April 21, 2016
The Northwind, a 1930s era yacht, lists to the starboard side while moored at the Bremerton Marina in Bremerton, Wash., April 20, 2016.
Federal, state and local agecny responders safely removed approximately 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel from the vessel to mitigate the pollution threat, and the owner has to file a salvage plan with the Coast Guard before salvaging it.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Donald Warden.
SEATTLE — Response crews helped mitigate a potential pollution threat by removing 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel from a yacht that was listing in the Bremerton Marina, Wednesday. The Northwind, a 130-foot yacht built in the 1930s, is taking on water and listing to starboard, but being monitored and dewatered by the harbormaster as arrangements are made to haul out the vessel.Personnel from the Coast Guard Incident Management Division at Sector Puget Sound were notified of the listing vessel and potential pollution threat by Bremerton Marina personnel, April 14. The registered owner of the vessel, who lives in Massachusetts, was contacted and notified of the situation. The owner was unable to take immediate action due to her location, so the Coast Guard opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and federalized the incident.Global Diving and Salvage was contracted to assist, inspect and stabilize the vessel. Divers and salvage workers patched all noticeable damaged areas on the vessel, but have been unable to stop the yacht from taking on water. Responders completed the removal of approximately 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel just before midnight, Wednesday."Our main objective in this incident and every incident is to mitigate any possible environmental impact," said Chief Petty Officer Donald Warden, Incident Management Division, Sector Puget Sound. "We worked in tandem with our state partners at the Washington Department of Ecology and the harbormaster at the marina to remove fuel from a noticeably endangered vessel before it became a more serious problem."The owner of the Northwind is developing a salvage plan and must notify the Coast Guard before moving the vessel.