PORT ANGELES — A 780-foot oil tanker arrived in Port Angeles Harbor Wednesday evening to have a 4-inch crack in its main deck repaired.
The S/R Baytown — owned by SeaRiver Maritime Inc., the shipping affiliate of ExxonMobil Corp. — was about to take on a load of crude oil on March 24 in Valdez, Alaska, when a crew member noticed the crack.
The Coast Guard in Valdez determined that the double-bottomed tanker could travel safely to Port Angeles for repairs, so long as it traveled empty.
“They were not allowed to load cargo,” said state Department of Ecology spokesman Curt Hart.
The vessel will be repaired by Washington Marine Repair while it is anchored in the harbor.
Coast Guard Sector Seattle Lt. Ron Owens said SeaRiver Maritime contracts with Washington Marine Repair for such work.
The vessel is used to transport oil from Alaska to Puget Sound refineries.
The cause of the crack has not been determined.
The crack does not compromise the safety of the vessel, the Coast Guard said.
Third Mate Nicholas Davales said he discovered the crack after hearing a hissing sound from the wind traveling through it, according to the report.
The vessel was built in 1984 and is scheduled to be retired in August 2012.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
