New Carissa salvage team finds Coos Bay a perfect fit

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By Associated Press

Story Published: May 27, 2008 at 7:04 AM PST

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) - Titan Maritime, the company charged by the state of Oregon to remove the New Carissa, has found Coos Bay to be a bountiful site when it comes to repairing ships.
     
The company tries to use businesses near its work sites as much as possible and has found Coos Bay has most of what it needs to repair the New Carissa and plans to spend about $4 million in Coos County on the project.
     
Titan Maritime Engineering Director Phil Reed spent his first 40 days after the barges arrived in Coos Bay searching for resources.
     
He didn't have to go far.
     
"We never been in a situation where so many local companies have exactly what we've needed," Reed said.
     
His first stop was Sause Bros. Ocean Towing Co., where crews repaired and repainted the boom on Titans "Big Red" crane. President Dale Sause said his company was busy at the time the barges first got here.

Sause Bros. couldnt do a lot of work for Titan, but had no problem pointing Reed in the right directions. Sause referred him to welders, electricians and people who could sandblast and paint.
     
As one connection led to another, Reed found himself a very busy man. His cell phone rang all day and he missed calls while on the line with other people. He said if a company he was working with couldnt perform a job, it would find someone who could.
     
Knutson Towboat Co. fabricated the giant steel construction that runs a cable car to transport crews from beach to barge. Knutson also subcontracted with Benny Hempstead Excavating for beach site preparation or the tower and to build the bypass road.
     
Titan has knocked on the doors of non-industrial businesses in its extended stay here, too.
     
Jerry Wharton, the owner of Wardrobe Cleaners in Coos Bay, and his employees will confront a mountain of crew members' laundry - more than 250 pounds per week. The pile is certain to grow as additional workers arrive.
     
"To me, it's amazing," Reed said. "On this one little strip weve found 99 percent of what we need."
     
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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