Owner of 1 sinking Tacoma ship identified
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - The Coast Guard and state agencies are working to remove two failing ships in Tacoma, but the work is complicated by ownership issues.
The 167-foot Helena Star sank Friday at a marina on the Hylebos Waterway, leaving its stern sticking out of the water and its mast leaning on the 130-foot Golden West, causing that vessel to list.
Residual fuel from the Helen Star was being contained Monday in an oil boom, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Nathan Bradshaw. Both ships had fuel removed last year after they were identified as problems and placed on a list of derelict vessels the state would like to remove.
Owners are responsible for cleanup and salvage costs - if they can be identified.
An owner of the Golden West has been identified, said Melissa Ferris with the Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Removal Program. Investigators are still looking a paperwork trying to identify an owner of the Helena Star, she said Monday.
"No one is stepping up," she said, and the ownership is a tangle of transfers and liens.
The ships are not on state aquatic land, she said, and the state has run out of money in the current budget for removing large ships.
With uncertain ownership and funding, it will likely be some time before the ships are removed.
The Helena Star also made news in 1978 when the Coast Guard intercepted it off the Washington coast with 37 tons of marijuana on board.
The 167-foot Helena Star sank Friday at a marina on the Hylebos Waterway, leaving its stern sticking out of the water and its mast leaning on the 130-foot Golden West, causing that vessel to list.
Residual fuel from the Helen Star was being contained Monday in an oil boom, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Nathan Bradshaw. Both ships had fuel removed last year after they were identified as problems and placed on a list of derelict vessels the state would like to remove.
Owners are responsible for cleanup and salvage costs - if they can be identified.
An owner of the Golden West has been identified, said Melissa Ferris with the Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Removal Program. Investigators are still looking a paperwork trying to identify an owner of the Helena Star, she said Monday.
"No one is stepping up," she said, and the ownership is a tangle of transfers and liens.
The ships are not on state aquatic land, she said, and the state has run out of money in the current budget for removing large ships.
With uncertain ownership and funding, it will likely be some time before the ships are removed.
The Helena Star also made news in 1978 when the Coast Guard intercepted it off the Washington coast with 37 tons of marijuana on board.
Paint the sunken ship copper-colored and the meth addicts will steal it to sell to the scrap yard.
Wonder if it's the same idiot who owned the boat that sank on Whidbey Island in Penn Cove last year.........
Of course no one is stepping up to take responsibility for that dilapidated heap. The costs for removal and cleanup is a small fortune.
That is so frustrating. That boat the Helena Star was a keeper in 1978. A classic just pissed away until she sank .
Three dollars of every boat license is allocated to the state to help cover the cost of derelict boats.
@al_wa Apparently they have no funds left to put towards this boat's removal.
Find the owner(s) and Burn them.  if they will not remove said vessel , they can sit in prison until the vessel is removed and is paid for, if not paid for, they can pay for it in prison time. At least this will send a message to these idiots that think they are going to buy some scrap vessel cheap and fix it up when they have no resources to do this.
Sink them under the Narrows bridge. It is just around the corner from Commencement Bay. The Divers would love the artificial reef.
It shouldn't be that hard. They have the ship name/ID. Can't they do a simple database check to see who the last registered owner is?
 @The WA Mama "The Helena Star also made news in 1978 when the Coast Guard intercepted it off the Washington coast with 37 tons of marijuana on board."
If you read the history of the Helena Star you can see why the owner may be a little hard to corner.
Pot-smuggling scheme aboard the Helena Star:
April 17, 1978: The Coast Guard seizes the freighter Helena Star 130 miles off Washington with 37 tons of marijuana aboard, the region's largest-ever pot bust.
May 1, 1978: Federal drug agents seize the Joli, a 61-foot sloop, for its suspected role in the case. The winner of several international races, the Joli had been bought the previous summer from William Niemi Jr., ex-president of Eddie Bauer, by champion freestyle skier Mike Lund of Sequim.
May 10, 1978: A federal grand jury indicts Lund and two California residents, professional freestyle skier Patricia Karnik of La Jolla and securities dealer David Victorson of San Anselmo, in the botched operation. Seven others eventually are indicted. Lund becomes a fugitive.
July 27, 1978: The Helena Star's captain, Roman Rubies, and mate, Pedro Vera, are found guilty on smuggling conspiracy charges.
Oct. 5, 1978: Victorson and Eric Hale are found guilty on smuggling conspiracy charges. Victorson had arranged the purchase of a tug and barge to transport marijuana off the Helena Star before the operation fell apart.
Feb. 13, 1979: Karnik is convicted of conspiracy and ordered to perform 300 hours of community service.
May 1981: Victorson and Hale, fugitives since failing to appear for sentencing in August after their appeals were overturned, are captured in Bolivia and returned.
May 15, 2001: Lund is arrested in Colorado, ending 23 years as a fugitive.
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@al_wa @The WA Mama Wow thanks for the history. Interesting!
 @The WA Mama Unless the owner predates the database and was never entered, as is likely.
One should question where are they registered? The state knows exactly who my motorcycle belongs to as well as the address to go to. Derelict vessels should be on the radar screen in full view. As the folks in Oly scream for more money, one has to question what are we getting for what has already been paid. It is clear that our tax dollars are not wisely spent.
Nice. So it will just sit there and rot ruining the water and any ecosystems around it. Why would anyone step up if it costs a ton of money to handle the problem? Duh of course no one is stepping up.