Tug Sinks Sailboat Under Golden Gate
Posted by Clark Beek // January 27, 2013 // COMMENT (0 Comments)
Yesterday at about 3:30 p.m. a tug and barge struck a sailboat near the Golden Gate Bridge. The two crew of the sailboat were thrown into the water, rescued by the Coast Guard, and treated for hypothermia. The sailboat itself didn't fare so well, and went to the bottom.
It isn't clear whether it was the tug or the tow that struck the sailboat, and the Coast Guard isn't revealing any other details, nor the names of the vessels, until they complete their investigation. The sailboat was supposed to be a 20-30 footer.
Out my window (I live in San Francisco) the weather was clear yesterday with our usual strong westerly. According to NOAA, the current would have been near max ebb at about 2.6 knots, against the wind, which always makes things wild and wooly in the Golden Gate.
The depth ranges from about 150-250 feet deep along the bridge, and currents reach three knots, so locating, much less recovering the sailboat, would be tough.