A derelict tugboat that broke loose and began sinking near Washington State’s Kitsap Peninsula has been recovered, according to the Washington Department of Ecology.
The agency said it responded Thursday to the 64' vessel Mollusk, which lost engine power, broke free of its anchor, and started breaking apart against a marina breakwater in Kingston, Wash.
The Coast Guard also responded and towed the runaway vessel to Appletree Cove, where it is now safely anchored and being defueled. The Washington Department of Ecology said it estimates that the Mollusk had more than 1,500 gals. of fuel on board.
No injuries or pollution have been reported.
Built in 1942 by Sacramento River Lines, Sacramento, Calif., as the Plumas, the tug changed hands several times, becoming the Sovereign in 1984 and later the Mollusk after a 2006 sale to a private owner. From 1970 onward, the vessel operated mainly under Seattle-based ownership.
Derelict and abandoned vessels have become a significant concern in Washington, posing risks to public safety and the health of the region’s marine ecosystem. In September, a World War II era tugboat, Dominion, sank in a Bremerton, Wash., marina, spilling thousands of gallons of diesel and oil.
"This story is all too familiar. Please, if you have a vessel that isn’t seaworthy anymore, dispose of it safely before it becomes something the state and federal government have to clean up," the Washington Department of Ecology said in a social media post announcing its response to the Mollusk incident. "Oil spills are bad for fish, other wildlife, and the environment, and they are very expensive to clean up. Don’t let your problem become everyone else’s problem."
