Pac Baroness; 12 miles southwest of Point Conception, California

12 miles southwest of Point Conception, California | 1987-Sep-21

Initial Notification: On September 21, 1987 at 0600, the Liberian bulk carrier Pac Baroness and the Panamanian freighter Atlantic Wing collided in foggy, high sea conditions, twelve miles southwest of Point Conception, California. The Pac Baroness was carrying 21,000 metric tons of dry bulk copper concentrate consisting of 30% copper, 30% iron, 30% other oxides and approximately 9,200 barrels of bunker fuel (IFO-180 and marine diesel fuel) as well as quantities of lube oil and hydraulic oil. The Atlantic Wing was carrying automobiles and was bound for Long Beach. The Pac Baroness sustained damage to the number 4 and 5 cargo holds and the Atlantic Wing suffered a 25 foot by 10 foot gash in her bow. The Chief Engineer on board the Pac Baroness activated the vessel's bilge pumps and a tug attached a towline to the vessel to prevent the Pac Baroness from drifting toward the shoreline. By 1607, the Pac Baroness was still taking on water and was close to sinking. The Pac Baroness sank at 1618 on September 21, resulting in a release of approximately 9,200 barrels of oil and quantities of copper ore over the next 20 days. The currents at the time of the incident were to the northwest at 3-4 knots; winds in the area were from the N-NW at 10 knots. The seasonal Davidson Current flows north along isobaths at about 0.25 knots. The Clean Seas Co-op was originally conducting cleanup on behalf of the owners of the Pac Baroness. On September 24, Clean Seas notified the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC) that they would no longer be continuing operations due to disagreements over their contract with the owners. The FOSC declared the incident a Federal response and opened the 311 (k) fund. The USCG began negotiations to contract Clean Seas as part of the Federal response. By September 28, Clean Seas had resumed working for the owners of the Pac Baroness, with the agreement that the owners would finance the Clean Seas response inclusive of the period from September 24 to September 28. USCG district 11. Keyword: International Bird Rescue and Research Center (IBRRC), adverse weather conditions, Elastol, Davidson Current, side looking airborne radar (SLAR), skimmer..