32 Tall Ships sail through the Golden Gate starting at around noon. You can get good views from the Presidio and Fort Mason.
Look out for the Nazi-built war prize USCGC Eagle (you can’t miss it, it’s huge).
tall ship Pallada, via Towse’s photostream in front of Treasure Island
Don’t miss the Pirate Academy!
There will be three Festival of Sail villages at:
AT&T Park (Green Village),
Ferry Building (International Sail Village), and
Pier 43-1/2 (Marine Educational Village).
Purchase Boarding Passes online for one of three villages, which will feature several vessels and other maritime-history highlights ($10 to $20). Board the Red and White Fleet Water Taxi to connect between the three villages. Book online ($16) for a full day pass.
See you there!
A United States Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge last month.
Yesterday, Sector San Francisco invited a few folks over to get a closer look at what it takes to keep people from dying on the bay. Take a look the video from KTVU Channel 2.
Click on to see photos from the day. Don’t forget to hop over and take a gander at what Telstar Logistics saw.
