On November 7th the Cosco Busan allided with the fendering of the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge Delta Tower. San Francisco Bar Pilots’ personnel were at the scene of this accident within minutes and provided reports to the United States Coast Guard about oil leaking from the ship. All our training and everything we do on the job is designed to prevent this type of incident. Many of us were drawn to a career in piloting because of our early love of the sea and ships. We all live and work in this community and are devastated by the affect this accident has had on the San Francisco Bay Area.
Since 1850, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have provided safe navigation, employing local knowledge and ship handling expertise. Thousands of vessels transit San Francisco Bay and its tributaries each year. We take pride in our safety record.
San Francisco Bar Pilots are licensed by both the U. S. Coast Guard and the state of California. Before being commissioned by the state, qualified candidates must undergo extensive training and testing, handling hundreds of vessels. We use the very latest in technology and participate in continuing education to insure that our members attain and maintain peak performance.
We are actively participating in the many investigations now underway into this incident. In addition, we will be conducting our own internal review and will implement changes as needed once we know the causal factors, looking to ensure that an accident like this will never occur again.
It is not only our desire, but our duty to protect the environment and it is a duty that we take extremely seriously.