The Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley towed a disabled fishing vessel with eight people aboard to Adak, Alaska on New Year’s Day, according to a Jan. 3 news release.
The Haley towed the 127-foot fishing vessel Aleutian No. 1 into Adak and transferred it to the f/v Erla-N. The Erla-N then completed towing the disabled vessel, where it was moored at the pier with the help of Alex Haley’s cutter boats.
Watchstanders in the Coast Guard 17th District command center initially received notification from the master of Aleutian No. 1 at 5:57 a.m., reporting the vessel’s crew had fouled its prop, were unable to conduct repairs, and were drifting about north of Amchitka Island, 575 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor.
The Alex Haley was recalled from a mid-patrol break and transited 575 miles in the Being Sea to provide assistance.
“As an Alaska-homeported cutter, we’re proud to support Alaskan fishermen and, in this case, tow the vessel to safe harbor to effect necessary repairs and avoid a more serious incident,” the Alex Haley’s operations officer, Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Lynne, said. “We train hard to ensure we’re able to provide such assistance when the occasion arises.”
Conditions at the time of the tow were 30-40-mph winds, 10-15-foot seas, periodic snow, sleet and blizzard conditions, with air and water temperatures of 34 degrees, according to the Coast Guard.
The 198-ton f/v Aleutian No. 1 is a U.S.-flagged trawler that was built in 1979.
The Alex Haley is a 282-foot medium endurance cutter that performs search and rescue, fisheries law enforcement, and maritime security across Alaska. It has been homeported in Kodiak since 1999.
The cutter was the recipient of the 2023 Captain Hopley Yeaton Cutter of the Year Award. The award is named for legendary seafarer Capt. Hopley Yeaton, the first officer commissioned into the service, and recognizes the individuals and crews who best exemplify what it means to be a Coast Guard cutterman.