December 20, 2007
Cosco Busan Gets Final O.K. To Leave San Francisco
Yes, that's my bulbous bow AND I'm glad to see you. Bilge water raining down from the top of the Cosco Busan into San Francisco Bay from a few days back. Larger photo here.
This time it's for reals. Our Coast Guard, the smallest branch of the United States Armed Forces, just issued walking papers for the Cosco Busan. That means it can leave whenever. Watch it sail away when the time comes here. (It's the little orange arrow in the lower right corner.) Don't be surprised if it makes a stop or two on the way out in order to pick up some stuff to take back home.
This isn't the first time the Busan needed repairs after an accident. It had a little run in last year around Humbug, Germany that damaged the aforementioned bow. Brush up on your Deutsch and check it out, or just take a gander at the grisly post-collision photo on page 14 of the pdf here. That must have hurt.
Let's hope she has no problems on the way home. Details from the Coast Guard after the jump.
Photo Credit: Fair Use Doctrine
The Coasties are taking pains to point out that the investigation will continue after this departure.
"Press Release
Date: 20 December 2007
Contact: Lieutenant Anya Hunter 415-399-7326
Coast Guard Allows Cosco Busan to Depart, Investigations Continue
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf. - The Coast Guard has authorized the COSCO BUSAN to resume maritime commerce. The customs hold and all orders requiring the vessel to remain in San Francisco issued by the Captain of the Port have been lifted. Required temporary repairs to the vessel have been completed, the vessel and crew have been verified safe to sail, and the vessel operator has provided a satisfactory load plan for cargo operations. Earlier issues regarding operation of the ship that were of concern have been addressed by the vessel's owner to the Coast Guard's satisfaction.
The Coast Guard Captain of the Port previously directed the master of the COSCO BUSAN to keep the ship in port in order to ensure the vessel's seaworthiness, the crew's proper training in bridge management in accordance with international standards, and that U.S. legal interests are protected in the event the owner, operator, or person in charge is subject to a fine or civil penalty.
The Coast Guard and NTSB marine casualty investigations into the COSCO BUSAN's allision with the San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge on November 7th continue.
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U.S. Coast Guard- More than one million lives saved since 1790."
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Is anyone else reminded of the giant shoe which would come crashing down at the end of the opening credits for Monty Python's Flying Circus?
Ah so the real story is that the Cosco Busan used to have the much sassier name "Hanjin Cairo". Whoda thunk she could have changed her name before soiling our fine virginal shores. Excellent find Sfist.
(From my limited German, it looks like that crash back in Humbug wasn't her fault, she was just sitting there). "A steering problem with the doppelsheibe no doubt."