Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

San Francisco Bar Pilots News

04 Dec 2023

Marine News' Top Vessels of 2023

Empire State (Photo: MARAD)

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

24 Mar 2023

San Francisco Area Storms Wreak Havoc on Marine Navigation

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Recent storms that crossed the San Francisco Bay Area earlier this week left multiple vessels, docks, and barges adrift, causing navigational safety issues around the areaThree 60-foot deck barges were adrift, causing an allision with the 3rd Street Bridge at McCovey Cove leading to Mission Creek. U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco's Prevention Department was made aware of the situation and broadcasted a Notice to Mariners, noting that the area was closed to navigation. A finalized assessment of the bridge is pending the completion of an inspection by engineers.

14 Mar 2023

Snow & Company Launches San Francisco Pilot Boat

(Photo: Snow & Company)

Seattle shipbuilder Snow & Company on Tuesday launched a new pilot boat it is building for the San Francisco Bar Pilots.The 67-foot-long, all-aluminum vessel Golden Gate was designed by U.K. firm Camarc Design and is capable of speeds up to 30 knots.The vessel is is powered by MAN D2862 LE 438 1,200HP US EPA Tier 4 engines that drive Hamilton HTX52 waterjets through Twin Disc MGX 6599 SC gearboxes. The vessel is also equipped with Northern Lights M944T3F 38kW generators.It has…

23 Jan 2023

Glosten to Design New Station Boats for San Francisco Bar Pilots

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten announced it has been hired by San Francisco Bar Pilots to design new station boats that will meet California Air Resources Board (CARB) emission requirements.Glosten’s support of the new station boats includes a propulsion feasibility study, which is currently underway, and a contract design package.The first two station boats are expected to be in service by the end of 2024, with the third in service by the end of 2025, making San Francisco Bar Pilots the first pilot association in California to acquire vessels that will meet CARB’s Commercial Harbor Craft Regulation. The rules…

27 Dec 2019

Captain Pleads Guilty to Operating Bulker While Intoxicated

The master of a Gibraltar-flagged bulk carrier has pleaded guilty to operating a commercial cargo ship while intoxicated, announced U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson and U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Marie Byrd.In pleading guilty, Vadim Humenyuk, of Izmail, Ukraine, admitted that he was intoxicated while serving as the 590-foot long Rainbow Quest while in San Francisco Bay and preparing to sail to South Korea. The plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixon.The investigation began on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, when a San Francisco Bar Pilot contacted Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Vessel Traffic Service personnel reporting that the captain of the Rainbow Quest appeared to be intoxicated. Investigators of the U.S.

05 Jan 2016

Benjamin Franklin Sails Home

The largest container ship to ever visit the U.S., the1,300-foot-long CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, left the Port of Oakland Monday afternoon around 1:15 p.m. after docking at the port on New Year’s Eve, port officials said. It stopped at Los Angeles first before arriving in Oakland, and will export agricultural products and other items back to Asia, port officials said. CMA CGM, based in Marseilles, France, expects the Benjamin Franklin to return to Oakland regularly, hauling cargo between China, South Korea and the West Coast. Receiving an 18,000-TEU capacity vessel for the first time requires long and meticulous preparation to guarantee a flawless call and fluid operations in as little time as possible.

28 Dec 2014

Limited Anchorage Space at San Francisco

San Francisco Bay Anchorages will be unable to accommodate vessels with drafts greater than 25 feet. Vessels en-route to San Francisco expecting to anchor with drafts in excess of 25 feet should expect delays and are advised to coordinate with their agents and the San Francisco Bar Pilots on VHF-FM CH10 or (415) 393-0457. For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at [email protected]

16 Dec 2009

San Francisco Bar Pilots Support Cal Maritime

Photo courtesy The California Maritime Academy

The San Francisco Bar Pilots Association (SFBPA) is renewing and strengthening its long-standing support for The California Maritime Academy through a combination of scholarships and support for enhanced recruitment efforts totaling over $75,000 over the next five years. SFBPA President, Capt. Peter McIsaac said his organization has formalized a five-year commitment to the Academy to underwrite four annually-renewable $2,500 scholarships for cadets pursuing a Bachelor’s degree and licensure as a qualified deck officer.

20 Jul 2009

Prison Sentence For Cosco Busan Pilot

John Joseph Cota, the pilot who caused the Cosco Busan, a 900-ft long container ship, to collide with the San Francisco Bay Bridge and discharge approximately 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay, was sentenced to serve 10 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston for the Northern District of California, the Justice Department announced. Cota, who was a licensed bar pilot at the time of the collision, gave commands that caused the 65,131-ton Hong Kong-registered ship to collide with the bridge on Nov. 7, 2007. Cota was sentenced according to an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to negligently causing discharge of a harmful quantity of oil in violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA)…

15 Feb 2008

Cargo Ship Loses Propulsion in SF Bay

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco received notification from the Motor Vessel WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE through the Vessel Traffic Service that the vessel lost propulsion while transiting through San Francisco Bay just before 4:30 p.m. yesterday (February 14) afternoon. The vessel immediately took proper precautionary measures by safely anchoring within the shipping channel in less than five minutes. The Coast Guard, San Francisco Police Department Marine unit and two tug boats safely escorted the vessel, which was able to restart its main propulsion engine, to Anchorage Nine where the vessel is currently anchored. All appropriate notifications were made in a timely and proper manner.

