USCG VTS San Francisco History and Fact Sheet History and Fact Sheet OUR MISSION The primary purpose of Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) San Francisco is to facilitate the safe and efficient transit of vessel traffic in the waterways of San Francisco Bay, its seaward approaches and tributaries in an effort to prevent collisions, rammings, groundings and the associated loss of life and damage to property and the environment. The secondary purpose of VTS San Francisco is to provide assistance to other Coast Guard units in the accomplishment of their missions, such as search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and aids to navigation. VTS San Francisco is responsible for the safe movement of approximately 133 miles of waterway from offshore to the ports of Stockton and Sacramento. VTS San Francisco averages 250 vessel movements a day. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY Jan 1968 - HARP Formulated: The Harbor Advisory Radar Project (HARP) was formulated in January 1968. The purpose of HARP was to evaluate land based radar in maritime traffic control. San Francisco was selected as the site of the first project, in early 1969, due to the well developed Coast Guard communications system in the Bay Area, the port traffic density was not high enough to require complex data collection and the high occurrence of fog allowed a complete evaluation of system benefits during low visibility. It was believed at that time that the experience gained at San Francisco Bay would be applicable at other ports. Jan 1970 - HARP Operational: In January 1970, HARP became operational. Located at Pier 45 Fishermans wharf in the Marine Exchange lookout station, HARP worked on channel 18A VHF-FM. HARP was a voluntary system of vessel movement reports. No Captain of the Port authority was granted to direct vessel movements. Jan 1971 - Collision: On 18 January 1971 at 0141 in low visibility, as the HARP watchstanders looked helplessly on, the Tankers ARIZONA STANDARD and OREGON STANDARD collide near the Golden Gate Bridge spilling 800,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay causing extreme environmental damage and raising national publicity. This collision resulted in the complete shutdown of port operations. The cause of the accident, according to the NTSB was: (1) the failure of the vessels to establish and maintain communications; (2) navigating a narrow channel in dense fog; (3) failure of the OREGON STANDARD to make timely radar contact; (4) Loss of radar contact by the ARIZONA STANDARD and (5) negligence on the part of both masters. The NTSB recommended that HARP be continued and that legislation be passed by congress requiring the use of Bridge-to-Bridge radiotelephone. Aug 1971 - Bridge to Bridge Radiotelephone Act: In 1971 the Bridge to Bridge Radiotelephone Act was passed by Congress. This act requires vessels to carry a radiotelephone on the navigation bridge to be used to communicate movement intentions to the bridge of other vessels. Implementing regulations by the Coast Guard and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated VHF FM Channel 13 as the Bridge-to-Bridge frequency. Sep 1971 - VTS Advisory Committee Established: In September 1971 an advisory committee was established for the establishment of VTS San Francisco. The purpose of this committee was to establish traffic lanes in San Francisco Bay (the Traffic Separation Scheme was adopted for use in March 1973), and to develop draft regulations for the use of the traffic lanes. The committee consisted of 10 members (tug/ferry operators and pilots/masters). Jul 1972 - Ports and Waterways Safety Act: In July 1972 the Ports and Waterways Safety Act was passed by Congress. This act authorizes the Coast Guard to establish, operate and maintain vessel traffic services for ports, harbors, and other waters subject to congested vessel traffic. Aug 1972 - VTS San Francisco Established: In August 1972 VTS San Francisco was established and in May 1973 VTS San Francisco was relocated atop Yerba Buena Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The operating frequency of VTS was changed to VHF FM Channel 13. 1978 - Port and Tanker Safety Act: This act gave the Coast Guard authority via the Secretary of Transportation to order any vessel to operate or anchor in a manner to which the Coast Guard directs if by reason of weather, visibility, sea conditions, port congestion, or other hazardous circumstances such directive is justified in the interest of safety. Nov 1978: At 0845 on 5 November 1978, in low visibility near the Golden Gate Bridge, the M/V ORIENTAL FINANCIER and F/V KAISER collide in San Francisco Bay with no loss of life (4 persons rescued even though the F/V was totally destroyed). VTS did not have the F/V on radar and the skipper reported that he was not listening to channel 13. It was determined that VTS procedures were adequate at the time of this accident. Nov 1980: On 2 November 1980, after VTS San Francisco took navigational control of a charter F/V (lost in the fog), the F/V DORA BELLA ran aground near Baker Beach vicinity Golden Gate Bridge, no loss of life. However this incident established guidelines for navigational control of vessels by VTS that are still in effect today (under no circumstances does VTS take navigational control of a vessels movement). May 1986: On 26 May 1986, the Tanker GOLDEN GATE, while proceeding northbound offshore (7 miles NNW of Point Reyes), collided with the F/V JACK Jr. resulting in the loss of three lives. This accident resulted in VTS establishing the Offshore Vessel Movement Reporting System (OVMRS). The OVMRS was the first of its kind in the United States. The OVMRS is used to receive vessel movement information (course, speed and ETA's to various reporting points) from vessels transiting through an area bounded by a 38.7 nautical mile radius around Mount Tamalpais. The information received from vessels is broadcast on VHF channel 12 by VTS twice an hour on the quarter hour. 1990 - Oil Pollution Act (OPA 90): This Act required that the Coast Guard specify certain vessels must participate in a VTS. The Coast Guard begins process to establish VTS National Regulations which became effective October 1994. Oct 1994 - VTS National Regulations: On 13 October 1994, federal regulations made participation in the VTS mandatory for power-driven vessels 40+ meters long while navigating, towing vessels 8+ meters long while towing, and vessels certificated to carry 50+ passengers for hire while engaged in trade. May 1995 - San Francisco Bay Regulated Navigation Areas: On 3 May 1995, federal regulations went into effect establishing regulated navigation areas within the San Francisco Bay Region. These regulations, developed with input from the Harbor Safety Committee of the San Francisco Bay Region, will increase navigation safety by organizing traffic flow patterns; reducing meeting, crossing, and overtaking situations in constricted channels; and by limiting vessels' speeds. 23 May 1997 - Commenced operations with new VTS Upgrade System: VTS Upgrade System includes the installation of state-of-the-art computer digitized radar displays shown on electronic charts. The capabilities of the new system will automate many of the controller's duties allowing more time for monitoring traffic. VTS YEARLY PARTICIPANTS Type of Vessel198919901991199219931994199519961997** Commercial5,7615,8775,8764,9595,0855,5155,0824,9253,894 Hazardous9583971578677768789 U. S. Navy2,2361,9131,8231,330854651540267105 U. S. Coast Guard2,5721,9071,7881,6501,4001,3232,0521,5561,021 Submarines677069617956541816 Foreign Navy455949513930314428 Tugs without Tow8685255174423619101,9681,9941,370 Tugs with Tow13,79014,55313,08512,81213,93711,76415,73515,66612,434 Deep Draft24820523023726529820618897* Ferries56,03658,34356,58054,43959,96756,47859,34166,29053,780 US Government9351,0819041,0667378419119801,017 Non-channel 13532310236514693707679618198 Dredges2,8192,3901,9142,2553,1001,5631,3932,0631,086 Tankers3,9073,6843,5703,5373,6813,2242,7372,848208 Passenger Ships657015710216313628131936 TOTALS89,97691,07086,89583,61487,44783,57391,08697,86377,258 * Deep Draft Statistics not recorded after 22 May 1997. ** 1997 Statistics as of 30 September 1997. Home | Contacts | Communications Guide | Fact Sheet User's Manual | Links | VTS Area