SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard is enforcing a safety zone Saturday morning for the motor vessel Tern, a 590-foot vessel, that will transport the Port of San Francisco's Drydock 1 to a green certified ship recycling facility near Shanghai, China.
The Tern will lift the 4,200-ton drydock out of the water on Saturday, at approximately 9 a.m. at Pier 50.
The Tern is a semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel, which partially sinks itself so that cargo may be floated over its cargo deck. The Tern then de-ballasts to lift the cargo out of the water to complete the heavy lift operation.
The San Francisco-based drydock is 128-feet wide and will be slightly wider then the Tern.
While it may appear to be a ship sinking in the bay, it is actually a planned operation by the Port of San Francisco.
The Coast Guard will enforce a 500-foot safety zone to ensure that the vessel is effectively able to conduct their heavy lift operations.
Following a couple of days of sea fastening, the motor Tern will then depart on Tuesday for the recycling facility near Shanghai.