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Removal of Captain Al

Removal of Captain Al

Photo: sfgate.com
Photo: sfgate.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a two month long project to remove 40 abandoned vessels in the Oakland Estuary.  The bottom of the estuary if full of marine debris, sunken vessels and toxic materials.  Contractors has raised the 105 foot long tugboat Captain Al near Alameda, California.  The Captain Al had been sunk in the estuary for over 15 years when the tugboat was abandoned in the 1990s.  Divers pumped out sediment from the Captain Al then cranes hoisted the vessel to the surface.  Reports state the project will cost around 3.5 million dollars, but some of the funds were paid by from owners of the Cosco Busan.   The Cosco Busan had struck the Bay Bridge in 2007 and released over 53,000 gallons of bunker oil into the bay.

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From the Archive: SS Harvard

From the Archive: SS Harvard

Photo: UCLA / Los Angeles Times
Photo: UCLA / Los Angeles Times

On May 31, 1931 the passenger steamship Harvard went aground off Point Arguello, California.   The Harvard was running its regular schedule between San Francisco and Los Angeles with 500 passengers when it went hard aground during the night in heavy fog.  The sea was calm and there was no panic among the passengers.  The Harvard’s lifeboats were lowered and stood by until a passing freighter arrived on scene.   The passengers would later be transferred to the U.S. Navy cruiser U.S.S. Louisville which had been at anchor at Los Angeles harbor.   The Harvard broke up and became a total loss before it could be refloated.   The 3700 ton Harvard was launched in 1907 at Chester, Pennsylvania.   The vessel served a short time in World War I as a troopship before going back into service as a passenger steamship.

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Delta Captain

Delta Captain

Delta Captain

The tugboat Delta Captain sank near Big Sur, California.  The Delta Captain was towing a barge when it began to sink.   The four crew on board sent out a distress call before abandoning ship to the vessel’s life raft.  The crew were later rescued by the Coast Guard and taken to shore.  No reports of injuries.   The cause of the sinking was not known.

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