50-foot yachts destroyed in 2-alarm fire at Edmonds Marina

From KOMO news:
31 December 2011

EDMONDS, Wash. - Two 50-foot motor yachts were destroyed in a spectacular two-alarm fire at the Edmonds Marina early Saturday morning.

Fire crews responded to the scene just before 4 a.m. and found towering flames spewing from the two boats, lighting up the early morning sky.

The fire was called in by a janitor working in a nearby business.

"Two boats moored next to each other were engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived and flames were shooting 50 feet in the air," said Leslie Hynes of Snohomish County Fire District 1.

No one was aboard the burning boats, but a man and a woman staying overnight in another boat moored at the same dock had to be rescued by firefighters, Hynes said.

She said the burning boats were moored in the first two slips of the dock, and the flames cut off the couple's access to the shore.

"They were stuck at the far end of the dock in the smoke until they were rescued by the fire department boat," Hynes said.

The man and woman were taken to Swedish-Edmonds Hospital, where they were both treated for minor smoke inhalation and released a few hours later.

Firefighters from Lynnwood and Shoreline responded to assist Fire District 1. At the peak of the fire, about 40 firefighters were on the scene.

"The docks were very icy and slippery, which was a challenge for firefighters as they worked to put out the fire," Hynes said. "They used an overhead water stream from a ladder truck and firefighting foam to smother the flames."

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to get the fire under control, but crews continued to battle hot spots for about an hour as the boats smoldered and fuel ignited. One of the boats sank as the firefighting effort continued.

Damage to both yachts and the dock is expected to total more than $600,000.

Fire investigators are working to determine how the fire started. "The boat where the fire started sank and will have to be raised. Investigators do not expect to have a cause today," Hynes said.

As firefighters were putting out hot spots, crews from the Port of Edmonds set up containment booms. The state Department of Ecology is on the scene working to control and prevent environmental damage.

Coast Guard closes Columbia River Bar due to hazardous weather

The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:

22 November 2011

(SEATTLE) -- The Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) Sector Columbia River, in Astoria, Ore., issued the closure of the Columbia River, Ore., bar entrance due to hazardous conditions at approximately 9 p.m., Monday.

The bar closure applies to all vessels and any request to transit the bars prior to reopening must be approved by the COTP, Sector Columbia River. Mariners may contact the Coast Guard on VHF-FM Channel 16 or Sector Columbia River by telephone at (503) 861-6211 for further information or to request crossing.

The Coast Guard will re-evaluate the bar closure on an ongoing basis and will re-open the waterway as soon as the offshore weather improves.

The bar is anticipated to re-open by 8 a.m., Wednesday, based on current weather predictions.

The Coast Guard understands the effects these closures have on commerce and will make every effort to re-open these waterways as soon as they are considered safe for navigation.

Cracks found in year-old Chetzemoka's propellers

M/V Chetzemoka has problems. Supposedly it is just out of the manufacturer's warranty period.Hopefully Vigor does right by the State of Washington. The ship was actually built by Todd Shipyards which was acquired by Vigor.

 

From KOMO News: 

By Ray Lane Published: Nov 9, 2011 at 5:26 PM PST Last Updated: Nov 9, 2011 at 6:49 PM PST

 

»Play Video

SEATTLE -- Thousands of dollars in repairs are in the works after cracks were found on the propellers of Washington state's newest and most expensive ferry boat.

The ferry Chetzemoka was built by Vigor Industrial, which was formally known as Todd Pacific Shipyards.But the propellers were built by Rolls-Royce Marine.

Both businesses say they're trying to figure out what happened.

The Chetzemoka is running with patched-up propellers. Washington State Ferries says the ferry had been in dry dock in Anacortes for scheduled repairs for more than three weeks, during which time inspectors found hairline cracks on one of the 8,000-pound propellers.

Additional tests showed that each of the five blades on both propellers had cracked near the hub. The ferry system says it appears that improperly cast stainless steel is to blame for the problems. Officials believe a high-carbon content made the metal too porous and too brittle.

"These are big ships plowing the waters of Puget Sound in salt water. Stuff happens," said David Moseley of WSF. "That's why we are diligent about the maintenance of these boats, and that's why we're diligent every time we take them out of the water."

Vigor Industrial says two other new ferries of the same class - the Salish and Kennewick - have different, variable-pitch bronze propellers, and therefore should not have the same problems.

One year ago, when the $77 million Chetzemoka made its inaugural run from Whidbey Island to Port Townsend, it was heralded as a new lifeline that could handle the rough waters of Puget Sound.

Transportation officials defended the cost, and the companies that constructed it.

"We have tremendous builders in Washington state and they will help us maintain and preserve these boats for the 60-plus years they're in life," said Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond.

Replacement propellers are now being made for the Chetzemoka, but they won't be ready until April.

The state says it'll file a warranty claim against Vigor Industrial to pay for the new props, which cost $70,000 per piece.

Port of Seattle Turns Up 10 Explosive Containers

Kizzi Nkwocha | Mon, 7 Nov 2011

US Coast Guard admits it has no plans yet for dealing with containers

IFW-Net

 

At least ten more potentially explosive containers have been found at the Port of Seattle with a question mark still hanging over the fate of the growing collection of containers.

Earlier this year maritime authorities reported that three reefer containers exploded or caused a fire, resulting in two fatalities in Vietnam and one in Brazil.

The explosions were believed to be the result of contaminated gas added to the boxes’ refrigeration units during servicing in Vietnam.

According to local reports, a growing stack of 80 refrigerated containers at the Port of Seattle have been sitting by itself, isolated from the rest of the port for safety reasons.

The US Coast Guard said it is working with the terminal operators to keep the 80 containers away from everyone, but admits there is no specific plan yet for dealing with them.

Rudy Finne of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, said: "I personally think it’s ludicrous to have possible bombs at every corner here and have everybody seem not that concerned about it."

The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the various terminal operators, said it is looking for a solution to checking each container to see if it poses any risk. These at-risk containers are being turned away from terminal operators, and as a result, they remain out in the public.

Meantime, the union is worried about containers that left Vietnam and may have passed through local ports before the security alert was put in place.

The three reefers that exploded were operated by Maersk Line, but since the danger was reported all carriers are scrambling to find any reefers that have been repaired in Vietnam since February.

Maersk has removed all its 844 reefer containers that have been repaired in Vietnam.

Mechanical problem halts West Seattle water taxi runs.

Mechanical problem halts West Seattle water taxi runs

by KING5.com

KING5.com

Posted on October 28, 2011 at 5:51 PM

Updated today at 6:18 PM

The water taxi making runs between downtown and West Seattle was taken out of service Friday afternoon after it completed the 5:15 p.m. run, King County Metro said.

The crew of the Rachel Marie discovered a mechanical problem. The boat made it safely to West Seattle and was seen docked at the pier at Seacrest Park shortly after 5:30 p.m..

People aboard the 5:15 run reported smelling smoke and that the boat lost power and drifted for a short period of time.

The 5:45 p.m., 6:15 p.m., and 6:45 p.m. sailings from downtown have been canceled. The Vashon Water Taxi will take over the Rachel Marie's Route, leaving Pier 50 downtown around 7:45 p.m. The Vashon boat -- the Melissa Ann -- will work the West Seattle run through the weekend.

The Rachel Marie broke down last Sunday and was taken out of service for Monday's morning commute, West Seattle Blog noted in its reporting on Friday's mishap.