Cargo ship carrying 300k gallons of fuel endures storm near Unalaska, prepares to continue voyage south

A Panamanian cargo ship carrying 300,000 gallons of fuel is still anchored near Unalaska, not expected to depart until at least Monday morning, as poor weather conditions persist.

The tugboat Gretchen Dunlap and two pilots were deployed Sunday afternoon to assess the ship’s situation and determined the 738-foot Pan Viva should stay in place until the storm passes. Unalaska has faced storm-force winds and rough seas since Friday morning.

The vessel, which isn’t carrying any cargo, is susceptible to being pushed around in the wind because of its low weight, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials. The Pan Viva has been anchored outside Constantine Bay for over 24 hours.

The Unified Command, based in Anchorage, is leading response efforts and monitoring the situation for potential safety and environmental impacts. The group is made up of local, state and federal stakeholders including the Coast Guard, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and representatives for the Pan Viva from Gallagher Marine Systems.

Jim Butler is with Gallagher Marine and serves as the liaison officer for the Unified Command. He said the group is assessing the condition of the Pan Viva’s 700 to 800 feet of anchor line, which has been out for an extended amount of time and part of which has been dragging along the seafloor. Responders are checking for kinks that could cause problems as the anchor is raised, which Butler said would go up at “a nice, slow, methodical pace.”

Responders are aware the ship’s anchor is near the GCI AU-Aleutians fiber optic cable, which connects Unalaska to a statewide internet network. Butler said any decisions made to move the Pan Viva factor in the cable.

The Pan Viva was traveling from China along the great circle route — a pathway used by mariners and aviators that creates the shortest distance between two points on the globe — when weather conditions forced it to reroute.

Butler said the Pan Viva did not intend to make a port call in Dutch Harbor, but came to the area for safe harbor during this weekend’s intense storm.

The Pan Viva’s original destination was Kalama, Washington, and is expected to continue there once underway, weather permitting.

The four crew members aboard the Pan Viva who were evacuated from the vessel by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew Saturday afternoon remain in Dutch Harbor. It’s up to the ship’s agent to coordinate their return to the vessel, which will not involve another Coast Guard helicopter.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Michael Salerno said all the crew on board are in good standing. He said the vessel, which is not carrying cargo, had prepared the second anchor to be available in case the first were to fail. The first anchor appears to be holding. Multiple sources confirm there is no mechanical failure.

Salerno said the Pan Viva is susceptible to being pushed by weather. The ship sits higher on the water because it’s not carrying cargo, making it vulnerable to intense wind conditions, he said.

Salerno said the crew’s safety and the environment are the top priorities as the Coast Guard and other members of the Unified Command continue to monitor the situation.

Butler, liaison officer for the Unified Command said, “We’re hoping that if the afternoon goes as planned, we’ll have a successful outcome.”

This story originally appeared on KUCB and is republished with permission.