San Rafael pier could collapse from vessel strike damage

The collision of a sailing vessel with the pier at McNears Beach Park in San Rafael has compromised the structure, posing a public safety risk, according to the county parks department.

“There is a concern about the end of the pier collapsing, either partially or in whole,” Chris Chamberlain, assistant director of the department, told county supervisors at their meeting on June 20.

The vessel broke free from its mooring at China Camp State Park during a severe storm on March 21. The ship was blown north and crashed into the north side of the pier causeway near the intersection with the pier head. The vessel broke up and sank, and remnants remain at the bottom of the pier.

The supervisors authorized emergency contracting procedures to expedite repairs.

“It’s a public fishing pier, one of the few spots in Marin County where a member of the community can fish without a license,” Chamberlain said. “It is one of the main attractions of the park facility. It is extremely busy, particularly this time of year.”

Chamberlain said keeping the public away from the section of the pier at risk of collapse is going to be “a real challenge.” He said park visitors are managing to get around fencing erected by the county, particularly during low tides.

“They are going around and getting up on the pier structure, so we’re concerned about their safety,” Chamberlain said. “There are also recreational kayaks and fisherman that fish around the pier and oftentimes will ride the tide under the pier.”

According to Liftech Consultants, an engineering firm the county hired to evaluate the damage, the accident compromised the structural integrity of the pier by smashing one of its supporting concrete posts. The damaged piling remains connected to the concrete deck by a few strands of rebar and cracked concrete. The impact caused the deck to drop 4 inches.

“A small lateral movement could cause the pile to slide off from the pile cap beam causing it to collapse,” Liftech wrote in its evaluation.

Liftech said the required movement could result due to various causes: currents, storms, wind waves or small seismic events. Liftech said the condition of the pile “poses an imminent risk to property, human life, and the environment.”

Supervisor Dennis Rodoni asked if there is other seismic retrofitting work that needs to be done on the pier. Chamberlain said that five years ago, the parks department used about $1 million in Measure A revenue to repair the undercarriage of the pier.

“We’re confident about the remainder of the structure,” he said.

Chamberlain said the department would have liked to start repairs sooner, but additional work was required to determine the extent of the damage before soliciting bids on the project.

Parts of the submerged vessel still needs to be removed to confirm if the damage to the pile is as expected or more extensive. Bidders will have to factor a worst-case scenario into their estimates.

The supervisors approved an appropriation of up to $1.2 million for the project. However, the county expects to be reimbursed by its insurer for all of the repair costs, with the exception of a $25,000 deductible.

Supervisor Eric Lucan asked, “In a situation like this, is the liability always on the county and not the vessel that broke free?”

Chamberlain said the owner of the vessel — Kelly Darling, a member of the Richardson Bay Special Anchorage Association and an anchor-out mariner — was uninsured. Darling could not be reached for comment.

Chamberlain added that typically the county self-insures but in this case it had secondary insurance.

Chamberlain said that in 2008 the pier was hit by a barge belonging to the Dutra Group, which operates the San Rafael Rock Quarry. He said in that case the Dutra Group covered the entire cost of the repairs.

Lucan, who serves on the board of Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit, said that an unidentified barge recently hit one of the agency’s trestles.

“We don’t know who did it, and now we’re fully on the hook to pay for it,” Lucan said, “which brings up the question of, do you put up cameras in certain situations? It may be something to consider given the cost of these sorts of repairs.”

The Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency records an average of four to five vessel collisions or allisions per year. An allision is when a moving vessel hits a stationary object.

This year the agency has recorded six allisions: three instances of vessels striking marinas; one instance when a vessel struck a rocky shore 6 feet from a Tiburon home; one instance when a vessel struck the shore in Tiburon adjacent to the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary; and one instance when a vessel grounded on Strawberry Point.

“It is ultimately the mariners (vessel owner or occupant) responsibility to ensure that their vessels are safe and secure during all states of weather,” Will Reisman, an agency representative, wrote in an email. “Per RBRA records, the number one cause of these incidents is mariners leaving vessels anchored and unattended.”