Tank Barge 283; Shumagin Islands, Western Gulf of Alaska

Shumagin Islands, Western Gulf of Alaska | 1988-Dec-28

Initial Notification: On December 26, 1988, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office, Anchorage, was notified that the tank barge 283, towed by the tug Marine Explorer, was sinking stern down in the western Gulf of Alaska. The tug and barge were en route to Dutch Harbor with approximately 2,000,000 gallons of diesel when they encountered extremely heavy weather. The void aft tanks were flooded, causing the barge to turn bow-up with approximately 80 feet of the barge above water and the remaining 200 feet below the surface. The salvage vessel arranged for by the T/B 283's owner, United Marine Tug and Barge, Inc., of Seattle, would take approximately eight days to arrive from its location in Astoria, Oregon. Meanwhile, the barge began leaking diesel as 50-60 knot winds and 20-25 foot seas racked this portion of Alaska. USCG district 17.