It seemed like a prudent move four years ago―after the cargo ship Cosco Busan smashed into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on a foggy morning, spilling 53,000 gallons of bunker fuel―for the Harbor Safety Committee to ban large ships from sailing when visibility is low. The Bay region is one of the foggiest harbors in the United States.

A list of nine “critical maneuvering areas” with special fog rules was drawn up, including the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and Oakland Bar Channel, but conspicuously absent were the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge. It was said their inclusion would have too heavy an impact on bay commerce.  

That might change after the 752-foot oil tanker Overseas Reymar clipped the Bay Bridge in the fog on its way out to sea Monday. A small section of the bridge tower's fender was damaged, but state Department of Transportation officials said the span was considered safe. Nevertheless, the incident was classified by the U.S. Coast Guard as a “major marine casualty” because there was more than $500,000 damage.

No oil was spilled, but mea culpas gushed everywhere and Coast Guard Section Commander for San Francisco Cynthia L. Stowe requested that the 23-member safety committee revisit its policy quickly.

The committee promised to have preliminary recommendations by February 14, which could include a previously discussed proposal to park big ships during heavy fog in Bay holding spots otherwise used for refueling.

The lawyer for Guy Kleess, pilot of the Overseas Reymar, said fog could very well have contributed to the accident, along with faulty navigation devices, actions of the ship’s crew and water currents. The Coast Guard released a statement after the accident that the ship had been warned it was off course, but included few details.

Kleess, a former Exxon tanker captain, has been involved in three previous accidents during his 7-year tenure as a local bar pilot. Bar pilots guide big ships in and out of tricky coastal waters up and down the state. Kleess was held responsible in two of the three accidents and compelled to undergo additional training after damaging a dock in Stockton in 2009. He lost his pilot license for two months at the end of 2010 after receiving medical leave, according to the state Board of Pilot Commissioners.

–Ken Broder

To Learn More:

Coast Guard, Marine Officials Reconsidering Rule Allowing Large Ships to Sail in Fog Near the Bay Bridge (by Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News)

Bay Bridge Oil Tanker: Ship Had Been Warned Prior To Crash (by Paul Elias, Associated Press)

Crash Probe Turns to Bay Bridge Radar (by Kevin Fagan, San Francisco Chronicle)