1,110-foot NYK VESTA is Safely Moved Through Port’s Turning Basin
San Francisco (June 19, 2008) – San Francisco Bar Pilots navigated the largest cargo container ship ever to call at the Port of Oakland, safely executing a 180-degree turn of the NYK VESTA.
The VESTA arrived at the pilot station 11 miles west of the Golden Gate at 0500 Thursday. By 0730, after passing under both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Oakland Bay Bridge, she was safely moored and ready to work cargo. In the late afternoon pilot Capt. Eric Dohm guided the VESTA from the dock, through the Port of Oakland’s turning basin and back out to sea. Turning a vessel of that size in a confined turning basin is a maneuver requiring the pilot to coordinate the use of the vessel’s powerful engine, a bow thruster and assist tugs to insure a successful outcome. The vessel essentially dams up the estuary and the tugs need to be capable of overcoming the force of the current against the hull.
At 1,110-feet long, 150-feet wide and with a gross tonnage of 97,825 tons, the VESTA is the largest cargo ship ever to call at the Port of Oakland and evidence of the Port’s continued economic vitality.
At that size, the VESTA is some 250 feet longer than San Francisco’s Transamerica Tower is tall.
“It’s a lot of ship to move but the turn was performed skillfully and without any problems,” said Captain Peter McIsaac, Port Agent and President of the San Francisco Bar Pilots. “The NYK VESTA and vessels like it represent the future of shipping commerce. We are glad to have had the opportunity to pilot the VESTA on her maiden visit to the Port of Oakland.”