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I haven't read the entire thread yet, but I do feel the need to provide some input.

Having served on two submarines, both of which grounded, I might have some knowledge to impart.
A submarine can reverse, but depending on how well grounded they are, might need tug boats to get out (a sandbar, for instance can be hard to get off of. Took four tugs and the main engine on the 627 to get us off the sandbar in the Cooper River in Charleston). The San Francisco, however, apparently grounded doing submerged operations, and would therefore have the ability to surface (hopefully) and would need no assistance.
As for the sonar, submarines rarely ever use active sonar. Passive sonar works quite well. The ocean floor has been well charted, and the ship's navigation system can pinpoint its location very well. That being said, I've seen the ocean floor suddenly rise to within 6 feet of our keel in a place where the water should have been much deeper, and then go back down just as fast. The ocean floor changes frequently.
As for the captain, neither of the skippers on the two boats that I served on were relieved of their commands because of the incidents. Inquiries were held, and neither skipper was found to be at fault, even though the skipper of the 627 had the helm (they do drive, by the way) at the time of the incident.

"As for the captain, neither of the skippers on the two boats that I served on were relieved of their commands because of the incidents. Inquiries were held, and neither skipper was found to be at fault, even though the skipper of the 627 had the helm (they do drive, by the way) at the time of the incident."

Thanks, you're just encouraging me though :)
Score: couch potatoes 3, know-it-alls 0

I'm leaving now, you others can continue with your mystic scrying of the future. And yeah, I'm being a jerk today, my apologies.