Global Diving & Salvage was contracted by IT International Telecom to support fiber cable landings in both the Aleutian Islands and Southeast Alaska.
2 Jobs, 1 Team
The Aleutian Islands
Taking place on July 22 through September 30, the team completed 11 cable landings at 7 different shore locations along the Aleutian Islands. Global's dive team with the support from the M/V Polar Bear and M/V My Marie, assisted IT Telecom's cable ships, Integrity and Intrepid, with the transition from offshore to nearshore installation. Following cable transition, Global then assisted with the installation of cable into the beach manhole and protection of the shore cable end.
Southeast Alaska
Following the Aleutian Islands project, Global began work on the Southeast Alaska job in October where they assisted with cable landings at four different shore locations including Coffman Cove, North and South Mitkof, and Lena Point. The team had support with transition from offshore to nearshore installation from the M/V Transporter and M/V Ashley T and of course, (IT Telecom's cable ship) Intrepid. Following this, Global assisted with the installation of cable into the beach manhole and protection of the shore cable end.
Working "Off the Grid"
Remote Locations
On both projects, "over" preparation and planning was essential due to the nature of working in extremely remote locations. The project manager on the job communicated that they needed to be “self sufficient” being that,
“Some of the places we were going to only had 26 people that lived there”
So, to guarantee the job was completed efficiently and on time, having spare equipment on hand was necessary in case something broke or stopped working altogether. All equipment was taken from location to location using support vessels. Even an extra excavator was rented and transported to all locations.
Access to Landing Spots
One of the challenges the crew faced at several locations was access to the landing spots. Many spots were not easily accessible, for instance, Global had to navigate tidal zones, unloading dive gear and the excavator in tight spaces, and even working with locals to gain access to private property.
Alaskan Hospitality
Over the course of the Aleutian Islands project, the crew and 2 of IT Telecom’s personnel were housed aboard the M/V Polar Bear landing craft. On the Southeast project, this housing situation was not an option. And in some of the more remote locations, the possibility to stay at a hotel was not available either. One place that the crew was able to find for accommodation was a hunting lodge. Originally, the lodge was completely booked, but thanks to the support of the kind Alaskan locals, they were able to make room for our Global crew.
Rain, Snow, or...Rain
Rain snow or shine, our team continued through. Although it rained nearly 2 ½ weeks straight on the Southeast Alaska project, the PM on the job expressed that the weather was actually, “in our favor” being that there were no real delays due to weather conditions like snow or high winds.
Oh Deer
Alaska is home to beautiful mountains and wide-open spaces. In turn, that comes with its fair share of wildlife. Brown bears are common among some of the more remote locations Global was working in. Safety precautions were taken to ensure safety of the crew in case one appeared. Luckily, none were seen onsite however, a more friendly animal did decide to make an appearance at several of the work locations!
The deer were described as “tame” and didn’t appear to be bothered by the crew’s presence.