Case Study: F/V Naknek Spirit brought back to full health following panel fire

F/V Naknek Spirit continues hunting charter after large panel fire, following repairs carried out by Fusion Marine technicians.

 The challenge

Fire on a vessel is one of the most serious accidents that can happen on-board. When a fire occurs while a vessel is at sea, it can be challenging to receive immediate assistance to both combat the fire and quickly carry out repairs.

The F/V (Fishing Vessel) Naknek Spirit was built in 1977 to be used as an oil support vessel in the Gulf  of Mexico. In 1983, she was converted to serve as a fish tender vessel for the Alaska Fisheries. To this day, she supports inlet fish operations, tenders in spring, supports hunting operations in the fall, and spends winter undergoing maintenance.

Naknek Spirit comfortably houses six people and provides a group with everything needed for a successful hunting charter. The vessel was on charter in remote Alaska, with a group of paying customers, when a large panel fire occurred. The crew and passengers were safe, however, critical systems onboard sustained extensive smoke and fire damage, and Naknek Spirit was no longer operational.

To continue their hunting charter the crew required the expertise and help to, once again, set sail.

THE SOLUTION

After having carried out previous work on the vessel during their fishing season, the crew on-board Naknek Spirit contacted Fusion Marine. A technician in their Kodiak office, Billy Driver, was dispatched within hours and travelled to the vessel via a float plane. The weather was turbulent, causing rough seas and winds. Billy waited for a weather window and flew out to complete urgent repairs.

Billy communicated with the crew using a satellite phone. He understood their exact requirements before travelling to the vessel, ensuring he had the parts he needed to restore Naknek Spirit to full health. Upon arrival, Billy got straight to work, repairing and replacing the crucial elements that were destroyed. Within several hours, the vessel was equipped with what she needed to operate safely. The quick turnaround provided by Fusion Marine meant that the crew could resume work and fulfill the expectations of their customers.

THE result

Following on from the rapid response and critical work carried out by Fusion Marine, Naknek Spirit and her crew continued their hunting charter, with happy customers on-board.

The work hasn’t ended there. The crew continue to use Fusion Marine’s services to this day and have since purchased a new vessel that Fusion technicians will help outfit.

Image credit: Richard Gulbransen MarineTraffic.com