New tower built for New Carissa shipwreck

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Story Published: May 28, 2008 at 2:05 PM PST

By Azenith Smith

COOS BAY - A major component for the removal of the New Carissa shipwreck on the North Spit of Coos Bay is now in place, thanks to a local company.

For roughly $115,000, Knutson Towing of Coos Bay just finished building the tower, which stands 70' above water.

It will support two wires that will carry a cable car to transport 20 workers and supplies from the shore to one of the barges.

It's a concept that the salvage company, Titan Maritime has used before for other shipwrecks, but not this grand scale.

"We've used it twice before, but not as elaborate, as far, or as sophisticated as this one," says Managing Director David Parrot. "Very primitive cables where we've run the barge from the shore and gotten our people back in Brazil and Mexico."

He adds, the project is different, since they're making sure it meets government approved standards. It's the safest solution, due to the weather conditions.

"No boat can survive in that, no little boat," says Parrot. "We don't want to rely on a helicopter if there's fog with vast visibility problems. Either you don't work or risks get up in the unreasonable range."

The next major step is jacking up the barges along the New Carissa.
They plan to move one of them to Empire on Thursday and weather-permitting, on Sunday, take it around the North Jetty to the shipwreck.

If all goes as planned, Parrot says, actual work on the wreck may start the second week of June.

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