“Sea Goose” is back in the water

The Sea Goose, a 45-foot powered pontoon barge, was recently hauled out and underwent major work to turn her into “the mothership” for Islands’ Oil Spill Association, San Juan County’s only oil spill response organization.

It has been a major IOSA goal for a long time to have a response vessel that can safely and efficiently carry 1000’ of containment boom, as well as enough responders for a three-person containment crew on board and another three-person crew to go ashore if necessary. A cabin where responders can get warm and dry was a major priority as well, so that the vessel and crew can safely remain on-scene at a spill day and night when needed.

IOSA’s Executive Director Julie Knight was asked about IOSA’s greatest priority for funding last year during a meeting at the BP Cherry Point Refinery, and a few months later we were very excited to learn that IOSA would receive a donation of $50,000 for this project by the end of the year, with $28,000 of that for the purchase price and tax and the remaining $22,000 for the major modification work that was needed.

Most of the people who worked on the vessel modifications are also IOSA spill responders and six weeks after being hauled out and trucked up to Spencer’s Landing on Lopez, the Sea Goose was ready for launching, just in time for an exciting shakedown cruise that began in a mid-April snowfall and continued throughout the afternoon in a cold north wind up to Stuart Island for an oil spill containment drill.

The modifications included:

* a new deck

* aluminum railings

* a davit on the starboard bow

* all new wiring

* replacement of fuel lines and related hoses and pipes

* new props

* new paint on the cabin and new signage

* bottom paint

* installation of floodlights and a spotlight

* replacement of the shore power connection

* installation of a VHF marine radio

* purchase of portable ramps

* installation of a bumper along the front and both sides of the bow

The Sea Goose will be stationed at Spencer’s Landing Marina on the north end of Lopez Island.

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