Photo of the day – Dutch Harbor APL Container Crane Collapse

This is a bit of old news, but for anybody who’s ever made the stop in Dutch Harbor, Alaska,  you will probably appreciate seeing this photo.

The toppled APL container crane in Dutch Harbor, AK after high winds toppled it. (Photo/tbackak)

On Friday, 5 December, Dutch Harbor was hit by a storm with winds gusting up to 125 mph which toppled the APL container crane.  No-one was reported in the area at the time.

APL spokesman Mike Zampa said the company was still investigating whether there was any failure of the crane tie downs.

He did confirm, however, that the crane was not blown along the rail, but over backwards directly from its storage position with the boom raised. It was not struck by a vessel.

“We’re working on contingency plans. Obviously we need plans right away because our operations continue in Alaska. So we are formulating contingency plans that will enable us to continue moving cargo and service vessels.”

He said they will not divert ships away from Unalaska. “We do not expect there to be impact on our customers or on our operations. Well, obviously there’s impact. But we will put in place contingency plans to prevent any disruption.”

The crane was an older A-frame design with an 18-row outreach and was moved to Dutch Harbor in 1995. It is the terminal’s only crane and APL vessels will be served at the city dock by Horizon Lines until the crane can be repaired or replaced.

There have been a series of extremely strong storm systems that have moved across the Northern Pacific and Gulf of Alaska in the early half of December.  Just a week earlier from this incident, the Coast Guard LORAN station in Attu recorded wind gusting to 178 MPH.  To those crossing the Pacific out there, be careful and keep a weather eye!