Ammonia leak stirs Dutch Harbor

The 129-member crew of the processing ship Excellence was forced to evacuate after the vessel experienced an ammonia leak Friday while tied up at the Kloosterboer cold storage dock in Dutch Harbor.

Firefighters sprayed water in an effort to suppress vapors. As a community precaution, the Excellence later was towed (top photo) to an offshore mooring buoy in Wide Bay.

Three people needed medical attention for ammonia exposure, with two of those transferred to Anchorage.

A hazmat team from the UniSea processing plant went aboard the vessel today and determined ammonia was still leaking.

Ammonia is a gas used in freezer systems.

The 367-foot Excellence is a mothership that processes Bering Sea pollock deliveries from catcher boats.

Photos are courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Here they come!

After a slow start, the Bristol Bay sockeye fishery now appears to be blasting off.

Yesterday, the Fourth of July, marked the third day in a row with a catch of more than 1 million fish.

In fact, the Independence Day haul very nearly reached 2 million, reports the Department of Fish and Game.

For the season, the tally now stands at about 9.4 million fish.

That's still a long way from the preseason forecast of 21.8 million sockeye. But if those nets keep smoking, look out!

Troopers confirm identity of man overboard

Here's a press release from the Alaska State Troopers on yesterday's man overboard incident north of Juneau:

Location: Juneau
Type: Search and rescue — presumed drowning
On 7/4/12 at approximately 0735 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard contacted the Alaska State Troopers in Ketchikan to report they were actively searching for a male who fell overboard off the F/V Eleanor S. It was reported that the man went in the water near Mab Island, approximately 25 miles north of Juneau, at about 0500 hours. The man has been identified as 63-year-old Richard Boyce of Haines. It was reported that Boyce tripped and fell in the water while attempting to undo a fishing net stuck in the boat's prop. The USCG conducted a search of the area using vessels and a helicopter. Boyce was not wearing a PFD when he fell into the water. Boyce was not recovered and the search effort was suspended for the evening pending new leads.

Search ends for man overboard

The U.S. Coast Guard said late Wednesday it had suspended the search for a fisherman who fell overboard south of Berners Bay in Southeast Alaska.

The Coast Guard didn't identify the victim, but said the fishing vessel involved was the 39-foot Eleanor S.

State records list the boat's owner as Richard B. Boyce, of Haines.

Man overboard reported north of Juneau

This just in from the U.S. Coast Guard:

July 4, 2012

Coast Guard searching for man overboard near Juneau

The Coast Guard is searching for a crewman reported overboard off a fishing vessel near Mab Island about 25 miles north of Juneau.

The Coast Guard received a report at 5:10 a.m. that the crewman fell overboard while trying to remove fishing gear from the propeller.

Coast Guard Station Juneau launched a 25-foot response boat and Air Station Sitka launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. Both Coast Guard assets are on scene.

"The Coast Guard would like to ask that all mariners in the area south of Berners Bay keep an eye out for the missing person," said Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Harkins.

The crewman reportedly is wearing green rain gear but no flotation device.

Looking for things that go boom

This advertisement was published in Monday's Anchorage Daily News:

Do you have any historical information about ordnance at Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, or Kiska?

The U.S. Navy is investigating the possibility that World War II era ordnance may exist in the marine environment near the former military defense areas at Kodiak Island, Dutch Harbor, and Kiska Island. If you have information about over-water ordnance handling, the locations of anti-aircraft batteries or coastal gun emplacements, in-water target ranges and bombing ranges, or the locations of unexploded ordnance discoveries in the marine environment, can you please contact us? Please contact Tom Abbott by phone at (206) 438-2004, or by email at tom.abbott@urs.com.

Here's money, go fish!

Now this is interesting. Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. this year offered local commercial salmon fishermen advances of up to $5,000 to pay for nets, insurance, fuel and so forth.

Borrowers must repay the loan, plus $25, by July 20. Details here.