A 108' vessel that sank earlier this month in Sinclair Inlet has been successfully raised and transported, according to a unified response team.
The Cairdeas, a World War II-era wooden hull yacht, sank on Sept. 7, near Bremerton, Wash. A unified command consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, and Washington Department of Natural Resources led the recovery effort.
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, crews raised the vessel and transported it to Port Townsend. Responsibility for the vessel and any further actions was officially transferred to the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
Approximately 1,200 gals. of diesel fuel was released into the water during the incident.
The Coast Guard said it accessed the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and contracted an oil spill response company to mitigate environmental impacts and raise the vessel.
Fewer than 15 gals. were recovered from the vessel’s tanks during salvage operations. In response, crews deployed about 1,600' of containment boom, used absorbent materials, and conducted shoreline assessments to mitigate environmental impacts.
“The combined response mitigated impacts to the environment, protected wildlife and removed the threat this vessel posed to the waterway and marine transportation system,” said Lt. Cmdr. Sean DiGeorge, chief of the Coast Guard’s incident management division.
