High Tides Help Free Freighter Stuck Outside Bay

High tides early Tuesday helped free a 600-foot Norwegian freighter that had run aground at the entrance to San Diego Bay, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Star Dieppe, loaded with 25 tons of ammonium sulfate fertilizer, was released at 4:58 a.m., about 2 1/2 hours before the highest tide, Coast Guard Lt. Pat Keane said. It had been held steady during the night by two tugboats.

“The tides were quite high this morning,” Keane said. “This week had the highest and lowest tides of the month, so they had enough water to float the ship off.” The tugboats also helped free the freighter, which had been trapped since Monday morning.

Damage was limited to a 2-inch hole and two cracks on the bow, along with scrapes and dents, Keane said, adding that damage could have been much worse.

The Star Dieppe ran aground after it changed course to avoid another vessel, he said. Low tides at the time were also a factor.

“It had potential for a major (oil) spill,” Keane said. None of the 275,000 gallons of fuel aboard spilled.

The freighter, whose previous port of call had been Los Angeles, entered San Diego Bay on Tuesday afternoon after divers completed inspection of the hull.

While the ship is unloaded, it will be inspected to determine whether it needs repair before leaving San Diego, Keane said, but preliminary indications were that it does not.