by Hans | August 18th, 2009
Monday August 17 San Francisco — A decommissioned U.S. Navy tugboat sank off Treasure Island on Monday afternoon, spilling a sheen of oil onto San Francisco Bay. At 11:49 a.m., the tug was reported low in the water near a pier on the southeast corner of the island. By afternoon it was submerged except for the tip of the mast. A thin sheen of oil had reached as far as Berkeley Marina. It’s unlikely that more than 25 gallons of diesel fuel and 10 gallons of lube oil leaked from the tug, said Diane Shipway of Parker Diving Service, one of two firms brought in by the Coast Guard to assist in the cleanup. Nor are there reports of harm to wildlife, said Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Jeremy Pichette. Originally the Wenonah, the tug was taken out of service in 1974. It is owned by the Historic Tugboat Education and Restoration Society.
San Francisco Chronicle by John King
