Aleutian Isle raised, moved to Mitchell Bay

When you read this the fishing vessel Aleutian Isle will be in Mitchell Bay. Plans were to move it there Monday afternoon. The vessel was successfully lifted to the surface Saturday, Sept. 17. Crews worked through that evening to dewater the vessel. Their first efforts removed 250 gallons of waste oil. They next removed any diesel fuel remaining onboard.

Throughout the raising process some fuel escaped. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that pollution mitigation strategies were effective. Responders were able to boom sheening that was containable.

Crews continued dewatering the vessel, removing approximately 775 gallons of oily-water mixture. Monday, additional dewatering lightened the weight of the vessel and it was moved onto the recovery barge.

Dewatering, removing fuel and de-rigging was a multi-day, multi-stage process to reduce the vessel's weight so it could be brought to the surface.

In Mitchell Bay divers are able to work longer and safer in its shallower depths and crews will be able to completely defuel, dewater and re-rig the Aleutian Isle in preparation to be lifted onto a barge.

The 49 foot Aleutian Isle sank Aug. 13 on the west side of San Juan Island near Sunset Point and settled into about 200 feet of water.

Throughout the salvage process response crews contained the sheen and recovered fuel and oil whenever possible. No whales were in the vicinity during the lift Saturday, and there were no reported impacts to wildlife from the sheening.

Source: Washington Department of Ecology