Sunken crab boat raising begins

The operation to raise and remove a 128-foot crab boat that sank in Penn Cove three weeks ago has begun. The second of two large cranes being used to lift the vessel arrived early Sunday morning and by 11 a.m., crews had the 340-ton fishing boat off the bottom and on its way to the surface.

By Justin Burnett • June 3, 2012 3:08 pm
Cranes work to lift a 128-foot crab boat that sank in Penn Cove earlier this month. The operation to raise the vessel
Cranes work to lift a 128-foot crab boat that sank in Penn Cove earlier this month. The operation to raise the vessel

The operation to raise and remove a 128-foot crab boat that sank in Penn Cove three weeks ago has begun.

The second of two large cranes being used to lift the vessel arrived early Sunday morning and by 11 a.m., crews had the 340-ton fishing boat off the bottom and on its way to the surface.

The Deep Sea had been illegally anchored in the cove, just outside the mussel rafts, when it caught fire and then sank, May 13.

It’s still unclear how long the operation to lift the boat will take but once it breaks the surface, the water inside will be pumped out and it will be taken to a scrap yard in Seattle.

For safety reasons, local authorities have closed Madrona Way, from Sherman Road to Highway 20, to through traffic until the raising has been completed.