PORT ANGELES — The Coast Guard patrol boat Sea Lion ordered a second fishing vessel into Port Angeles Harbor this week after it was found to have inadequate safety gear.
The 34-foot Equalizer, whose 3-member crew had been harvesting geoducks, was stopped and boarded east of Port Angeles on Thursday.
The vessel was ordered to remain in the harbor until its crew “fixed the especially hazardous safety condition of lacking a sufficient number of personal floatation devices also known as lifejackets and having expired flares,” the Coast Guard said.
On Wednesday, Sea Lion’s crew ordered the 28-foot Enforcer into the harbor “where the vessel was ordered to remain until the crew fixed the especially hazardous safety condition of lacking any personal floatation devices,” according to the Coast Guard.
The Enforcer’s 3-member crew also had been harvesting geoducks.
“Carrying required survival equipment aboard your commercial vessel is not optional and may be life threatening to your crew.” said Lt. Cmdr. Libby Rasmussen, a command duty officer at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound in Seattle.
“Being turned around at sea costs fishing crews time and can be avoided by being compliant with current regulations. We offer free vessel safety examinations where we will come to your boat to check that it meets all applicable rules and regulations prior to getting underway. A Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Decal is awarded for those meeting the safety standards.”
Passing a Coast Guard fishing vessel safety examination will be mandatory Oct. 15.
Any fishing vessel crew operating beyond three miles off shore will need to complete their safety examination and receive a commercial fishing vessel safety decal, which should be displayed on the vessel.
Due to the upcoming mandatory examination date, fishing vessel crews are encouraged to start scheduling their examinations now, the Coast Guard said..
For inspections along central Washington Coast and the Puget Sound, contact Robert Cuddeback at 206-217-6187.
Sea Lion, a 87-foot patrol boat, is homeported in Bellingham.
