FV Alaska Ranger
Encyclopedia
FV Alaska Ranger was a fishing
Factory ship
owned and operated by the Fishing Company of Alaska of Seattle, Washington
. The ship was constructed in 1973 for use as an oil field
service vessel. The ship sank 23 March 2008, after reporting progressive flooding only hours earlier. Of the 47 on board, 42 were rescued. Of the five fatalities, four were recovered dead, and one was never found. The Coast Guard initially miscounted the people rescued or found and left the area. After realizing there was still one crew member missing, the Coast Guard reinstated the search, but did not find the crew member.
The boat had variable-pitch propellers. This means the captain can keep the diesel engines at a constant RPM needed for the ac electrical generators, and use the variable pitch to change boat speed or reverse direction. The variable-pitch propellers used a hydraulic actuation system. As designed, there was one electrical hydraulic pump and one engine-driven mechanical hydraulic pump for each propeller. In 1989, Transmarine Propulsion Systems replaced both mechanical pumps with electric pumps, saying they could not get parts for the mechanical pumps.
With electrical power lost, all 4 hydraulic pumps stopped. With no hydraulic pressure, hydrodynamic forces on the propellers caused the pitch to reverse. This made the boat run full astern. The rearward motion of the boat drove the sinking aft section further under water. It also exacerbated water entry into the air intake vents on the trawl deck.
The Captain died in the sinking so it is unknown why he did not stop the diesel engines. The Coast Guard had tested the engine emergency shutoff system a year before the sinking and reported that it functioned properly. The boat moving full astern meant that two of the three lifeboats were separated from the ship. This meant that 25 crew members that had jumped into the water never got to one of the three lifeboats.
. Radio pleas for help were forwarded to a US Coast Guard vessel, which moved toward the area while dispatching helicopters. By the end of the effort, 42 of the 47-person crew had been located and brought safely to shore, most suffering severe hypothermia
.
The rescue was carried out by a USCG HH-60 Jayhawk
which was stationed on Saint Paul Island, AK and a HH-65 Dolphin
which was attached to the USCGC Munro
, which rescued 20 people, and 22 were rescued by Alaska Ranger’s sister ship FV Alaska Warrior. The ship sank 180 miles west of Dutch Harbor.
Aviation Week & Space Technology
magazine awarded its 2009 Aviation Week Heroism Award to the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Team involved in this rescue operation, stating: "The two helicopter crews displayed exceptional risk mitigation and airmanship in fighting time, distance and weather – including snow squalls, a −24°F wind chill, 15 ft seas and 30 kt winds – to rescue survivors. The USCG deems the operation the largest cold-water rescue in its history."
The story of the sinking and subsequent rescue was published as Deadliest Sea: The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History by Kalee Thompson.
A brief version of the Alaska Ranger story was told at the conclusion of the Deadliest Catch
season 4 finale, as well as being featured on an episode of Mayday on the Discovery channel.
Fishing vessel
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing....
Factory ship
Factory ship
A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish...
owned and operated by the Fishing Company of Alaska of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. The ship was constructed in 1973 for use as an oil field
Oil field
An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area...
service vessel. The ship sank 23 March 2008, after reporting progressive flooding only hours earlier. Of the 47 on board, 42 were rescued. Of the five fatalities, four were recovered dead, and one was never found. The Coast Guard initially miscounted the people rescued or found and left the area. After realizing there was still one crew member missing, the Coast Guard reinstated the search, but did not find the crew member.
