F/V Rebecca B; Tanaga Island, Aleutian Island chain, Alaska

Tanaga Island, Aleutian Island chain, Alaska | 1996-Oct-24

Initial Notification: In inclement weather, on October 24, 1996, the 77-foot F/V Rebecca B fetched on a shoal 50 feet off the beach in a protected cove on the south side of Tanaga Island. The vessel had 1,500 gallons of diesel onboard. The onboard vents were plugged before the crew evacuated the vessel. The crew was rescued by a U.S. Navy tug and taken to Adak. Magone Marine out of Dutch Harbor was hired for salvage. Initially the hull was intact and there was no pollution. It wasn't until October 30 that the weather improved enough to allow an overflight by the owner's representative and Magone. The vessel was reported to be hard aground, decks awash, with a starboard list, but no pollution was visible. Magone was unable to get a salvage vessel on-scene until November 23, at which time the remaining diesel, about 425 gallons, were removed. The starboard tanks had been destroyed by the weather and the wave action releasing roughly 1,000 gallons into the environment. The salvor cut up the vessel for removal from the beach. Winds during the incident ranged up to 50 to 60 knots. MSD Unalaska monitored the situation throughout the incident. USCG district 17. Keyword: salvage, threatened species.