Freighter With Steering Problems Runs Around at Harbor Entrance

A 600-foot Norwegian freighter loaded with 25 tons of fertilizer ran aground at the entrance to San Diego Bay Monday morning, but Coast Guard officials said they hoped to dislodge the ship at high tide Monday night.

Dan Dewell, a Coast Guard spokesman, said that, about 11:30 a.m., the ship, the Star Dieppe, reported that it was having mechanical steering problems as it attempted to maneuver around other vessels in the channel. Soon afterward, the ship became “heavily grounded” in the sandy bottom off Coronado, Dewell said.

Late Monday, as two tugboats attempted to free the freighter, an inspection team continued to investigate what they thought might be a leak in the hull. But Dewell said no fuel was leaking into the water.

If Monday night’s attempts failed, Dewell said, the tugboats would remain with the ship overnight to prevent it from shifting. Then, early today, when the tide will be even higher, he said, the Coast Guard planned to use a higher-powered tugboat to yank the vessel free.

“They’ve got two 1,800-horsepower tugs out there now, but they’re seeking a 3,000,” he said. “That should give them more muscle.”