Sinking
According to the United States NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board), the triggering event in the sinking was the loss of one of the two rudders. This allowed water to pour into the rudder room by way of the 9-inch diameter rudder trunk. The marine architect designed the opening of the rudder trunks to be above the waterline so that water would not enter the rudder room should a rudder fall out. However, United Marine Shipbuilding changed the ship from an oil well service boat to a fishing boat in 1988. The changes raised the waterline 2.5 feet. This put the rudder trunk openings below the water line. The ceiling of the rudder room was only 20 inches above the trunk openings. Flooding of the rudder room should not have sunk the ship since there was a watertight bulkhead. The NTSB can only speculate that the door was left open, the seals or latching dogs failed, or that the holes cut in the bulkhead for refrigeration lines needed for fish processing were not watertight. If the conversion installed a watertight bulkhead between sections of the fish processing area the boat would not have sunk. Whatever the reason, the water flooded the engine room. At some point the water level became high enough to short out the main electrical distribution panel. This caused the loss of electrical power throughout the boat.The boat had variable-pitch propellers. This means the captain can keep the diesel engines at a constant RPM needed for the ac electrical generators, and use the variable pitch to change boat speed or reverse direction. The variable-pitch propellers used a hydraulic actuation system. As designed, there was one electrical hydraulic pump and one engine-driven mechanical hydraulic pump for each propeller. In 1989, Transmarine Propulsion Systems replaced both mechanical pumps with electric pumps, saying they could not get parts for the mechanical pumps.
With electrical power lost, all 4 hydraulic pumps stopped. With no hydraulic pressure, hydrodynamic forces on the propellers caused the pitch to reverse. This made the boat run full astern. The rearward motion of the boat drove the sinking aft section further under water. It also exacerbated water entry into the air intake vents on the trawl deck.
The Captain died in the sinking so it is unknown why he did not stop the diesel engines. The Coast Guard had tested the engine emergency shutoff system a year before the sinking and reported that it functioned properly. The boat moving full astern meant that two of the three lifeboats were separated from the ship. This meant that 25 crew members that had jumped into the water never got to one of the three lifeboats.
Crew rescue
The unexpected and unexplained flooding of the ship meant that the crew had to abandon the vessel at night, into the frigid waters of the Bering SeaBering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
. Radio pleas for help were forwarded to a US Coast Guard vessel, which moved toward the area while dispatching helicopters. By the end of the effort, 42 of the 47-person crew had been located and brought safely to shore, most suffering severe hypothermia
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
.
The rescue was carried out by a USCG HH-60 Jayhawk
HH-60 Jayhawk
The Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk is a multi-mission, twin-engine, medium-range helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard for search and rescue, law enforcement, military readiness and marine environmental protection missions...
which was stationed on Saint Paul Island, AK and a HH-65 Dolphin
HH-65 Dolphin
The Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin is a twin-engined, single main rotor, MEDEVAC-capable Search and Rescue helicopter operated by the United States Coast Guard...
which was attached to the USCGC Munro
USCGC Munro (WHEC-724)
USCGC Munro is a High Endurance Cutter of the United States Coast Guard, named for Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro , the only Coast Guardsman to be awarded the Medal of Honor. The vessel is currently commanded by Matt T...
, which rescued 20 people, and 22 were rescued by Alaska Ranger’s sister ship FV Alaska Warrior. The ship sank 180 miles west of Dutch Harbor.
Aviation Week & Space Technology
Aviation Week & Space Technology
Aviation Week & Space Technology, often abbreviated Aviation Week or AW&ST, is a weekly magazine owned and published by McGraw-Hill...
magazine awarded its 2009 Aviation Week Heroism Award to the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Team involved in this rescue operation, stating: "The two helicopter crews displayed exceptional risk mitigation and airmanship in fighting time, distance and weather – including snow squalls, a −24°F wind chill, 15 ft seas and 30 kt winds – to rescue survivors. The USCG deems the operation the largest cold-water rescue in its history."
The story of the sinking and subsequent rescue was published as Deadliest Sea: The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History by Kalee Thompson.
A brief version of the Alaska Ranger story was told at the conclusion of the Deadliest Catch
Deadliest Catch
Deadliest Catch is a documentary/reality television series produced by Original Productions for the Discovery Channel. It portrays the real life events aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and C. opilio crab fishing seasons.The Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor,...
season 4 finale, as well as being featured on an episode of Mayday on the Discovery channel.