USCG invokes Cook Inlet ice rules

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Nov. 15 that Capt. Mark DeVries, captain of the port for western Alaska, has put into effect phase one of the ice rules for the Cook Inlet in Southcentral Alaska. Phase one applies to the upper Cook Inlet, above latitude 60 degrees 45 minutes north, while phase two, which the USCG has not yet mandated for this winter, applies to the whole of the Cook Inlet.

The ice rules, designed to ensure safe winter vessel operation in frigid waters and sea ice, stipulate requirements such as the winterization of on-board systems, the maintenance of sufficient draft to keep propellers clear of surface ice and keeping propulsion systems on immediate standby when a vessel is moored.

“The ice rules put into effect today are a result of a recent cold spell and high winds developing ice early in Cook Inlet,” the Coast Guard said in announcing its Nov. 15 mandate.The grounding of the tanker Seabulk Pride at Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula in February 2006 has emphasized the importance of the ice rules. The tanker was torn from its moorings at a Nikiski dock by the pressure of wind and tide-driven sea ice. The vessel crew was unable to start the ship’s engines in time to avoid running aground on a beach north of the dock. Fortunately, tugs later refloated the vessel without an oil spill occurring.

The Coast Guard says that this year it will step up the number of spot checks of vessels, to ensure that operators are complying with the rules. The checks will include ensuring that vessels are moored correctly; that anchor windlasses and deck mooring winches are tested; that steering gear is tested; and that all secured engines have heat exchangers turned on.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting another severe ice season this winter, although perhaps not as severe as in the winter of 2005/2006, the Coast Guard says.

—Alan Bailey