(ALAMEDA, Calif.) — A well-known environmental research vessel, the 150-foot Kaisei, sank Sunday evening while docked in the Oakland Estuary, SFist.com reported. No one was on board, and firefighters worked to contain the nearly 400 gallons of diesel on the ship.
The double-masted replica vessel, operated by the Ocean Voyages Institute in Sausalito, began sinking about 6 p.m. near the 2500 block of Blanding Avenue in Alameda. Witnesses on land saw the vessel partially submerged and alerted authorities, according to U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Kenneth Wiese.
Crews from both the Alameda and Oakland fire departments responded, including a fireboat. The ship began pulling part of the dock down with it, and responders cut the mooring lines to prevent further structural damage, according to Alameda Fire Department public information officer Kevin Tidwell.
Kaisei has since settled on the estuary floor. Firefighters deployed a boom around the wreck to contain a visible sheen of leaking fuel. The vessel is believed to have contained up to 400 gallons of diesel on board, Wiese said.
The cause of the sinking remains under investigation. Officials with the Coast Guard and other agencies are monitoring the situation and coordinating next steps.
Kaisei is a modern replica of a traditional Japanese training vessel and serves as the flagship for the Ocean Voyages Institute’s cleanup missions. The nonprofit has operated out of Sausalito since 1979 and launched the Kaisei Project to remove plastic waste and marine debris from the Pacific, including three expeditions to the North Pacific Garbage Patch.
