| Summary: | On March 23, 1989 the oil tanker Exxon Valdez departed from the Valdez oil terminal in Valdez, Alaska, heading south through Prince William Sound, with over fifty million gallons of oil on board. The captain that evening was Joseph Hazelwood a name that will forever be burnt in every American’s memory as a drunken incompetent fool. Captain Joseph Hazelwood prior to heading to his cabin for the evening radioed the Coast Guard Marine safety office in Valdez that his vessel would be changing course in order to avoid some small icebergs which had drifted into the sound from the Columbia Glacier. Captain Joseph Hazelwood received permission to move into the north bound lane, he then departed the bridge of the vessel leaving an unqualified third mate with instructions to come back into the proper lane when they were abeam Busby Island light, some two miles ahead. Although the third mate did give the instructions to the helmsman to steer the vessel to the right, the vessel did not turn sharply enough and at 12:04 a.m. on March 24, the vessel hit Bligh Reef. (1989) Coast Guard Central Web Site. See Photo number one Valdez Science (1989).
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