Vigor Inks Deal for Third Seattle Drydock

By Mark Edward Nero

Vigor Industrial revealed April 17 that it has entered into an agreement to purchase a drydock from a Korean seller in order to, the company said, build on its ongoing investments in infrastructure and fulfill a promise to customers to expand West Coast drydock capacity.

The newly purchased drydock is 640 feet long, with a clear width of 116 feet and a lift capacity of 20,000 LT, making it the largest at Vigor’s Harbor Island shipyard, according to the company.

“The purchase of another drydock in Seattle allows Vigor to better service valued customers like Washington State Ferries, the US Coast Guard and the US Navy,” Vigor Executive Vice President of Ship Repair Adam Beck explained. “It also further strengthens our market position in commercial ship repair on the West Coast and supports our expansion into new markets.”

Beck and his team had been actively looking for the right drydock at home and abroad for a number of months. The team is now working to finalize the transaction and have the dock operational in Seattle by late fall, according to the company.

“Washington State Ferries is greatly relieved and appreciative to hear of Vigor’s important investment in a new drydock for its Harbor Island/Seattle location. We have been concerned about the shortage of drydock availability for the maintenance and repair of our fleet,” WSF Director of Vessel Engineering and Maintenance Matt Von Ruden said. “Regular maintenance is critical to our ability to achieve the expected service life of our vessels and keep them operating well for our customers.”

2 Seattle Dockworkers Killed

Two dockworkers have been killed during separate incidents on the same day in Seattle. At the Port of Seattle, a forklift driver working at Terminal 18 on Harbor Island died after he was accidentally crushed between a forklift and a container on May 17, according to the Washington Dept. of Labor and Industries.

The terminal was later shut down for about 24 hours by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union following the death of the man, who was later identified as Paul A. Stuart, 61, by the King County Medical Office.

On the same day as Stuart’s death, a man performing pressure washing on a large commercial fishing boat tied to a dock at the Port of Seattle’s Maritime Industrial Center began having breathing trouble and collapsed on the ship’s walkway.

The man, who was later identified as Francisco J. Montes-Lopez, was pronounced dead after paramedics who arrived on the scene couldn’t revive him. Seattle police and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration say they are investigating the cause and manner of Montes-Lopez’s death, and that it may have involved carbon monoxide poisoning.