gCaptain.com

The most elegant ship built in decades has caught the inspiration of artists, photographers and ship spotters worldwide. She is elegant, record breaking and capable. She’s also a YouTube Star! Here are two video that have reached over 25,000 viewers and for good reason. Take a look:

The liner Queen Mary 2 slips under the Golden Gate Bridge (BTW this video won our iPhone contest).

The Queen Mary 2 departing New York Harbour.

Like most celebrities she is also photogenic. The best series of photographs are by San Francisco Photo Blogger Todd Lapin and his team over at Telstar Logistics. Here is a slideshow of his photographs Telstar Logistics Photos. [Continue Reading →]

Click Image For Hi-Resolution Version/

Being technologically oriented ship drivers we are easily excited by new web sites that combine these interests. Having worked closely with web based AIS (Digital Seas, EarthNC, ActiveCaptain, VslTrax… to name a few) providers during the Cosco Busan incident we are also increasingly becoming interested in digital ship tracking technology so to say we were excited to learn about the new and innovative AIS site Hi-Def San Francisco would be, well, an understatement. We will be sure to bring you more information on this site as details emerge but till that time enjoy the above image titled “30 Days of SF bay traffic“.

The Department of Justice has submitted “information relative to a criminal action ” in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, California; an accusation against a mariner for violating The Clean Water Act and The Migratory Bird Treaty Act. As a criminal case it will be processed not in Admiralty, but in criminal court, where there is a more relaxed and lesser general acceptance for technical qualification and terminology. The urgency in this priority matter may be a limitation in the Statutes or they are not very busy at DOJ. However it should be noted this an accusation for violating two acts, not an allision between a ship and a fixed object. Shaft alley lawyers, don your caps and peruse.

The defendant, JOHN JOSEPH COTA, did negligently (failed to act as a reasonable person might do in similar circumstances) cause (personally did) the discharge of oil in such quantities as may be harmful from a vessel, the M/V Cosco Busan, into and upon the navigable waters of the United States, without a permit. (Can one discharge oil with a permit?) Specifically, on or about November 7, 2007, Defendant Cota, while piloting the M/V Cosco Busan,(it has not been proven that at the time he was directing the navigation and movement of the vessel) caused approximately 58,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil to be discharged from the vessel into San Francisco Bay by acting in a negligent manner,(Supra) that included the following: (a) failing to pilot a collision free course (Supra; made it safely from Oakland to buoy #1); (b) failing to adequately review with the Captain and crew (all of them?) of the M/V Cosco Busan prior to departure the official navigational charts of the proposed course, (only one route out of Oakland) the location of the San Francisco Bay aids to navigation,( not reported as yet; only 18 aids not including bridge) and the operation of the vessel’s navigational equipment; (c) departing port in heavy fog ( term has no professional meaning: although reported as .1 mile) and then failing to proceed at a safe speed (too may variables and special circumstances involved) during the voyage despite limited visibility; (d) then failing to use the vessel’s radar (operational ability unresolved) while making the final approach to the Bay Bridge; (e) failing to use positional fixes during the voyage; and (f) failing to verify the vessel’s position vis-a-vis other established and recognized aids to navigation throughout the voyage. 33CFR164.11 “The owner master or person in charge shall ensure that: (a) the wheelhouse is constantly manned by persons who: (2)Fix the vessel’s position.”

All alleged in violation of Title 33, United States Code, Sections 1319(c)(1)(A) and 1321(b)(3), a Class A misdemeanor. Reviewing the above it is obvious that owners, masters and person in charge of vessels should make all employees aware of the possibility of enforcement by government of these acts, The media has correctly expressed, “they intend to make examples.” The courts, including those selected as jurors , under instruction, will expect a high professional standard of performance of licensed and documented mariners, seafarers and private boaters. It is possible with a proper defense, one may escape penalty, but the experience is devastating and costly.

This article was written by Captain John Denham, a veteran of 66 years maritime experience in seamanship, ship handling, navigation, piloting, and education. He is also author of The Assistant and DD 891.

_______________

The following is the documented federal charges against Cosco Busan pilot John Cota. [Continue Reading →]

AP Photo: The damaged Cosco Busan is seen in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007

The Associated Press is reporting that criminal charges were filed today against Capt. John Coda in the Cosco Busan allision with the San Fransisco Bay Bridge, back in November 10, 2007.

Here’s an excerpt:

Capt. John Cota could face up to 18 months in jail and more than $100,000 in fines if convicted of the misdemeanor charges, which include harming migrant birds protected by the government and violating the Clean Water Act. Cota was not taken into custody, according to court papers.

The complete post is HERE.

___________________________

This post was written by Richard Rodriguez, Rescue Tug Captain, and US Coast Guard approved instructor for License Training. You can read more of his articles at the BitterEnd of the net.

