Large clipper ship sinks in Alameda

Coast Guard investigating sunken ship in Alameda

A large clipper ship sank Sunday night in the waters in Alameda. 

ALAMEDA, Calif. - A large clipper ship sank Sunday night in the waters in Alameda. 

Firefighters arrived at 6:15 p.m. at Blanding Avenue, just behind a shopping center by Nob Hill Foods, to find the dock underwater, and the vessel sinking.

Firefighters cut the ship’s lines to keep it from dragging down other boats and safely moved one vessel out of harm’s way.

On Monday, divers were working to contain what officials believe is around 400 gallons of diesel on board. 

Kevin Tidwell from Alameda Fire Department said the 100-foot-long sailing ship was submerged up to its deck when they arrived on scene.

The ship was unoccupied at the time it began sinking.

Cleanup Efforts:

Fire crews from Alameda and Oakland set up a floating barrier, called a ‘boom,’ to avoid environmental harm. 

"The boom sits on top of the water," said Tidwell. "It floats and it basically tries to stop that fluid sheen, any fluids, diesel, any sort of debris from floating into the waterways."

Crews have been working to contain any oil, and keep it from leaking into the water.

CA Fish and Wildlife Lt. Jason Rogers, who is part of the Office of Spill Prevention and Response, was on scene on Monday, and said the spillage could have been worse.

"There’s been a very minimal release of any fuel that we’re aware of, and a little bit of oil was released from the surrounding engine area," he said.

The backstory:

Officials said the ship was an active working vessel called SV Kaisei, run by environmental non-profit Ocean Voyages Institute, known for cleaning up ocean debris, but locals said the ship was dilapidated.

"It hasn't moved in all the time I've been here," said Jonathan Faucett, who moved to Alameda in 2019.

Laurence Boag, also from Alameda, said, "We kayak past here every day and we’ve been watching it for years and it’s been kind of a derelict ship."

Ocean Voyages Institute confirmed to KTVU that its ship sank, and said that the SV Kaisei had a long history of service.

"Kaisei has served as a vital platform for global sail training since 2004, and ocean research since 2009, including expeditions to the North Pacific Gyre in partnership with Scripps Institution of Oceanography and California EPA," Ocean Voyages Institute said in a prepared statement. "The ship’s pioneering work laid the foundation for Ocean Voyages Institute’s record-setting cleanup operations, including the use of satellite-tagged "ghost nets" recovered by wind-powered vessels."

The institute added officials think something struck the vessel, causing it to sink.

"The Coast Guard believes that the sinking may have been caused by something large hitting the vessel," Ocean Voyages Institute said in a prepared statement. "Our first concern was to make sure that this tragic accident did not cause any environmental damage. Ocean Voyages Institute, the Board of Directors, and the whole team, want to give huge thanks to the Alameda Fire Department, the US Coast Guard, the State of California Fish and Wildlife division, the Alameda Police Department, and Stones Boatyard."

The institute said salvage operations will begin once "all of the environmental concerns are addressed."

Crews said it could take a few days before the wreckage is cleared. 

The Coast Guard, which is investigating the sinking, did not confirm the cause.