Let me guess, half are some kind of “commercial craft” and the other half is Coast Guard boats trying to rescue them after they get their tail caught in a crack.
@ChaplainDarrell Did you watch the video?
Not many CG boat rescues of F/Vs in Alaskan waters. Rescues are either by another F/V or helicopter.
Could be wrong but that was the impression I got from my time on a CG Cutter out of Kodiak.
Although CG aircraft handle ocean medivacs and the occasional rescue assistance such as dropping pumps and other equipment, ocean patrol ships do sometimes perform tows etc… if they are in the area. Inshore and limited offshore rescues are mostly handled by the smaller boats and cutters stationed around the coasts East of Kodiak. Helicopters for sure if WX permits for extreme distress. I had to deliver a baby aboard a 95’ cutter because a chopper couldn’t launch due to high winds. There are now larger and faster patrol cutters and even motor life boats for inshore rescue out to the 12 mile limit and sometimes beyond.
We were mostly west of Kodiak, or in the Gulf, seems like it was just too big of an area for a cutter to be close by.
There was one just a couple days ago however. the Alex Haley.
CG crew did a nice job, looks easy but a lot of ways things can go wrong taking another vessel under tow at sea.
You are correct. I should have just stated “Coast Guard” and left “boats” off.
The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley just towed the disabled fishing vessel Aleutian No 1 160 miles through a blizzard to Adak, but i think the helos get most of the glory
Yeah saw and posted that.
I spend one winter as Seaman on a cutter out of NY. We towed three times, two F/Vs and one S/V.
Also spent two winters on a cutter in Kodiak, thought I’d see more action but we never did any rescues / tows.
It’s geography, it’s a big area for a cutter or two.
I thought it was pretty cool that the Kimball had those meetings with the Chinese and Russians in 2021 and 2022