Cargo ship carrying 300k gallons of fuel endures storm near Unalaska, prepares to continue voyage south

Update, Monday afternoon:

UNALASKA — The distressed cargo ship anchored near Unalaska has to stay put until U.S. Coast Guard officials can evaluate weighing anchor Monday afternoon.

The Pan Viva is carrying 300,000 gallons of fuel and has been anchored near the island since early Saturday, battling a strong storm. It’s not carrying any cargo besides the fuel, which has made it susceptible to running aground amid this weekend’s high winds and large waves, according to officials.

Weather improved over the weekend, but after one of the ship’s anchors was lost, the Coast Guard issued an order that requires the foreign vessel to stay in place until further notice. Officials will assess the possibility of pulling the anchor this afternoon as weather comes down.

The 738-foot Panamanian vessel stopped in the area early Saturday morning to seek shelter from a powerful storm. High winds have kept the ship from leaving.

The Unified Command, based in Anchorage, is leading response efforts and monitoring the situation for potential safety and environmental impacts. The group is made up of local, state and federal stakeholders, including the Coast Guard, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and representatives for the Pan Viva from Gallagher Marine Systems.

Responders are aware the ship’s anchor is near the GCI AU-Aleutians fiber optic cable, which connects Unalaska to a statewide internet network. Butler said any decisions made to move the Pan Viva factor in the cable.

The Pan Viva was traveling from China to Washington state along the great circle route — a pathway used by mariners and aviators that creates the shortest distance between two points on the globe — when weather conditions forced it to reroute.

Four crew members aboard the Pan Viva were evacuated from the vessel by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew Saturday afternoon and remain in Dutch Harbor. It’s up to the ship’s agent to coordinate their return to the vessel, which will not involve another Coast Guard helicopter.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Michael Salerno said all the crew on board are in good standing.

Salerno said the crew’s safety and the environment are the top priorities as the Coast Guard and other members of the Unified Command continue to monitor the situation.

Earlier story from Sunday evening:

A Panamanian cargo ship carrying 300,000 gallons of fuel was still anchored near Unalaska on Sunday, not expected to depart until at least Monday morning, as poor weather conditions persist.

The tugboat Gretchen Dunlap and two pilots were deployed Sunday afternoon to assess the ship’s situation and determined the 738-foot Pan Viva should stay in place until the storm passes. Unalaska has faced storm-force winds and rough seas since Friday morning.

The vessel, which isn’t carrying any cargo, is susceptible to being pushed around in the wind because of its low weight, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials. The Pan Viva had been anchored outside Constantine Bay for over 24 hours as of Sunday.

The Unified Command, based in Anchorage, is leading response efforts and monitoring the situation for potential safety and environmental impacts. The group is made up of local, state and federal stakeholders including the Coast Guard, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and representatives for the Pan Viva from Gallagher Marine Systems.

Jim Butler is with Gallagher Marine and serves as the liaison officer for the Unified Command. He said the group is assessing the condition of the Pan Viva’s 700 to 800 feet of anchor line, which has been out for an extended amount of time and part of which has been dragging along the seafloor. Responders are checking for kinks that could cause problems as the anchor is raised, which Butler said would go up at “a nice, slow, methodical pace.”

Responders are aware the ship’s anchor is near the GCI AU-Aleutians fiber optic cable, which connects Unalaska to a statewide internet network. Butler said any decisions made to move the Pan Viva factor in the cable.

The Pan Viva was traveling from China along the great circle route — a pathway used by mariners and aviators that creates the shortest distance between two points on the globe — when weather conditions forced it to reroute.

Butler said the Pan Viva did not intend to make a port call in Dutch Harbor, but came to the area for safe harbor during this weekend’s intense storm.

The Pan Viva’s original destination was Kalama, Washington, and the vessel is expected to continue there once underway, weather permitting.

The four crew members aboard the Pan Viva who were evacuated from the vessel by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew Saturday afternoon remain in Dutch Harbor. It’s up to the ship’s agent to coordinate their return to the vessel, which will not involve another Coast Guard helicopter.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Michael Salerno said all the crew on board are in good standing. He said the vessel, which is not carrying cargo, had prepared the second anchor to be available in case the first were to fail. The first anchor appeared to be holding. Multiple sources confirmed there was no mechanical failure.

Salerno said the Pan Viva was susceptible to being pushed by weather. The ship sits higher on the water because it’s not carrying cargo, making it vulnerable to intense wind conditions, he said.

Salerno said the crew’s safety and the environment are the top priorities as the Coast Guard and other members of the Unified Command continue to monitor the situation.

Butler, liaison officer for the Unified Command said, “We’re hoping that if the afternoon goes as planned, we’ll have a successful outcome.”

This story originally appeared on KUCB and is republished here with permission.