No. 1 Pohah ties into Unalaska's emergency mooring buoy. / Ben Matheson

Emergency crews successfully connected a ship to the city’s new emergency mooring buoy in a drill Tuesday morning. The exercise simulated a scenario in which the  377-foot  No. 1 Pohah lost power. The Gyrfalcon and James Dunlap tugs connected to both sides of the No 1 Pohah and towed her to Broad Bay, where she connected to the buoy. 

The drill was considered a success, but port officials are still working out the kinks of the new buoy. A 50-foot section of the heavy duty braided line appeared to be frayed.  It held for the test, but port crews disconnected the section after the drill and brought it in to be examined. There is still a 100-foot line in the water that allows the buoy to function.

Marine Pilots, Coast Guard officials, tow specialists, and port crews are still working on ideas on how to best connect to the buoy. They may remove some of the line and deploy that only when needed.

Located in Broad Bay, the emergency buoy can handle ships up to 950 feet long. It’s held in place by three 35-thousand pound anchors in 180 feet of water. The buoy and anchors were donated by Shell Oil.