In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard The Kigluaik Mountains can be viewed as the Russian tanker Renda transits toward the Port of Nome Jan. 13, 2012. The Renda has been assisted by the Coast Guard Ice Breaker Healy since the vessels left Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Now comes the tricky part: getting more than a million gallons of diesel and gasoline to shore through a mile-long hose without a spill. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)
In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard The Kigluaik Mountains can be viewed as the Russian tanker Renda transits toward the Port of Nome Jan. 13, 2012. The Renda has been assisted by the Coast Guard Ice Breaker Healy since the vessels left Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Now comes the tricky part: getting more than a million gallons of diesel and gasoline to shore through a mile-long hose without a spill. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)
In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard The Coast Guard Ice Breaker Healy breaks ice in the Nome Harbor Jan. 13, 2012. The Healy has been escorting and breaking ice for the Russian tanker Renda since Jan. 3, 2012, on its way to Nome to deliver 1.3 million gallons of fuel. Now comes the tricky part: getting more than a million gallons of diesel and gasoline to shore through a mile-long hose without a spill. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)
In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard the Kigluaik Mountains are visible as the Coast Guard Cutter Healy breaks ice for the Russian tanker Renda near Nome Friday Jan. 13, 2012. The Healy and crew are approximately seven nautical miles away from Nome. Now comes the tricky part: getting more than a million gallons of diesel and gasoline to shore through a mile-long hose without a spill. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)
In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Coast Guard Rear Adm. Tom Ostebo, District 17 commander, along with Forces Valdez personnel assess the fuel transfer safety zone on snow machines in the Nome harbor Friday Jan. 13, 2012. Forces Valdez personnel will enforce a 50 yard zone around fuel delivery hoses and 100 yards from the tanker Renda. Now comes the tricky part: getting more than a million gallons of diesel and gasoline to shore through a mile-long hose without a spill. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)
This image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard from the bridge camera aboard the Ice Breaker Healy taken at 8:01 p.m. EST shows the tanker Renda approximately one mile from Nome Alaska Friday Jan. 13, 2012. Nome's harbor is iced-in, preventing the 370-foot tanker from getting to the city dock. It will have to moor at this location offshore to transfer its 1.3-million-gallon payload across the ice and to fuel headers that feed a nearby tank farm. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? Crews of a Russian tanker readied on Saturday a segmented hose to transfer from ashore critical fuel to an iced-in Alaskan town.
Sitnasuak Native Corp. board chairman Jason Evans said the 370-foot tanker Renda was aiming Saturday to moor at about 500 yards from the village of Nome, whose harbor had too much ice for the vessel to reach.
Instead, the crew will move 1.3 million gallons of fuel through a hose set up over sea ice.
Personnel will walk the entire length of the hose every 30 minutes to check it for leaks. Each segment will have its own spill containment area, and extra absorbent boom will be on hand in case of a spill.
Evans said he hopes the crew will begin unloading the fuel by Sunday.
"It's kind of like a football game, we're on the five yard line and we just want to work into the goal line," Evans, whose hometown is Nome, said.
The Renda finally reached Nome's vicinity after a slow crawl through hundreds of miles of sea ice. It was aided by the Seattle-based U.S Coast Guard Cutter Healy.
There has been a lot of anxious waiting since the ship left Russia in mid-December. It picked up diesel fuel in South Korea before traveling to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where it took on unleaded gasoline. Late Thursday, the vessels stopped offshore and began planning the transfer.
A fall storm prevented Nome from getting a fuel delivery by barge in November. Without the tanker delivery, supplies of diesel fuel, gasoline and home heating fuel Nome are expected to run out in March and April, well before a barge delivery again in late May or June.
Evans, however, cautioned that delivering the fuel is only half the mission.
"The ships need to transition back through 300 miles of ice," he said. "I say we're not done until the ships are safely back at their home ports (in Seattle and Russia)."
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