Tug-barge loses power in Strait; vessel in Port Angeles Harbor for inspection
The articulated tug-barge Commitment is escorted into Port Angeles Harbor by the tug Jeffery Foss on Wednesday after the Commitment lost power in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. -- Photo by Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News
By Tom Callis
Peninsula Daily News
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The 170-foot articulated tug-barge Commitment lost power shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday about 19 miles northwest of Port Angeles.
The barge contained 8 million gallons of diesel and jet fuel. It was being pushed by the tug component to Portland, Ore., from BP's Cherry Point refinery, said Curt Hart, state Department of Ecology spokesman.
In such vessels, called ATBs, the tug and barge operate together.
It contained more than 100,000 gallons of fuel.
The vessel, owned by Crowley Maritime Corp., regained power at about 4 p.m.
Because of calm weather conditions, the vessel had drifted little by the time an emergency response tugboat from Neah Bay reached it between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., Hart said.
The tug from Neah Bay, Jeffrey Foss, escorted the Commitment to Port Angeles.
Hart said Wednesday evening that he did not know what caused the vessel to lose power or how it regained propulsion.
"We're just glad that everything turned out the way it did," he said, adding that the risk of a spill or collision was low because the vessel stayed away from land and other ships.
"The probability still was low but the impact would be catastrophic. That's why we watch these things very closely."
Ecology and the Coast Guard will inspect the vessel today.
Hart said the tug-barge may remain in the harbor for several days if repairs are needed.
The call was the first for the Neah Bay tug, which arrived at its new post July 1.
The Jeffrey Foss is the first emergency response vessel in the state to be funded by the maritime industry.
It replaced an emergency response tug paid for by the state.
Hart said 30 billion gallons of oil is transported through Puget Sound and the Strait every year.
"This demonstrates the risk that we have here in Washington," he said.
"We can't afford an oil spill."
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: July 29. 2010 12:57AM
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