Oil Tanker Crashes into San Francisco Bay Bridge

[Seabastian.Smith]

The oil tanker Overseas Reymar collided with the Bay Bridge. The tanker was damaged above the water line, and the bridge suffered no structural damage allowing all traffic lanes to remain open.

A container ship hit the bridge in 2007 spilling 53,000 gallons of oil into the bay. The bay was covered in thick fog, and the pilot had a history of drink driving and sleep apnea, and was under the influence of prescription drugs at the time.

What do you think could have been the reason for this collision?

[The Oil Baron]

The San Francisco Bay Bridge is huge and the supporting towers are very far apart. How then, did a sober, wide awake pilot manage to crash a ship into one of them?

[KitemanSA]

They are talking the Bay bridge, not the Golden Gate. The shipping lanes aren't that far from the pylons are they?

[The Oil Baron]

This photo shows a container ship passing under the Bay Bridge, and as I suspected, it seems that the shipping lanes are equidistant between the two support towers.

http://www.amyheiden.com/storage/blo...=1342626695987

[KitemanSA]

Right, about 1/3 ship length from the pylon but in a fog.

[Alan]

The 750-ft ship hit the bridge at a speed of 11.8 knots in fog.

Video of the damage to the bridge and the ship: http://www.safety4sea.com/page/14435...verseas-reymar

on http://www.odin.tc/news/read.asp?articleID=1703 the vessel's track can be seen and it passed outwards safely under the bridge before coming back and hitting the north side of the bridge.

Overseas Reymar is registered in the Marshall Islands.

[KitemanSA]

Ok, next stop, the orient.
Wait a minute, that wasn't the Golden Gate Bridge we just went under!
Where the heck are we?
Oops, turn around. We went the wrong way! orz
What was that crunching noise?
Maybe we can sneak away.
Busted! Ok, we'll wait here....

[Seabastian.Smith]

11.8 knots is fast! especially for a huge ship traveling in a harbour or bay area, add that fog and it just becomes irresponsible. Having said that the damage doesn't seem too bad.

[Alan]

I agree it seems very fast for the conditions. For Kiteman's scenario a lot would have to be wrong, for example no radar and no gps. That degree of not knowing where they were would be negligent even in a leisure boat, but for a ship registered in a flag of convenience, anything is possible.

Because of this, in Europe, ships are inspected in port and not allowed to leave until they are seaworthy according to the regulations of their country of registry. They check the officers' certificates and also things like whether the crew has been paid. I don't know what the situation is in the US.

[Ulrik]

Is inebriation out of the question? It would explain everything, and surely isnt too far fetched. Or do you think if it was something as simple as that the news would have already been released?