Grounded vessel salvaged

The F/V Sea Ern, which ran aground and spilled diesel this week off Afognak Island, has been patched up and towed to Kodiak, state officials said today. "Limited sheen has been seen near the Kitoi Bay Hatchery which continues to be a priority for responders," they added. U.S. Coast Guard photo

Fishing vessel grounds, spills diesel off Afognak

Here's a situation report with more details and a photo.

One person safe, one missing after boat grounds

Details in this press release from the Alaska State Troopers.

Fishing vessel runs aground in Southeast Alaska

The U.S. Coast Guard says it rescued a man today after his 47-foot fishing vessel beached near Cape Fairweather, about 10 miles north of Lituya Bay. A helicopter landed near the F/V West Bank and collected the man, the Coast Guard said. The cause of the grounding was under investigation. USCG photo

'Significant structural deterioration'

Here's the latest situation report on the F/V Masonic grounding southeast of Sitka. It's not looking good for salvage of the old halibut schooner.

Masonic update

The halibut schooner Masonic aground in Southeast Alaska. Here's a situation report from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. USCG Air Station Sitka photo

'Mayday, vessel Masonic going down'

The U.S. Coast Guard says it rescued five people from a life raft early today after they abandoned their fishing vessel southeast of Sitka.

The Coast Guard identified the vessel involved as the Masonic, homeported in Sitka.

We haven't confirmed it, but this vessel presumably is the famed wooden halibut schooner Masonic, built in 1930.

The five survivors were taken to Sitka uninjured, the Coast Guard said.

At 2:33 a.m., Coast Guard watchstanders monitoring Channel 16 heard a distress call: "Mayday, vessel Masonic going down."

The life raft was found on the north side of Coronation Island, with all five people aboard wearing survival suits.

"The life raft was tied off to the stern of the grounded fishing vessel," the Coast Guard said.

Swamped in Bristol Bay

State and Coast Guard officials say four fishing vessels have sunk or beached in Bristol Bay near Dillingham. Radio station KDLG reports the boats might have been struggling with big loads of fish. The F/V Ketok is seen here aground at Ekuk. The Bristol Bay salmon fishery typically peaks around the Fourth of July. The catch so far this season is a rather unremarkable 6.6 million fish. ADF&G photo

Tough spot

Efforts are under way to salvage the F/V Savannah Ray from the rocks at Long Island, five miles southeast of Kodiak. The boat, with 25,000 pounds of cod aboard, grounded about 3 a.m. Feb. 16. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued the crew. A new situation report says most of the boat's fuel has been removed. Representatives for the vessel owner "will submit plans for hull and wreck removal to the Unified Command in the near future," the report says. Public records show the boat belongs to Mystic Blue LLC. USCG photo

Four rescued off sinking vessel near Sitka

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Search and rescue
On 1/19/15 at 0546 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard asked Alaska State Troopers and Sitka Mountain Rescue to assist in the recovery of four adults from the 80-foot tender F/V Eyak, which had run aground 16 miles south of Sitka. The vessel sustained hull damage and was taking on water. The captain was identified as David Castle, 48, of Sitka. Crewmembers were identified as 29-year-old Anna Zallau, 23-year-old Charles Wlaslewski and 49-year-old Debra Rose, all of Port Alexander. The captain and crew had no flotation devices or survival suits. An Alaska Wildlife Troopers vessel and a Sitka Mountain Rescue vessel with divers responded to the scene and recovered the captain and crew from the sinking vessel at 0755 hours. The vessel flipped and sank shortly after and only a small portion remained above water. No one was injured and all rescued parties refused medical attention. A Good Samaritan vessel is attempting to pull the vessel to a better grounding location.

Fuel spill reported in Nushagak River

Thousands of gallons of diesel reportedly spilled into the Nushagak River upstream of Dillingham after a barging vessel hit a submerged object early Wednesday.

Here's a situation report with more details and a map.

Salvage plans in works for sunken vessel

Here's a situation report on the grounding of the F/V Arctic Hunter near Dutch Harbor.

Longliner crew rescued near Dutch Harbor

A Coast Guard helicopter this morning safely rescued four fishermen whose boat went aground near Dutch Harbor.

The Coast Guard identified the boat as the Chaos, a 54-foot longliner out of Homer. More details here.

Vessel reported aground at Ketchikan

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Agency assist
On 7/20/13 at approximately 0216 hours, the Alaska State Troopers in Ketchikan received a report of a fishing vessel grounded on the beach near Sunset Drive. Investigation revealed the F/V Kelly Anne, out of Washington, had run aground. No injuries were reported. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified and responded. USCG investigation continues.

Fish tender runs aground east of Whittier

As if we haven't already seen enough trouble over this holiday weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard now reports a fish tender has run aground and ruptured a fuel tank in Prince William Sound.

The 110-foot Naknek Spirit, with five people aboard, grounded in Passage Canal six miles east of Whittier.

No injuries were reported, but the starboard fuel tank ruptured.

"The tank was reportedly carrying 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel, but crewmembers managed to transfer 1,500 gallons into an intact tank," the Coast Guard says.

Processor refloated

Here's a new situation report from the state on the Pacific Producer, the processing vessel that ran aground on Kodiak Island a while back.

This is the pertinent paragraph:

The vessel was refloated March 24, 2013 without assistance from the salvage team. The vessel transited under its own power to the harbor in Ouzinkie where it remains while the vessel's stability is evaluated by the USCG. The hull was inspected by a dive survey on March 26, 2013 and found to be intact.

As for the cause of the grounding?

Naturally, that remains "under investigation."

Hard aground

 

The Pacific Producer, beached on Kodiak Island in Ouzinkie Narrows. The fish processor ran aground Friday morning with 16 people aboard. No injuries were reported. The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the grounding. State officials say up to 15,000 pounds of frozen bait is aboard, and generators continue to operate. The plan is to try to refloat the 169-foot vessel on a high tide next week. A 10-inch crack was discovered near the waterline, along a freshwater tank. The owner of the Pacific Producer is East West Seafoods of Seattle. USCG photo

Refloated!

Shell's offshore drilling barge, the Kulluk, has been refloated.

The barge had been aground on Sitkalidak Island since New Year's Eve after getting away from tow boats in heavy seas.

Kulluk recovery outlined

The Aiviq — can she do it? USCG photo

Deckboss just listened in on a unified command press conference on the Kulluk situation.

Here are the key points:

• An effort to tow the grounded drilling platform off the beach will be attempted soon. Spokesmen for Shell and the Coast Guard said timing will depend on weather, tides and having all the necessary equipment in place.

• The main tow vessel will be the Aiviq, an enormous oil industry workboat whose engines failed while towing the Kulluk across the North Pacific in late December, precipitating the grounding.

• Assuming the Kulluk can be pulled from the beach — officials talked like this is a given — the rig will be towed about 30 miles to a "place of refuge," Kodiak's Kiliuda Bay, for closer inspection. Here's an animation of the towing plan.

• The officials said no fuel leaks have been detected from the Kulluk, and the Shell man said the platform is "sound and fit to tow."

Well, let's wish 'em luck with this plan.

To the rescue

Shell, headquartered in the Netherlands, naturally plans to use a Dutch outfit, Smit Salvage, to try to retrieve that behemoth drilling platform stranded at Kodiak Island.

The only question now is whether the rig will come off the beach whole, or in pieces.

Here is Shell's statement on the grounding.