Coast Guard Cutter Aspen, San Francisco, California

The Coast Guard Cutter Aspen makes preparations to get underway from Yerba Buena Island in a typically dense fog. The Aspen, one of two buoy tenders assigned to the Eleventh Coast Guard District, headed offshore to replace the San Francisco Bay Approach Buoy after it was reported missing on December 30. The buoy is a key navigational aid for the many ships that enter and depart the San Francisco Bay each day. The buoy was later found at the bottom of the water, still in the location it had last been seen. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Kevin J. Neff)