150-Ton Travel Lift and Shipyard

The City’s goal is to operate the shipyard in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.  To accomplish this, the following rules govern on-site work activities.

There may be additional requirements mandated by Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, various Federal and State regulations, and/or other regulatory agencies.  Individuals using the shipyard are required to know and comply with these regulations. Note that vessel crews are permitted to sleep/live-aboard only while vessel is pulled for maintenance. Sleep/live-aboard is otherwise prohibited in the long-term vessel storage area.

Preparation for Haul-Out:

• Pump bilge and shut off bilge pump.
• Vessel owners need to provide the necessary tools and equipment to complete their work.  Pre-arrange equipment (pressure washers, blocking, workers, etc.) prior to haul-out to expedite operations. The Harbor Dept. will not provide tools, ladders or other equipment.

Site Set-up/Cleaning:

• The vessel owner/operator is responsible for the work area around the vessel or work area and for the actions of anyone working in the area (family, crew or contractors). The area must be kept clean, safe and orderly.
• Vessels entering yard must be placed on a tarp. Vessel owner/operator is responsible for providing a tarp large enough for their vessel. Any plastic or tarp material placed under vessel must be secured to prevent moving.
• Any and all vessel blocking shall be performed by the vessel owner/operator.  The City of Cordova will take no responsibility for blocking of vessels. Blocking must be ready and available at the time of the lift. Steel drums shall not be used as blocking.
• Work areas shall be cleaned after each operation is completed or at the end of the day, including washdown pad. Remove all trash, debris, paint chips, fiberglass, blast grit and residue, etc. Dumpsters will be provided for small items, debris and household-type trash.  No large items, metal, wood, fiberglass, petroleum products, residue or waste from bottom cleaning are allowed in dumpsters. Collected paint chips, dust sediment, blast grit and similar debris shall be placed in containers approved for such material and disposed of according to Federal, State and local regulations.  This material shall not be disposed of in the trash or dumpsters. All antifreeze, oil, fuel, bilge water, sewage and any other regulated material must be disposed of properly. Contact the harbor office for disposal of these items.
• Store opened containers of useable solvents and paints in covered, approved containers.
• Treat paint spills like oil spills.  Clean up immediately with absorbent materials, paper or rags.  Liquid paints are considered hazardous as are wet brushes and rollers.  Before disposal, all paint cans, brushes and rollers should be allowed to dry.
• Vessel owners are responsible for testing all residue, blast grit and paint chips resulting from maintenance.  Unless tested and shown to be non-hazardous, these materials may not be disposed of in dumpsters or within the city landfill. If residue from maintenance tests as hazardous, it must be sealed in approved containers and shipped to an appropriate facility for disposal.  The City Baler Facility can provide information on these facilities.

Maintenance Activities:

• Blasting, chipping, sanding or other abrasive removal of material or paint will be done over material (plastic tarp or similar) which will allow prevent sand or residue from washing or falling into the water, inter-tidal zone or onto the surrounding ground and will allow such residue to be collected. These activities shall be done in a sheltered structure or enclosure to contain airborne debris. The enclosure should be securely fastened all around, including fastened to the deck in order to contain the maximum amount of residue possible. On windy days, these activities should be suspended or closely monitored to prevent residue from escaping the containment area.  After maintenance is complete, all spent grit and residue must be collected, securely stored in a covered container, and disposed of properly. Waste from abrasive removal of material and paint is a solid waste and the generator of such waste is responsible for determining if the water possesses hazardous characteristics and thus is a hazardous waste.
• Interior or structural welding or cutting requires a fire watch.
• Bottom painting must be performed over a ground cover (tarp or plastic material).
• Vessel washdown will occur over washdown pad only. Vessels with excessive growth must use filter fabric under the vessel for washdown or bottom cleaning (including within the washdown pad).
• Spray painting shall be conducted over land in a spray booth or under a tarp. Anti-fouling paints containing the minimum amount of toxin necessary for the expected conditions is strongly recommended. Minimize the use of spray painting equipment. Use brushes and rollers whenever possible.  Spray painting is prohibited over water.
• Engine work: Do not wash engine parts over bare ground or water. Store engine parts and engines on impervious surfaces.  Use drip pans when handling any type of liquid and use separate drip pans for each fluid to avoid mixing.  Use funnels to transfer fluids and drain all parts of fluid prior to disposal.
• Winterizing for long-term storage: use less-toxic propylene glycol antifreeze for all systems. Ethylene glycol should never be used in potable water systems, it is highly toxic and cannot be purged reliably. Fuel stabilizers prevent degradation.  Fill fuel tanks to 85-90% to prevent flammable fumes from accumulating and minimize buildup of condensation.

The Vessel owner/operator is responsible for the clean up and removal of all blocking, cradles and trash from area of vessel storage/maintenance.  Failure to do so with 48 hours will result in a labor charge for the clean up by harbor staff.

The City of Cordova shall not be responsible or liable for any loss or damage to boats, equipment or contents.  The vessel owner acknowledges that the area where the boat is to be stored is an open, unsecured area for which the city provides no security.