Boat on the sea
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The U.S. Coast Guard is authorized to board vessels at sea in order to do vessel safety inspections, and if discrepancies are found, they are authorized to escort the vessel and crew back to port and deny future voyages until those discrepancies are resolved.

An example of this is when the Coast Guard conducted an at-sea boarding of F/V ARCTIC STORM this past Thursday. According to the Coast Guard, there were six counted safety violations on ARCTIC STORM, including that the vessel life raft and hydrostatic release had expired back in 2006. This event, which is fortunately actually a non-event, serves as a good reminder to keep up with safety regulations while out fishing.

The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, Title VI, and the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012, Title III, encode current laws and regulations regarding safety requirements on a fishing vessel. This gear must be kept in good repair, easily accessible, fit to the person using it, and within the expiry. The expiry is important because rubber, adhesives, fabrics, and many other materials used in rafts, personal flotation devices (PFD), and immersion suits eventually deteriorate in the extremes of weather and sea. Likewise, inflation propellants lose their pressure and efficacy over time. It can be and often is a matter of life and death to have appropriate safety gear that doesn’t come apart at the seams when you most need it.
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On January 20, 55-foot F/V ECLIPSE collided with the Yaquina Bay south jetty. Three crewmen were aboard the vessel at the time of the accident. One crewman was lifted from the vessel by a Coast Guard helicopter and another crewman reached shore by climbing onto the jetty and then making his way to shore. The captain of the vessel stayed aboard and was able to dewater with the assistance of the Coast Guard. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time. Initial reports did not identify any injuries to the crew of the ECLIPSE.

Just a day later, January 21, 62-foot F/V JOE MARIE ran aground on the Chetco Jetty near Brookings, Oregon. Four crewmen were aboard the vessel at the time of the accident and all are reported safe after being rescued from the vessel by a Coast Guard Motor life boat.
The Coast Guard has both incidents under investigation and reminds all mariners that a marine band radio is an important tool to utilize in the event of emergency situation. A mayday message issued through VHF-FM Channel 16 can be heard by other mariners in the area who may be able to provide valuable assistance.

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Recently, during a Port State Control inspection of an oil tanker, the personal gas safety meters of one member of the Coast Guard and one of the tanker crew went off when the crew member opened the valve to a pressurized tank holding Grade E Sour Crude. Sour crude oil contains a high amount of sulfur (over 0.5%), and some of this sulfur occurs as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. Reported to have been standing no more than two feet downwind of the valve release, the Coast Guard member suffered severe H2S exposure symptoms over the next few days, resulting in renewed warnings by the Coast Guard on this serious danger.

You know that “rotten egg” hydrogen sulfide odor when you smell it at low levels, even below one part per million, but if you smell it in enough quantity, you probably won’t smell it for long. That’s because, at 100ppm or above, it quickly paralyzes the nerve centers inside your nose. If you don’t get away fast enough, other parts of your body become paralyzed, in the worst cases leading to unconsciousness, coma, and death. Even 10ppm may pose a health risk, and 50-100ppm is enough to overcome a person. At lower levels, H2S exposure symptoms include irritated eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Higher levels of H2S include headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms may have a delayed onset of hours or days, as the unfortunate Coast Guard member mentioned above experienced.
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On January 9, off Cold Bay, Alaska, a 50-year-old crewman aboard Seattle-based, 50-foot PAVLOF became ill and required a Coast Guard medevac for health care. The Coast Guard helicopter picked the crewman up about 55 miles northwest of Cold Bay and transported him to the Cold Bay Clinic, whence he was further transported to Anchorage. Apparently, the man was suffering from a staph infection. Weather at the time of his medevac was reported as two-foot seas and 17mph winds.

That same day, 74 miles southwest of St. Paul, Alaska, a crewman aboard PROWLER, which is a 109-foot vessel based in Petersburg, required emergency medical care for a left-eye injury. This man was taken aboard Coast Guard Cutter Munro for assessment, whereafter he was airlifted to St. Paul for treatment. Weather at the time of his medevac was reported as calm seas, 11mph winds, and rain showers.

