On 7 November 2007, the Cosco Busan made headlines around the world for
clipping the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on the outbound voyage and in
the process spilling just over 200 tonnes of oil. In absolute terms, this was a small
accident. The bridge structure was undamaged; the ship was gashed but
easily repaired (and quickly renamed); and the oil pollution was cleaned up with
environmental and ecological damage minimised.

This article looks at underlying issues of the interaction between the bridge team
and the pilot which may have contributed to the outcome.

Please click here for the full article, first published in Seaways magazine, September 2008 edition.

Reproduced from Seaways by permission of The Nautical Institute, the international professional body for qualified seafarers and others with an interest in nautical matters. The Institute provides a wide range of services to enhance the professional standing and knowledge of members who are drawn from all sectors of the maritime world: see http://www.nautinst.org/