The following post is written by Fred Fry:

This is from the 13 December 07 Haight’s Maritime Items email newsletter:

San Francisco sues everyone re oil spill - The Office of the City Attorney issued a press release stating that it filed suit under state law against parties allegedly responsible for the November 7 oil spill in San Francisco Bay. In addition to financial compensation, the suit seeks an injunction requiring defendants to implement a plan to assess, monitor, and remediate all damages caused by the spill. Defendants include the owner, operator, manager, pilot, and John Does 1-100. (12/10/07). - Dennis Bryant

You can find a copy of the lawsuit here. (Direct Pdf link here)

He’s not kidding when he says that they are suing everyone. Of note is this comment about 100 John Does who the City of San Francisco also named as defendants:

14. The true names or capacities, whether individual, corporate, associate, or otherwise, of DOE I through DOE 100 are unknown to plaintiffs, who therefore sue such defendants by such fictitious names, and who will amend this complaint to show their true names and capacities when ascertained. Plaintiffs are is informed and believe and thereon allege that each of the defendants designated as a DOE is responsible in some manner for the wrongs herein referred to and thereby proximately caused injuries and damages as alleged herein. - Link (page 7)

Do they really think there are over 100 people responsible for this spill? Who knows, at least the lawyers think that it is possible. You can bet that they will target specific shoreside support staff in addition to members of the crew with that many empty spots to fill. It will be interesting to see who they name, considering the international call not to criminalize seafarers. The pilot so far is the only person named in the suit.

NOTE: As of the time of posting, the City has yet to name any of the 100 John Does. So there are a good number of people out there who are being sued, they just don’t know it yet, for sure.

This was originally posted on my Blog Fred Fry International on 13 December 2007.

The Anatomy of Allisions

By Captain John G. Denham.

The recent accidents on the waters of San Francisco Bay has triggered the attention of maritime afficiando and many others. 7 November 2007 the COSCO BUSAN allided with the San Francisco Bay Bridge and spilled thousands of gallons of fuel oil in the bay. On 11 January 2008 the barge CASCADE allided with the bridge at Point San Quentin and in the early morning hours of Wednesday 16 January the tug TRIG LIND with a barge carrying sand navigated its way into a bridge on the Petaluma River. On 14 February an inbound container ship lost power near Fisherman’s Wharf and drifted until tugs arrived.

COSCO BUSAN was piloted by a San Francisco Bar Pilot. The oil barge CASCADE was being towed by PACIFIC WOLF and the DELTA DEANNE and was exempt from mandatory pilotage; one of the tug captains was in charge of the navigation and movement of the flotilla. In the early morning hours the 71 foot tug TRIG LIND with a 206 foot loaded barge allided with the railroad bridge and caused minor damage.

The COSCO BUSAN allision investigation is reported complete as far as the state is concerned. 1 of 2 USCG Incident Specific Preparedness Review (ISPR) reports has been published. A California state Administrative Law Judge hearing has been set for 28 April 2008.That hearing will attempt to determine the cause, find fault and make recommendation to the governing agency, the SF Bar Pilot Commission. Thereafter, state and federal agencies will determine the parties considered negligent and or responsible and will undertake appropriate action as permitted by law. Later the state of California et al, will sue the COSCO BUSAN and the bar pilot for damages etc. Monetary awards will be adjudicated. Politicians will make rules. The cause, human error, will be announced but the reasons may never be fully explained, however there are plausible explanation for all the reported alleged facts.

The CASCADE’s allision with the bridge at Point San Quentin (San Rafael-Richmond Bridge) presents a different situation. The tug PACIFIC WOLF, an 111 foot, 4100 horsepower tug and the CASCADE an OPA 90 double hull 300 foot barge are reported to be owned and operated by K-Sea Transportation. The tug DELTA DEANNE a tractor tug,108 feet in length with 4400 horsepower is owned by BayDelta Maritime. The grieved appears to be the bridge i.e., the state of California. Responsibility and fault will have to be determined. Courts have defined the duties and responsibilities of tug masters and therefore the question of who was in charge will be of primary concern.

The number of recent accidents involving petroleum product is unquestionably going to generate political rhetoric and probably some unnecessary rule making unless [Continue Reading →]

Photo by dollar_bill

Telstar Logistics provides details on this historic day:

This is a”view of a newly vacant pier 70 shipyard, now that the Oceanic Independence has left to meet her doom.”

The 1950s-era ocean liner has been towed away. Where’d it go? We fear she’s en route to India, where she may be broken up for scrap. (There’s a lively debate about this taking place in the comments to our previous post on the Independence.)

Jonathan Haeber reports that “SS Independence will be towed away to the breaker beaches of Alang, India. According to two to three sources, the boat has not only been sold by Norwegian Cruise Lines, but she’s also going to leaving the U.S. this coming Thursday.” Continue Reading..

