Articles Posted in Vessel Groundings

A 25-year-old crew member on the vessel POLAR BEAR called 911 to report that the highly intoxicated captain had run the landing craft aground on Gull Island, a half-mile or so away from the Kodiak, AK harbor. The Kodiak police reported receiving the 911 call on November 16, 2014 and arrived at the scene of the grounding with assistance from the Kodiak Harbor Master’s Office. They found Edward Dyer, 50, aboard and highly intoxicated. Police escorted Dyer and Jeffrey Barrowcliff, the crewmember, back to land. Dyer was charged with driving under the influence, reckless endangerment, and fourth-degree assault.

Peter Schwarz, the president of POLAR BEAR operator Alaska Marine Transport and Salvage, said Dyer is no long employed by his company. “I had a skipper here who lost control over himself,” Schwarz said. “He looked always sober when I saw him, but he has this problem drinking.” According to KTUU News, Schwarz said Dyer was drunk and belligerent, scaring Barrowcliff to the point that he locked himself inside a compartment, called police, and waited 30 minutes for the police to arrive.

There were no visible signs of damage to the landing craft and no leakage of fuel at the time of reporting.

On Saturday morning, November 1, 2014, Coast Guard Anchorage received a report that the 382-foot barge DBL106 had run aground approximately two miles from Kodiak, AK while being towed by the 124-foot M/V BISMARK SEA. The barge, owned by Kirby Offshore Marine, is loaded with a possible 2.2 million gallons of fuel products aboard.

The barge was successfully refloated, and no sign of pollution was reported at the time of the grounding. “The Coast Guard is deploying resources to the scene and has directed the vessel’s owners to anchor until a thorough damage assessment can be made,” said Capt. Paul Mehler, Sector Anchorage commander. “Our priority is to ensure the safety of the public and the environment.”

Once at anchor, the vessel will be boomed off to prevent any potential pollution from spreading.

On the evening of October 9, 2014, the master of the 50-foot fishing vessel ARLINE called the Coast Guard to report that his boat had gone aground in the Swinomish Channel near Anacortes, WA. The Coast Guard Cutter ADELIE assisted and its crew boarded the ARLINE. Coast Guard crewmembers thought that the ARLINE master and crew had been drinking, so they administered breathalyzer tests. Results showed blood alcohol contents at .115; .008 is illegal. Local police took the master into custody.

The ARLINE was towed to the Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes. A light sheen was found after the vessel was moored, so a containment boom was installed and a Coast Guard incident management team from Seattle is working with contractors to contain the pollution and develop a salvage plan.
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A Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter crew rescued a man and woman whose 12-foot skiff had run aground on a mud flat near Willapa Bay, Washington. The command center received a call for help late September 6th, after the vessel had become stuck. The two individuals made a second call for help after they left the boat and became stuck in the mud themselves.
The Jayhawk was able to hoist the pair out of the mud and fly them to Raymond, Washington, where medical crews were waiting to evaluate them.
Mark Dobney, a command duty officer at the Coast Guard Columbia River Sector says the incident shows the importance of having helicopters with hoist capabilities in the Pacific Northwest. Along with the highly trained helicopter crews, the ability to hoist the boaters out allowed them to be brought to safely quickly.

June 12, PACIFIC QUEEN grounded while moored at Harris Harbor in Juneau. Her hull sustained some minor damage, but the main concern was for the approximately 150 gallons of diesel fuel on board. A small sheen was noted, although the vessel was stabilized by the owner before it got worse. The Coast Guard is overseeing any pollution and safety issues concerned with this grounding.

PACIFIC QUEEN is a 71-foot wooden hulled fishing vessel based in Wrangell, Alaska. She was built in 1938.

Late Saturday afternoon, the crew of F/V NAT contacted the Coast Guard in North Bend, Oregon, with news that they were about to run aground on the south jetty of Yaquina Bay as they headed back to port after setting crab pots.

The vessel did indeed ground there, and the NAT crew swam to shore where they were treated for potential hypothermia. According to reports, the captain required further medical care for broken ribs. It’s fortunate that all crew members survived with no worse injuries.

No pollution was been reported during the grounding or in subsequent salvage operations. Why NAT, a 37-foot wooden-hulled fishing vessel hailing from Long Beach, Washington, grounded is under investigation.

The 93-foot crab boat ARCTIC HUNTER ran aground shortly after leaving Dutch Harbor on November 1, 2013. The crab boat crashed onto the rocks near Morris Cove early Friday morning and remains partially submerged. Numerous vessels responded to the Mayday message with the SAGA SEA being the first on the scene to help rescue the six man crew. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Coast Guard. The Captain of the vessel was reportedly given two different sobriety tests, one of which he reportedly failed. Some reports have indicated that the captain has explained he had a beer after the ARCTIC HUNTER went aground and before abandoning ship. Other reports have indicated the captain fell asleep at the wheel. The ARCTIC HUNTER is home ported in Kodiak, Alaska.

Efforts to salvage the ARCTIC HUNTER and contain environmental damages have been spearheaded by Magone Marine. The efforts to remove 12,000 gallons of fuel from the vessel have been hampered by high winds and rough seas. Fortunately, there were no reported crew injuries in this matter.

On September 6, the 44-foot fishing vessel, ADRIANNA, ran aground through the surf near Grays Harbor Washington. The incident was reportedly caused when the crewman on wheel watch feel asleep. The Coast Guard is citing fatigue as the cause of the accident.

The incident occurred at around 3:00 a.m. on Friday. Three crewmen were aboard the vessel at the time of the accident. There are no reported injuries at this time. The crew plans to attempt to refloat the steel-hulled vessel at the next high tide. No pollution has been noted at this time, however the vessel reportedly was carrying 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel.

The Coast Guard responded to the incident with helicopters and surfboats delivering pumps to the vessel. “Fatigue continues to be a major problem in the commercial fishing fleet. We’ve had numerous cases of people running aground due to fatigue over the last year,” said Captain Bruce Jones, commander, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “In the Pacific Northwest, there’s little margin for error. It’s absolutely critical that mariners always remain diligent and place sufficient emphasis on safety in order to protect life and our sensitive environment.”

The Coast Guard received a May Day message at approximately 2:30 a.m. last night from the fishing vessel GENESIS A. The vessel was reportedly aground on a sand bar at the mouth of Willapa Bay near Leadbetter Point. A helicopter crew from Astoria, Oregon, hoisted the four crewmen and their dog to safety. There were no reported injuries to the crewmen. The cause of the grounding is unknown at this time, and the Coast Guard is assessing potential environmental damage. Leadbetter Point is a large and pristine National Wildlife Reserve. The sand bars and shoals at the mouth of Willapa Bay are constantly in a state of change, and the bar is recognized as hazardous to cross during winter months.

The Coast Guard assisted the 48-foot fishing vessel JB which ran aground on the south jetty of Grays Harbor, WA, at 1:45 a.m., Monday, June 6.

Upon receiving the distress call, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River coordinated the deployment of a Station Grays Harbor 25-foot response boat and 47-foot motor lifeboat crews, as well as an Air Station Astoria MH60 Jayhawk helicopter crew.
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