ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The collision between a Seattle-based fishing vessel and a cruise ship in southeast Alaska early Monday that crippled the seiner is under investigation, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.
The Adirondack, a 58-foot salmon boat, was dead in the water after the crash disabled its steering system, said Petty Officer Sara Francis.
No injuries have been reported, and the 257-foot cruise ship Spirit of Yorktown reported no damage, Francis said.
Another fishing vessel – the Guardian – arrived on the scene and towed the Adirondack to Sitka, where Coast Guard officials inspected it, she said.
“We certainly got hit, and it sustained pretty extensive damage,” said Adirondack owner and operator Alan Jacklet, 43. “There was no breach to the hull, so we were very fortunate.”
The crash occurred around 1 a.m. Monday in calm seas and light winds in southeast Alaska’s Chatham Strait, off the southeastern end of Catherine Island, about 15 miles south of Angoon, Francis said.
The skies were overcast at the time of the collision, making the area dark, she said.
Jacklet, of Carnation, said he didn’t know exactly what happened because he wasn’t on watch at the time of the crash. On watch were two new but experienced crew members.
Reached in Sitka, Jacklet said his vessel was heading north to Sitka at about 8 knots when the collision occurred. The top house is crushed, he said, and the right side of the ship was severely damaged.
“Everybody was very lucky to not have been injured,” he said.
Shortly after the crash, the Yorktown radioed the Coast Guard and sent a small boat to the Adirondack to see if its four-person crew needed assistance, Francis said.
Jacklet said the Guardian was only about 4 miles away from his location and was able to reach the scene in about a half hour.
The Yorktown was traveling under its own power to Petersburg, where it was scheduled to arrive today. It will also undergo an inspection upon its arrival, Francis said.
Francis said she could not comment further on the specifics of the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. She said a final report could take as long as six months to prepare.
It is the second time in as many years the Yorktown has been involved in an accident, Francis said. In 2006, it ran aground in Washington state.
Seattle-based Cruise West, owned by West Travel, Inc., operates nine small ships, and its Spirit of Yorktown – the largest ship in its fleet – travels between Alaska and through the Panama Canal to the Caribbean. It has a cruising speed of 10 knots with a capacity of 138 guests and a crew of 40.
Jacklet said the Coast Guard has cleared his ship to get repairs, and he hopes he will be able to get the Adirondack – his livelihood – back onto the water within a week.
“It’s going to be rough and tumble, but it will work,” he said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
