Overview
Ballard responded to an emergency call that a fishing vessel had run aground in Half Moon Bay, near Westport, WA. When Ballard arrived, the vessel was high and dry on the beach next to the jetty. The likelihood of the vessel refloating in its current state would not be possible due to the large volume of sand that had washed atop the boat, as well as the severe damage the bow undertook.

Scope of Work
Ballard patched the vessel from the inside and filled the vessel with expandable chemical foam. Once sealed, Ballard kept a close watch on the changing tides with aim of targeting the ideal conditions for its removal. During several tide cycles, in high ocean currents, the vessel was pulled off the beach and floated into Aberdeen, Washington for deconstruction and disposal.

Innovative Solutions
One challenge the team faced with this project was the damaged vessel decreased the likelihood of standard repair techniques that would allow the boat to float. The experience of the Ballard project management team allowed them to create the solution of using an expandable chemical foam to give buoyancy to the vessel, just enough to float it to the shipyard in Aberdeen for deconstruction.

Results
The removal of this derelict vessel ensured that Half Moon Bay, and the nearby entrance channel, would stay clear of a possible navigational hazard. In addition, the clean and swift removal of the grounded ship completely removed the possibility of contaminants leaking into the bay caused by the punctured hull.