07 Nov 2001

Marco Shipyard: Rolling With The Changes

Over their lifetime, fishing vessels are arguably the most robustly constructed maritime structures around, due to their continuous operation in the most arduous of conditions. Marco Shipyard in Seattle — founded in 1953 — built its business and reputation in the fishing industry, producing boats for operation around the globe. In fact, Peter G. Schmidt, company founder and president, was an innovator in the use of steel construction for the fishing vessel market, which previously consisted mostly of wooden boats. "He wanted to bring small boatbuilding into the modern world," said Bob McMahon, vice president. While the market for building new fishing vessels is a far cry from 10 years ago…

24 Jan 2002

Building a Quiet Vessel without a Navy Budget

The term "Quiet Vessel" evokes images of stealthy nuclear submarines such as the Seawolf or the new Virginia Class. You may even think of the super-secret Sea Shadow, a radar evading surface vessel designed and built by the makers of the stealth fighter and stealth bomber, the Lockheed "Skunk-Works". However, you would probably not relate the term, "Quiet Vessel", to a new pair of Station Pilot-Boats built for the San Francisco Bar Pilots, a Voith-Schiedner Tractor Tug or a new Ferry for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Whereas the Seawolf and Sea Shadow were designed to be quiet underwater, the Pilotboat, tugboat and ferry were simply designed to be quiet for their occupants.

23 Apr 2001

MARCO Delivers First of Two 104-ft. Boats for SF Bar Pilots

A few weeks before scheduled delivery of the first of two new 104-ft. pilot boats for the San Francisco Bar Pilots, Marco Shipyard Seattle managers were anticipating a smooth, on-time delivery – but everything changed during the vessel’s first sea trial. “At that late date we realized that the keel coolers that we specified and purchased were not adequate to cool the diesel generators. After we had already purchased the generator sets and the keel coolers, the diesel engines’ specifications, including heat rejection, were changed by their manufacturer,” says Bob McMahon, Marco Shipyard’s vice president and general manager at Marco Seattle. McMahon contacted Duramax Marine, the manufacturer of the new DuraCooler keel coolers used on the pilot boats.

09 Jul 2001

Repowering and Niche Marketing at Westar

Fireworks exploded over the Bay Bridge and thousands of people crowding the waterfront near the new ballpark gasped in admiration. Some of the best seats for the spectacle are along the north side of Pier 50, home of Westar Marine Services where owner's and employees share a barbecue in honor of the annual display sponsored by a local radio station. But the folks at Westar are more than passive observers, the tugs that are managing the fireworks barges are contracted from Westar. This annual fireworks event sums up Westar Marine Services' role on San Francisco Bay. They are the company that takes on all of the niche jobs that others with their large investments in big horsepower and Z-drives can't afford to be doing.

03 Feb 2000

MARCO Signs Contract With S.F. Bar Pilots

MARCO Shipyard Seattle is scheduled to design and build a duo of 104 ft., (31.7 m) pilot station boats for the San Francisco Bar Pilots. With construction to commence soon, the design portion of the project is near completion. The first vessel is set for delivery before year-end, with the second to follow in early 2001. Comprised of steel, the twin-screw vessels will replace the two existing station boats in the Bar Pilots' five-vessel fleet. Powered by twin Caterpillar 3508B diesels, providing a total of 2,200-hp and a design speed of 14 knots, the vessels will boast an overall beam of 30 ft. (9.1 m) and a depth of 13 ft. Designed to safely transport pilots to and from ships entering…

02 Mar 2000

MARCO Signs Contract with S.F. Bar Pilots

MARCO Shipyard Seattle is scheduled to design and build a duo of 104 ft. pilot station boats for the San Francisco Bar Pilots. With construction to commence soon, the design portion of the project is near completion. The first vessel is set for delivery before year-end, with the second to follow in early 2001. Comprised of steel, the twin-screw vessels will replace the two existing station boats in the Bar Pilots' five-vessel fleet. Powered by twin Caterpillar 3508B diesels, providing a total of 2,200-hp and a design speed of 14 knots, the vessels will boast an overall beam of 30 ft. and a depth of 13 ft. Designed to safely transport pilots to and from ships entering, departing or transiting the San Francisco Bay waterways, the vessels will feature accommodations for eight pilots.