WAN HAI 176

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Disabled ship towed to San Francisco Bay

The US Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response and Marin County were alerted by the 'Wan Hai 176' on April 8, 2022, which had suffered an engine failure and went adrift approximately seven miles off the coast of Point Reyes, California, with 21 crew members on board. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders were notified around 1 p.m. of the container ship experiencing engine problems while approximately 12 miles offshore. Around 3:45 p.m. the captain reported they were unable to properly anchor and were moving closer to shore. Tugs were contacted at 6 p.m. to assist the vessel. The Sector San Francisco watchstanders directed the launch of Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27J Spartan and Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter air crews around 6:20 p.m. to monitor the on-scene conditions. The Coast Guard, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response and Marin County established a unified command to continue its response to the container ship in the morning of April 9. The 'Wan Hai 176' remained stable at anchor overnight while tugs transited to the ship’s location. The towing vessel Tug Stacey Foss arrived at 10 p.m. to assist. The tugs 'Delta Deanna' and 'Delta Billie' arrived on scene around 2:30 a.m. to also assist the ship. Due to rough weather the towing vessels have been unable to deploy lines to tow the ship. The ship has approximately 39.000 gallons of fuel on board, which was approximately eight percent of its total capacity. There were no reports of pollution. She was carrying miscellaneous materials in 783 containers and has no reported hazardous materials. Due to more favorable weather conditions, the 'Delta Deanna' was able to pass tow lines to the Wan Hai 176’s crew at its anchored location approximately seven miles off the coast of Point Reyes in the evening of April 10. Once the lines and anchors were secured, the tug began towing the 'Wan Hai 176' with the tugs 'Stacey Foss', 'Delta Billie', 'Delta Deanna' and 'Rachel Allen' escorting the ship to anchorage nine in the San Francisco Bay. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port of San Francisco has ordered the ship to remain at the anchorage until the ship’s engines have been fixed and Coast Guard personnel have conducted an inspection of the ship. Once the Captain of the Port order is removed, the ship is scheduled to be escorted out of the San Francisco Bay with tugs. Reports with photos: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/312bb80?reqfrom=share https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/312d5ff?reqfrom=share