Cold winter conditions leave moored boats in Kodiak’s harbors in dangerous conditions to sink even when they’re not out at sea, Harbormaster Marty Owen said.

The leaky culprit? Frozen pipes and through-hull fittings can leak or potentially burst – a danger that can happen to any size vessel.

“A one-inch hole at the bottom of a boat will sink it real quick, particularly if no one is watching it,” Owen said.

Owen and Coast Guard officials suggest boat owners constantly check on their boats. The harbor’s staff also monitors the docks three times a day.

The harbor staff works in three eight-hour shifts daily; at 8 a.m., 5 p.m. and midnight. During each shift, usually two officers walk all the docks at least once, and check boats for secured lines and comparing water levels.

However, “Boat owners shouldn’t be relying on patrollers … We do expect them to come down on a regular basis and check their boats,” Owen said.

Another problem is improperly tied lines, or lines whose days are numbered after being exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays for years.

“Even though they might look all right, they could be old and rotten. UV (ruins) the line … a line that has been exposed to sunlight over four or five years only has a fraction of the holding strength it once had,” Owen said.

An additional problem is fatigued fishermen who, after working fall and winter, go south for warmer winters. They sometimes leave their boats to caretakers not familiar with the vessels, said Owen.

Every year, typically one or two vessels sink, Owen said. The last one he said was about 32 feet long and went underwater but not entirely to the bottom. Another boat was sent to lift it up and attempt to pump out water faster than it was entering the boat.

The culprit? Bad exhaust plumbing, Owen said.

“Another dozen or so take on water each year but don’t sink,” Owen said, adding that when harbor officers see them taking water, they immediately notify the owner or caretaker to prevent greater problems.

Sunk boats can create an even greater Exxon Valdez-like problem for the owner due to potential fuel leakages. The cleanup and process of recovering the boat is the financial responsibility of the owner.

And while some may abandon their boats on land, some boats, too, are left docked. Owen said the city impounds three to five boats a year.

“If it sinks and it’s been abandoned, it’s very difficult to reclaim costs of raising the boat or cleaning up the spill,” he said.

Impounded boats, however, become the potential treasures for others when the hull or parts are sold.

Harbor electricity use goes up

Colleen Newman, administrative supervisor at the Harbormaster’s Office, said the total electric bill for December 2008 was its highest ever — double November’s usage and at least 30 percent more than December of 2007.

Newman said the high usage was probably due to increased usage of heaters.

“When doing repairs, (they probably) had to use more heat to make the conditions conducive to working,” she said.

An advisory memo from Capt. H.M. Hamilton, port captian of Western Alaska, suggests boat owners update and verify contact numbers with the harbormaster in case of emergency; arrange reliable snow removal for the vessel and its finger pier; remove oil waste from the bilge and dispose of it properly; ensure auxiliary equipment is in good working order; check shaft seals and other through-hull fittings for water-tight integrity; and, in general, perform all winterizing maintenance.