Boat ordered to port on life raft, EPIRB violations

From the U.S. Coast Guard:

April 28, 2010

Cutter terminates voyage of fishing vessel for safety violations

KODIAK — The Coast Guard cutter Mustang terminated the voyage of the 42-foot commercial fishing vessel Varag due to safety issues following a boarding today 25 miles off of Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska.

A Coast Guard boarding team from the cutter found the vessel master operating without a life raft available for the crew and with an improperly mounted emergency position indicating radio beacon. The EPIRB's battery also was expired. The Coast Guard requires commercial fishing vessels to carry these items on board and to have them operational.

The vessel was being escorted by the Mustang's crew to Seward, but is now under tow by the cutter due to a loss of propulsion. They are expected to arrive Thursday in Seward. The crew will be required to correct the safety discrepancies and have their propulsion system looked at by the Coast Guard prior to getting under way again.

The Varag is homeported in Portland, Ore. The 110-foot multimission patrol boat Mustang is based out of Seward.

Errant EPIRB

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Haines
Type: EPIRB signal
On 6-22-09, at 0327, Ketchikan AST dispatch received a report of an EPIRB signal activated in the Lutak Inlet area near Haines. The EPRIB was registered to the F/V Morning Light. Haines PD responded to the area and could observe a vessel in the general vicinity, but were unable to raise them on the VHF. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter responded from Air Station Sitka and eventually located a lone EPRIB washed up on the beach. The USCG believes that the EPIRB was either thrown overboard or fell overboard. All vessels associated with the EPIRB have been accounted for.