Lopez Vessel grounding
The Washington Department of Ecology has a spills response team on the scene this morning of a 40' pleasure boat that hit rocks and is grounded on a nearby beach. The boat is boomed and no sheen is visible.
Summary information
Lopez Island, San Juans, WA
Vessel grounded after hitting nearby reef. Photo by Ecology employee Carl Andersen.
Status updates
March 3, 2011
Ecology responding to damaged boat near Lopez Island (Shark Reef)
The Washington Department of Ecology has a spills response team on the scene this morning of a 40' pleasure boat that hit rocks and is grounded on a nearby beach.
Ecology staff are part of a team of agencies and environmental contractors responding to make sure the boat doesn't spill the onboard fuel. The boat is boomed and no sheen is visible.
The boat is believed to be carrying 450 gallons of fuel.
Plans are to remove any fuel and other hazardous materials starting this morning. The owner has hired environmental contractors to assist the salvage efforts.
The Coast Guard removed the crew on March 2 after receiving a search and rescue call.
Response prevents fuel spill from grounded boat near Lopez Island
Hundreds of gallons of fuel have been removed from a pleasure boat grounded near Lopez Island. With the pollution threat gone, all that’s left is for the owner and salvage company to remove the boat from the beach for repair.
The hull of the 40-foot M/V Stern Words II was damaged on a reef near Fisherman's Bay the afternoon of March 2, 2011. The boat started taking on water in the engine room. The Coast Guard responded to a search-and-rescue call and helped the crew to safety.
The owner hired a contractor to plug the fuel vents last night and help stabilize the vessel. Today, the environmental contractors hired by the owner assisted the Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology in removing the fuel from the boat.
Those operations wrapped up shortly after 3 p.m. on March 3. No sheen or evidence of fuel spill were reported from this incident.