Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/778359
32 vessels would simply refuse to transit to Bethel. Even with the buoys placed, one of Crowley's shallow-draft coastal sets will be used as a pilot boat to ensure a safe transit. It will take three or four round trips to Bethel and about three weeks to resupply the tank farm that provides the heating fuel and unleaded gasoline the villages rely upon to survive through the winter. With time and geography in mind, it's easy to see the complexities of the logistics and coordination it takes to complete all deliveries to the villages ranging from Bristol Bay to Kaktovik (62 miles west of the Canadian border in the Arctic Ocean) in the 180-day period—all before the rivers freeze up and the weather becomes extreme and dangerous to the vessels and crews. But this is only part of the story—one piece of the puzzle. There are many to ice scouring or channels shifting from big spring runoffs, keeping vessels from unintentionally grounding during a transit. This "local knowledge" is then shared with other Crowley vessels. Other challenges stem from the lack of dock infrastructure and port facilities. There are roughly 12 docks with any kind of port infrastructure that Crowley vessels can tie up to and most of those are located in the Bristol Bay area. Farther west and north, only the larger hubs of Nome and Kotzebue have improved facilities and docks, meaning that most vessels can't access these communities. Instead, Crowley's crews either push to the beach or bank with the barge, or they double anchor in some locations to stay afloat, then float a hose to pump petroleum products to shore. When vessels push to the beach, the crews have to plan transits carefully and monitor the tide, wind, weather and more to remain safe while delivering. Typically, this means vessels transit to the village during the highest tide of the day, continue to push to the beach while the water recedes, and then shut down the engines when there's no longer enough water and "go dry." We are an industry partner in Alaska, and residents and stewards of the communities we serve." Above: The tug Rampart with barges Riverways 9 and 11 work together at the Dalton Highway Bridge crossing the Yukon River. other challenges mariners face in western Alaska to get deliveries done safely, efficiently, and without incident. Don't Go Where the Seagulls Walk The first major challenge is the lack of navigational charts, harbor charts, buoys, and soundings for a majority of the villages where Crowley delivers. Crowley goes where most vessels have a "no go" zone marked on their charts to get the fuel the last 100 feet to the beach. If Crowley can't deliver it the last 100 feet, the village can't get the crucial resupply they require. The majority of the routes have been handed down from past operators. Current vessel officers (who boast an average of 17 years' experience operating in western Alaska) constantly update them as river channels change and the coast shifts and erodes. Additionally, Crowley's vessel crews regularly use a sounding skiff to lay out temporary buoys and create GPS track lines on river crossings or coastal flats to identify where the water levels are low and to navigate difficult spots. Using a sounding skiff is also a good way to identify whether saved routes from the prior year have changed due