F/V Alaskan Star; Dixon Entrance, southeast Alaska

Dixon Entrance, southeast Alaska | 1995-Jan-16

Initial Notification: On the afternoon of January 15, 1995, the Canadian Coast Guard received a report that the F/V Alaskan Star, a 73-foot, steel-hulled vessel had capsized and the four- man crew was abandoning the vessel; the crew was picked up by nearby fishing boats. The next day winds and currents carried the hull north into American waters where approximately two feet of the inverted hull could still be seen. A USCG helicopter searched the area noting three red 55-gallon drums, paint cans, life buoys, and wood floating near the site of the capsizing. A helicopter search on January 17 revealed no vessel, debris, or pollution. Weather throughout the incident was southeast winds 15 to 25 knots, seas reasonably calm, and broken cloud cover. Response and search were terminated on January 17. It is not known whether any diesel was actually released; however, the vessel sank with 24,000 gallons of diesel onboard in approximately 1,000 feet of water. USCG district 17. Keyword: potential spill.