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Tug raised and placed on barge
The "Powhatan" that sank near Sitka in April was pulled out of Starrigavan Bay on June 12. It was placed on the "KP-2" barge and secured. Some oil did escape from the tug during the removal, which posed a risk to marine wildlife, but the response teams did not report any marine mammals near the response site. A deflection boom was in place for the entirety of the operation and the oil that was on the weathered, north side of the boat launch rip rap, is expected to quickly dissipate naturally. The tug will remain on the barge until it is taken to Seattle for disposal sometime next week. A final measure of how much oil was recovered will be provided by authorities when it becomes available. Report with photos: http://www.ktva.com/sunken-tugboat-pulled-starrigavan-bay-563/
Tug to be raised
The Coast Guard and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation will oversee the lifting operation as Alaska Commercial Divers and Pacific Pile & Marine raise the "Powhatan," which sank at its berth at the dock in Starrigavan Bay near Sitka on April 19t. In preparation of the raising of the tug, crews have placed rigging and lifting chain around the sunken vessel, and a heavy lifting crane barge was now on location after arriving on June 3. Following its raising, which was scheduled for June 11, the tug will be dewatered, and all hazardous material and oil will be removed prior to it traveling south to Seattle aboard the barge. The vessel will be disposed of after arriving in Seattle There is a 400-yard “No Wake” Zone in place around the area of operations. Coast Guard Auxiliary members will patrol the area during the raising on Sunday for the safety of the public.
Tug to be raised by Salvation
The "Powhatan" will be raised on June 8. The decommissioned tug sank at its dock on April 19 in Starrigavan Bay. The cause of the sinking was still under investigation. The tug’s owner, Samson Tug and Barge Company, has contracted Alaska Commercial Divers and Pacific Pile & Marine to raise and dispose of the vessel. The "Salvation", a wreck removal barge, arrived on June 3. Using a heavy lift crane, it will raise the "Powhatan" out of the water and lower it onto the deck barge "KP-2" for transport. Three assistant tugs and the "Neka Bay", an oil spill response vessel with skimming capabilities, were also on scene to provide back-up. The Coast Guard Auxiliary in Sitka will also assist in directing boaters away from the area. In the 50 days since the "Powhatan" has been underwater, over 6,800 gallons of oil mixed with water has been recovered. The DEC says that the initial estimates of only 340 gallons of oil on board were in error. The full amount of the oil release was unknown. Report with photo: https://www.kcaw.org/2017/06/06/crews-place-raise-powhatan-thursday/
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