Whether taken ill or injured while in the service of a vessel, the vessel owner is normally responsible for “maintenance and cure,” which covers a small daily stipend and all reasonable medical care until maximum medical cure has been reached. If you have been injured or taken ill while working on a fishing vessel and wish to learn more about your rights, please contact us.

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January 9, around 4:00 p.m., the captain of MISS AUBREY ANN, a 100-foot offshore supply vessel hailing out of Broussard, LA, contacted the Coast Guard for help. One of their crew had apparently had caught his foot in a line, resulting in his foot being severed. MISS AUBREY ANN was about five miles off Louisiana at that time.

The Coast Guard responded with a helicopter medevac, and transported the injured man to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. The 27-year-old man’s name or current condition have not been released, but at the time, he was reported as stable.

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At around 1:30 a.m. on December 28, F/V JUNO, a 131-foot, Westport-based fish processor, caught fire while moored at her pier. The JUNO master was on board at the time, but got off safely. No other crew were reported on board.

It took until just after 4:00 a.m. for the Coast Guard and Westport Fire Department to douse the fire, at which time they estimated about 5,000 gallons of firefighting water remained aboard JUNO, causing her to list. The next steps were to remove this water and identify and contain possible pollution sources. So far, no pollution has been reported.

Of course, an investigation of what caused the fire is underway.

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Back on Saturday, November 9, 166-foot F/V ALASKA MIST experienced mechanical problems and became adrift about thirty miles of Amak Island, Alaska. Amak Island is located in the Bering Sea, north of the midway part of the Aleutian Chain. At first, the ALASKA MIST 22-member crew used a sea drogue and got a tow line from their sister ship, F/V PAVLOV, to slow their drift. Tugboat RESOLVE PIONEER arrived to help, but then they experienced mechanical problems of their own and had to head to port for repairs. Eventually, ALASKA MIST drifted close enough to shore to secure anchor and await rescue in relative safety. Seas during this time period were five to ten feet with winds of 35mph.

All along, ALASKA MIST crewmembers had kept the Coast Guard apprised of their situation, so the Coast Guard was poised to jump in at this point. Coast Guard Cutter WAESCHE arrived on the scene that Monday, November 11, to begin transferring the non-essential members of the ALASKA MIST. By now, the seas were ten feet with winds of 40 to 46mph.
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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.

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Community Attributes, a Seattle-based research firm, has just released their “Washington State Maritime Cluster Economic Impact Study.” Maritime history in our region, most notably fishing and trade, began when the first people settled here many thousands of years ago, followed by European and American expansion, and since then, we’ve experienced an infusion of cultural influence from around the world, creating a background for success.

While there is no question that our maritime industry is deep-rooted and essential to the economy of Washington State, this past May, the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Seattle and King County issued their “Request for Proposals for a Maritime Industry Economic Impact and Cluster Analysis for the Puget Sound Region and Washington State” in order to collect and provide facts supporting the importance of maritime industry here.

The task of Community Attributes, which was awarded the research work, was to identify and assess the contributions of the maritime industry and its connections with the community, as well as its economic impact and growth potential based on qualified, quantifiable data. The study requirements included:
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Early on November 30, Clint Owens, 41, suffered a head injury aboard Beaufort, N.C.-based F/V SEA ANGELS when part of the rigging equipment struck him. The crew of SEA ANGELS contacted the Coast Guard around 7:00 a.m., as Mr. Owens’ symptoms included short-term memory loss, severe neck pain, jaw injury, and a laceration.

This happened near Ormond Beach, Florida, which is just north of Daytona Beach. The Coast Guard and EMTs quickly arrived in a response boat, immobilized Mr. Owens, and transported him to shore where a helicopter waited to take him to the hospital. His current condition hasn’t been released.

The Coast Guard praised the SEA ANGELS crew for their use of the VHS marine radio. Using a VHS marine radio is more reliable than using a cell phone in these kinds of situations because they broadcast emergency calls to anyone listening, thus increasing the possible number of responses.

Contact Information
Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC Seattle, Washington
4039 21st Ave W. #401
Seattle, WA 98199
Phone: 206-282-3100 Toll Free: 877-332-5529 Fax: 206-282-1149
Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC Anchorage, Alaska
205 E Benson Blvd #321
Anchorage, AK 99503
Phone: 907-751-2588 Toll Free: 877-332-5529

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