Inquiry into bay collision to take time

It could be months before investigators determine why two ships collided in the mouth of Tampa Bay last week, closing the shipping channel for half a day.

Lt. Scott Muller, senior investigating officer for the U.S. Coast Guard's marine safety office in Tampa, said one of the issues being looked at closely is the hydrodynamics involved when one vessel attempted to overtake another.

The Antilles III, a 378-foot Bahamian freighter carrying potassium nitrate, on Thursday was attempting to pass the Bernardo Quintana, a 750-foot Panamanian vessel carrying tons of limestone when the sterns of the two ships collided, Muller said. The Bernardo Quintana was grounded as a result of the accident.

The wash from one boat could have affected the other, he said.

As a matter of course, the investigation also will eventually examine the actions of the Tampa Bay harbor pilots who were guiding the ships. Capt. Richard Hesston was on the Bernardo Quintana and Capt. Brian Tahaney was on the Antilles III, Muller said.

Muller said he didn't know of any history of accidents involving either pilot, but that would be further investigated. However, because the harbor pilots are regulated by state authorities, any disciplinary action would fall to the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation's Board of Pilot Commissioners.

The board is waiting for the harbor pilots to complete marine incident reports. A probable cause panel will examine the reports to determine whether any disciplinary action should be pursued, said Meg Shannon, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The accident happened just west of the Sunshine Skyway. The ships were heading toward Tampa.

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