M/V Fernstream wreck project; San Francisco Bay, CA

San Francisco Bay, CA | 2013-Jun-11

Initial Notification: On the morning of December 11, 1952, the diesel-powered general cargo ship M/V FERNSTREAM sank approximately 1 NM East of the Gold Gate Bridge after being involved in a collision with the SS HAWAIIAN RANCHER. At the time, she was headed to Manila, Philippines and loaded with 3,000 tons of soybeans, general cargo and an estimated 12,500-19,000 bbls of diesel fuel. The FERNSTREAM is one of four potentially polluting shipwrecks described in NOAA’s RULET (Remediation of Underwater Legacy Environmental Threats) risk assessments for the waters off California (USCG District 11). Because it is not yet clear whether substantial amounts of the ship’s bunkers may remain aboard the FERNSTREAM, a USCG Sector San Francisco-led Taskforce is considering the potential pollution risks of the ship based on initially available data and subsequent investigative efforts. This Hotline has been created primarily as an archive for NOAA’s support of the Taskforce activities.