Juneau requests ideas on how to remove stranded tugboat

JUNEAU, Alaska – Juneau officials are looking for cost-effective ideas for how to remove a tugboat stranded in the channel next to the southeast Alaska city.

The Juneau Empire reported Saturday that the docks and harbours department has sent out a request for information to remove, salvage or dispose of the 107-foot (33-meter) tugboat Lumberman.

The tugboat has been stuck on a sandbar in the Gastineau Channel since May 2018 after it drifted when its anchor line broke.

The U.S. Coast Guard removed the vessel’s fuel last year.

The city does not have a legal requirement to remove the boat, but Juneau officials say they are concerned that delaying the effort could lead to higher expenses later.

___

Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com