ASA Member Highlights

HANSON MARITIME

Located in Sitka Alaska, Hanson Maritime Co is the premier provider of salvage in Southeast Alaska. Hanson Maritime’s history starts in 1993 when current company president and Salvage Master Lee Hanson, founded Underwater Services in Sitka. Later incorporating as Hanson Maritime Co, current corporate management consists of Lee, Ahna, and Rafe Hanson. Lee began diving at 9 with his father Dale, a Green Beret and Special Forces diver during the Vietnam War. Naturally, Lee’s philosophy and model for the company is that of a Special Forces team: Be small in number, unmatched in skill, and the best of the best. Quiet professionals that are called upon when mission success is critical.

Hanson Maritime’s location on the outer coast of Baranof Island is directly on the shores of the Gulf of Alaska, and the center of vigorous commercial fishing and passenger vessel activity. Making the most of this prime location, Hanson Maritime’s base of operations is a 200’ deep water dock acquired in 2020 from the city of Sitka. More than just moorage for floating assets, the Hanson dock is where cranes, containment boom, anchors and other salvage equipment are kept in a ready state.

Hanson Maritime has earned a solid reputation with the many parties involved when a casualty occurs in pristine Alaskan waters. Working with owners, underwriters, and numerous agencies, Hanson Maritime has proven itself to be the keystone that stake holders need for successful results. Hanson Maritime is also a B.O.A. contractor suppling salvage, vessels, spill response, and oil clean up services to the U.S. Coast Guard in district 17.

Hanson Maritime’s centerpiece asset is the tug Salvation. Well-appointed for salvage work, the Salvation is equipped as a comprehensive dive vessel in addition to carrying a full complement of rigging and lift bags. The Salvation is also equipped with a Stern “A” frame for the anchor handling that is commonplace in salvage.

Hanson Maritime’s approach to salvage is “high speed, low drag”. A quick response to a casualty minimizes pollution and potentially preserves vessel and cargo value. Hanson crew members are experts in re-purposing a stricken vessel’s outfit or cargo to aid in it’s own salvage, or determining when to isolate rather than patch. All Hanson crew members are licensed captains ranging from 100 ton to Unlimited Masters. All are multi-disciplined: A Captain, diver, helicopter pilot. And: Captain, crane operator, diver, are examples of who is in the ranks. Keeping with the high-speed low drag principle, Hanson almost exclusively uses lift bags over cranes for salvage. Besides having a slow mobilization penalty, crane use outside of protected waters is extremely limited if safety is a concern. Hanson Maritime is highly proficient in the art of stability in salvage, and the process of increasing buoyancy and stability through combinations of lift bags, cofferdams, and compartment isolation.

Hanson Maritime has repeatedly demonstrated successful results in salvage, by bringing together the best people, with the right equipment, and a keen plan.

The purse seiner "Ginny O" during salvage operations in September 2020. The Ginny O sank in 60' of water after sustaining major damage during a grounding. Hanson Maritime re-floated the vessel from an inverted position using only lift bags and cofferdams // El cerquero "Ginny O" durante las operaciones de salvamento en septiembre de 2020. El Ginny O se hundió en 60' de agua después de sufrir daños importantes durante una varada. Hanson Maritime volvió a hacer flotar el buque desde una posición invertida utilizando solo bolsas elevadoras y ataguías.