erynthered Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Breaking news........ http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oil-tanker-hits-Bay-Bridge-4172745.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 I have no idea how a tanker could hit the bridge. It's not like it's terribly foggy today. One hit the bridge a few years ago and there was a small oil spill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erynthered Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 Ralph must have been driving...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 We almost hit the Golden Gate one time in a fishing boat. Guy had a big fish on his line and the captain gave him as long as possible to reel it in. He couldn't get it in and when we got 3' from the brigde we had to move and the fish was lost. But the day had a happy ending since I ended up with the big fish on the boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 (edited) I have no idea how a tanker could hit the bridge. It's not like it's terribly foggy today. One hit the bridge a few years ago and there was a small oil spill. Aren't the currents very tricky? Maybe the pilot was having a cellphone spat w/their significant other? True story... Up here they have towboats that have retractable pilot houses... As they are pushing say a string of 8 or so barges... The pilot house can be raised to see over the bow of the 700+ foot length of the tow... Also, when they come to a low bridge, the pilot house gets lowered to slide under the bridge... Anwyay, to make a long story short... The pilot of one tow was arguing with his wife on the cellphone... Guess what he forgot to do! LoL... Anway... I think when it comes to bridge allisions (A collision is when two objects strike each other, as when two ships passing make a misjudgment and one strikes another. An allision is similar, but refers to a collision where one of the two objects is stationary. The term is generally used in a nautical context. If a ship or boat strikes against a bridge abutment, this is called an allision.) I think the vessel has to post an immdediate bond that is in the millions of dollars... In the past, the vessel could high tail it out of the area and emerge in some other area registered in a new place under a new name! Even if it is foggy... I am sure that is no excuse, even with radar... I am sure the USCG urges the company to shut operation down until visability gets clearer... Again, even with radar... The company is still liabale. They don't allow to run on instruments alone! Edited January 8, 2013 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Yes the currents in the bay are crazy. We've seen sailboats out there both main and jib full of wind and the boat not moving. One of the weirdest things I've seen. But to miss the amount of open water between the the two spans is crazy. And it was a smaller tanker not a container ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Yes the currents in the bay are crazy. We've seen sailboats out there both main and jib full of wind and the boat not moving. One of the weirdest things I've seen. But to miss the amount of open water between the the two spans is crazy. And it was a smaller tanker not a container ship. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDPwBN_IKxs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 (edited) Yes the currents in the bay are crazy. We've seen sailboats out there both main and jib full of wind and the boat not moving. One of the weirdest things I've seen. But to miss the amount of open water between the the two spans is crazy. And it was a smaller tanker not a container ship. That is what I picked up when we visited Alcatraz... Some smart azz of course mentioned: "Why didn't they just swim off the island." Then he was properly schooled by the tour guide! LoL... Yes the currents in the bay are crazy. We've seen sailboats out there both main and jib full of wind and the boat not moving. One of the weirdest things I've seen. But to miss the amount of open water between the the two spans is crazy. And it was a smaller tanker not a container ship. Maybe he lost his "rudder"... I seen vessels lose all hydraulics... They were DOW (dead in the water). One time, a rake (sloping bow) t-boned a wall when you thought it could not be possible... Driving hard, the last 100 feet all things went terribly wrong... Took out a railing and came within inches of a light standard... Other time the window sill and corner of a control house. Edited January 8, 2013 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I just looked @ the pictures... More than just a scratch... But, the wooden timbers and rubber fenders did their job! I suppose the shipping company will not be too happy with the cost of repair? Anyway, somebody may get some nice firewood... The wood we use on the lock guide walls and sector gates is 12x12 solid oak... AND it has to be UNtreated since it comes in contact with the water. Once it is cut up and seasoned/dried... The stuff burns awesome, especially if you get a piece of "green heart." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 I just looked @ the pictures... More than just a scratch... But, the wooden timbers and rubber fenders did their job! I suppose the shipping company will not be too happy with the cost of repair? Anyway, somebody may get some nice firewood... The wood we use on the lock guide walls and sector gates is 12x12 solid oak... AND it has to be UNtreated since it comes in contact with the water. Once it is cut up and seasoned/dried... The stuff burns awesome, especially if you get a piece of "green heart." Seems a shame to burn solid oak milled to those dimensions. I guess if it's all smashed up, yes. One other things about larger vessels is that they can lose helm if they move too slowly. So they have to maintain a fairly good speed in order to steer. At that speed, it's hard to maneuver to correct a miscalculation. Anyways those Maritime Pilots are said to make lots of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 (edited) Seems a shame to burn solid oak milled to those dimensions. I guess if it's all smashed up, yes. One other things about larger vessels is that they can lose helm if they move too slowly. So they have to maintain a fairly good speed in order to steer. At that speed, it's hard to maneuver to correct a miscalculation. Anyways those Maritime Pilots are said to make lots of money. Oh of course you are right... It is only when the wood is being replaced because of being broken/damaged or getting old and chewed up... They can't use it in the badly broken form... Most of it may have been out of the water, which is a plus for being dry already. What else can you do with it? Nice firewood... At one time, the lock I work @ was all wood along the upper and lower guide walls... Just recently, that was replaced with rubber... The only wood left is on the lock (sector) gates. Rubber is nice... But vessels "bounce" and do more structural damage AT TIMES. Wood shatters and absorbs the blow. Notice these San Fran pictures how the upper wood is all shattered? Actually, here in Illinois, with Lake Michigan being so low, it is giving us the opportunity to add another row of rubber timbers to our upper guide wall! I don't know what they make there... But some river pilots can make up to 500-800 bucks a day... Most live on the boats for 2-3 weeks on and 2-3 weeks off... Company pays all the food expenses... Get with a good outfit and your vessel gets a cook. Most other outfits and it is your co-workers (Billy Joe hillbilly) doing the boat's mess! LoL.. With this recent allision in The Bay Area... They say there may have been a strong ebb current... Visibility may have been low too... BUT that is no excuse, you are not allowed to just trust you radar ALONE, that is why they make them stay put... Yet, time is money. Like @ the locks... For every hour delay, an average company will lose about a grand... Then on top of it they are burning diesel that gets surcharged about 19 cents a gallon extra... Edited January 8, 2013 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 According to the paper this morning,I had unloaded its load of oil, then went south under the bridge right off of SF. it then went to an anchorage SE of AT&T Park to refuel with bunker oil (for the engines, then came back under the bridge when it hit it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 (edited) According to the paper this morning,I had unloaded its load of oil, then went south under the bridge right off of SF. it then went to an anchorage SE of AT&T Park to refuel with bunker oil (for the engines, then came back under the bridge when it hit it. So it was mt? That meaning no load except the fuel that powers it. That could be and issue in a tricky current situation, like San Jose Bills Fan stated. They were probably driving hard when grazed the abutment. Personally, that (when mt) is when I have seen stuff go terribly wrong... Especially when the vessel is sitting high out of the water in windy conditions. Again, not that they want to hit them... That is what the wooden/rubber timber fender structures are for. Gonna be a pretty bill, doesn't look too bad though. BUT they will have to check everything out. I wonder how much bond they (shipping company) gotta post in such an incident? Also, I was reading that large vessels transiting that area have to be under control by a bar pilot... No matter even if it is a large private yacht. I think of the Caddyshack line: "You scratched my anchor!" Edited January 8, 2013 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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