Tow line attached to grounded Shell drill ship
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Responders say a main tow line has been attached to a Shell oil-drilling ship that grounded on rocks near a remote Alaska island.
Unified Command spokesman Ignacio Gonzalez says the Royal Dutch Shell's Kulluk was attached to the towing vessel Aiviq about 4 p.m. Sunday.
Gonzalez, a Shell employee, says the tow line's tension is being tested on the drill ship grounded off Sitkalidak Island. Crews are waiting for the go-ahead from a salvage team before trying to tow the ship 30 miles to shelter in Kodiak Island's Kiliuda Bay.
Gonzalez says a decision has not yet been made on when the attempt will occur.
Responders say there's no sign the hull of the Kulluk has been breached or that oil has spilled from the vessel.
Unified Command spokesman Ignacio Gonzalez says the Royal Dutch Shell's Kulluk was attached to the towing vessel Aiviq about 4 p.m. Sunday.
Gonzalez, a Shell employee, says the tow line's tension is being tested on the drill ship grounded off Sitkalidak Island. Crews are waiting for the go-ahead from a salvage team before trying to tow the ship 30 miles to shelter in Kodiak Island's Kiliuda Bay.
Gonzalez says a decision has not yet been made on when the attempt will occur.
Responders say there's no sign the hull of the Kulluk has been breached or that oil has spilled from the vessel.
I just have one question.Does anybody know why they waited so long into the season before trying to bring this rig out ?? It's pretty common knowledge that those waters can get a little choppie in the winter.
@lmdk2 They didn't, its big enough it takes a long time to get it from where it was drilling back down here to Seattle.
 Track Map for the Aiviq.
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?mmsi=367141000¢erx=-152.7183¢ery=57.17117&zoom=10&type_color=3
10:10 PM Jan 6
ANCHORAGE, AK: At approximately 10:10 p.m., the Kulluk drilling vessel was refloated from its Sitkalidak Island position. Currently, the Kulluk is attached to the Aiviq by tow line. The Kulluk is currently floating offshore while personnel are assessing the condition of the vessel. Three additional tugs are on standby along with the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley and two oil spill response vessels. âFollowing this initial step forward, we will continue to remain cautious while we assess the Kullukâs condition,â said Martin Padilla, Incident Commander. âWe will not move forward to the next phase until we are confident that we can safely transport the vessel.â There are currently more than 730 people involved in the response and recovery operation including local residents and a local on-site coordinator. Following this stage of the operation there continue to be no injuries to response personnel.
Navigate to Kodiak Island and you can see what ships are located where, and their speeds, etc. Fascinating site:
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http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?level0=100
www.sailwx.info is a good tracking site too. But they are not always 100% accurate.
 @Hagar Thanks Hagar, we are even.
From Professional Mariner forum:
ANCHORAGE, AK â Salvage teams successfully attached the main tow line to the Kulluk drilling unit today at 4 p.m. Alaska Time and Unified Command confirmed all elements are in place for towing operations to proceed. Tension will be maintained on the line overnight, with recovery expected to begin January 7. However, the Salvage Master has the discretion to initiate the tow earlier should favorable conditions occur throughout the night. The proposed plan is that the Kulluk will be moved from its current grounded position in Ocean Bay to Kiliuda Bay, about 30 miles north. The tow will include several vessels, including the Aiviq, an anchor-handling vessel with ship towing capabilities. A Coast Guard marine inspector is aboard the Aiviq. The Salvage Master is aboard the Kulluk and will remain during transit to Kiliuda Bay. The tug Alert will also be connected to the Kulluk and assist in the tow. A 10-member salvage crew and one Shell representative are on board the Kulluk and will remain on the drilling unit throughout the tow. Three Seattle-based ocean-going tugs, all with towing capabilities, will support the transit â Ocean Wave, Corbin Foss, and Lauren Foss. The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley will escort the tow to Kiliuda Bay. A 500-yard radius safety zone around the Kulluk will follow the tow and remain in place once it is anchored in Kiliuda Bay. As part of the recovery operations, onshore, nearshore and offshore oil spill assets, including response vessels, will be on-scene in Ocean Bay and during transit.
lol, they aint moving that. What are they gonna do, drag it off of where 40' seas and 50 knot winds put it with a harbor tug? lol. To summarize, I highly doubt any tow wire broke and strongly suspect that every weld on "D" rings that attaches the tow lines broke and now they will have to weld a structure strong enough to pull off of as well as figure out how to keep the hull from busting wide open. Its toast.
 @T_BONE_WALKER It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future. Yogi Berra
 @al_wa That is good news! I never woulda believed it especially with the shape of that hull sitting on rock. Glad they got her off of there without anyone getting hurt.
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They even did it with no fancy names like "Junk Shot" or "Top Shot".
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If you want to follow the blow by blow action of the salvage operation the Professional Mariner forum is the place.
Also links to the Coast Guard live press briefings.
http://gcaptain.com/forum/professional-mariner-forum/10809-kulluk-salvage-operation.html
USGSÂ Unified Command for the Kulluk salvage opertion.
http://www.kullukresponse.com/go/doc/5507/1674235/
 @al_wa Outstanding web site. I need to search it for updates on the Costa Concordia salvage. Thanks Al.
Fingers crossed hoping they get it off with no damage to the land or sea.