Sunken crab boat raising a success

The sunken crab boat Deep Sea has been successfully raised from its resting place in Penn Cove. The 340-ton vessel was plucked from the bottom with two massive cranes Sunday and crews began draining the vessel of seawater.

By Justin Burnett • June 3, 2012 7:27 pm
Workers lay down absorbent pads to soak up diesel fuel from the Deep Sea as it sits in its slings after being raised Sunday. The 128-foot crab boat sank in Penn Cove three weeks ago.
Workers lay down absorbent pads to soak up diesel fuel from the Deep Sea as it sits in its slings after being raised Sunday. The 128-foot crab boat sank in Penn Cove three weeks ago.

The sunken crab boat Deep Sea has been successfully raised from its resting place in Penn Cove.

The 340-ton vessel was plucked from the bottom with two massive cranes Sunday and crews began draining the vessel of seawater. Once the process is complete, the ship will be thoroughly inspected to determine whether it can be safely towed to a scrap yard in Seattle for disposal. If it can’t, it will have to be transported by barge.

The Deep Sea, a 128-foot vessel, had been illegally anchored in Penn Cove for months when it caught fire and then sank, May 13. It has been leaking fuel into the water ever since.

State officials say if everything goes perfectly and no problems are found with the ship, it could be gone as soon as Monday. However, the process could also take several days.