M/V FRANK H. BROWN; Skagway, Alaska

Skagway, Alaska | 1988-Jan-26

Initial Notification: At about 0800 on January 26, 1988, the M/V Frank H. Brown, a Canadian cargo and fuel carrier tied up at the Skagway, Alaska, dock, noticed a leak. The smell of gas fumes and discoloration of the water were the initial indications that gas was leaking at an unknown rate from a hole of unspecified size in a stern tank. The punctured tank had a capacity of 124,000 gallons and was nearly full of regular gasoline. Actions were immediately initiated to offload the tank to shoreside facilities. At the onset of the incident the wind was calm. However, by 1000 the wind had built to nine knots from the north and continued increasing throughout the day. Response crews from the White Pass Transportation Co. initially boomed off the vessel but shortly thereafter opened the boom to avoid a fire hazard, on the advice of the U.S. Coast Guard. USCG district 17.