Also be sure to catch Telstar’s previous post: Exploring the Ghost Ship SS Independence

San Francisco, CA (28 January): A panel of outside experts formed by the commandant of the Coast Guard to study the response to the Cosco Busan oil spill today released the first of two reports it was chartered to produce. The 120-page ‘Phase I’ report looks at the first two weeks of response operations that unfolded in the wake of the Nov. 7 incident. A second report on the entire cleanup operation is due in several months.

The panel was not tasked with determining the cause of the incident and the report deals only with preparedness and response to the spill. The report contains 59 recommendations related to preparedness, and 79 aimed at improving response operations. These range from relatively simple ideas, such as making oiled wildlife reporting hotlines easier to access, to changes in spill response operations and research on remote sensing technology for detecting spills in low visibility conditions.

Click HERE to continue reading this article at Maritime Executive or view the official Report HERE.

This time the Cosco Busan’s departure is not a drill and we made sure to get video evidence of the fact!

The San Francisco Chronicle tells us;

The U.S. Coast Guard said temporary repairs to the 900-foot Cosco Busan had been completed and that the vessel and the crew were cleared to sail. The ship passed under the Golden Gate Bridge around 11:30 a.m.

Meanwhile, Caltrans officials announced that repairs on the Bay Bridge fender that the ship hit and shattered also have been completed.

The Coast Guard had been concerned about the Cosco Busan’s seaworthiness and the crew’s training in bridge management. The agency also wanted to ensure that U.S. legal interests would be protected, because several lawsuits have been filed against the ship’s owner, Regal Stone Ltd. of Hong Kong, as well as its insurer and the man piloting the ship when the accident happened, John Cota.

Regal Stone has posted a bond for the ship’s $79.5 million value with the federal government. The agreement on the security bond does not limit how much the government can seek in damages from the spill.

The ship also has a $300 million insurance policy, which is a requirement under California law, said Steve Edinger, assistant chief of the Department of Fish and Game’s law enforcement division.

“The Cosco Busan has left, and everything we needed from the vessel for our investigation we did obtain,” said Edinger, whose agency oversaw the cleanup efforts. “We are progressing the way we would normally expect in (any) oil spill.” Continue Reading…

(Coast Guard video by District Eleven Public Affairs)

 

 http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=205346&g2_serialNumber=2 [0:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

SF’ist blog has sent us this breaking news item: The Cosco Busan is now departing shipyard in San Francisco.

UPDATES:

Our friends at Jakota and BoatingSF have cleaned up the popular flash based track of Cosco Busan’s fateful voyage.

View the animation HERE

The International Herald Tribune tells us;

The Hong Kong-based owner of a ship that spilled oil in San Francisco Bay has paid the federal government nearly $80 million (€55 million) as bail of sorts while U.S. officials seek a civil judgment, the Justice Department said Friday.

The government asked for and received $79.5 million (€54.8 million) — the full value of the ship — as the maritime equivalent of a release bond, said Andrew Ames, a department spokesman.

The deposit eliminates the government’s threat to seize the vessel, which could have cost taxpayers significant money, Ames said. The threat was part of a lawsuit filed last month by the federal government against the ship’s owner, Regal Stone Ltd.; Capt. John Cota, the pilot; and Regal Stone’s insurance company. Continue Reading…

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

The Coast Guard has asked Cota to voluntarily deposit his federal merchant marine officer’s license with the service on grounds he is not physically competent to maintain it.

Cota, however, has turned his license in to his lawyer. According to Coast Guard spokesman Dan Dewell, the service has accepted this arrangement with the stipulation that Cota will not sail with the license.

Cota, 60, has 26 years experience as a San Francisco bar pilot. Continue Reading…

Fred Fry brings us news that “Over 100 liable for COSCO BUSAN Oil Spill“;

In addition to financial compensation, the suit seeks an injunction requiring defendants to implement a plan to assess, monitor, and remediate all damages caused by the spill. Defendants include the owner, operator, manager, pilot, and John Does 1-100.

You can find a copy of the suit here. (Direct Pdf link here)

He’s not kidding when he says that they are suing everyone. Of note is this comment about 100 John Does who the City of San Francisco also named as defendants:

The true names or capacities, whether individual, corporate, associate, or otherwise, of DOE I through DOE 100 are unknown to plaintiffs, who therefore sue such defendants by such fictitious names, and who will amend this complaint to show their true names and capacities when ascertained. Continue Reading…

We reported last week the Board Of Pilot’s decision to formally charge Captain Cota for a list of safety related infractions. Today we have received copies of the official accusation;

At about 0600 on Wednesday, 07 November 2007, Captain Cota boarded the M/V COSCO BUSAN at Oakland Berth 56 to act as its pilot for its transit from Berth 56 to sea. The vessel was scheduled to sail at 0630.

[Continue Reading →]