For the last 1 hour and 10 minutes, the Aiviq, and her tow, the Kulluk has changed the course of their tow and began a heading, that if it had remained unchanged, would have taken them across the Gulf.

Up until that time, over an hour ago, the Aiviq, the support vessels were on the planned tow path to Kiliuda Bay, but now, since 1:09am, all but one vessel have taken up a southeast heading for a time and had them sailing directly away from their announced shelter.

The group of vessels are now sixteen miles off-shore and continously have added distance between them and the Kodiak Achipeligo for a time.

It hasn’t been yet confirmed if the planned tow into Kiliuda Bay has been changed, but the adapted headings of the vessels now has the vessels traveling due east far off-shore.

The Aiviq and her tow, the Kulluk were originally destined to go to the port of Seattle before the tow lines parted from the vessel a week and a half ago. Tow line problems plagued the vessels until Monday, when the drill rig ultimately grounded just outside of Ocean Bay in strong southeast winds and and heavy seas.

The current weather on scene just offshore of Kodiak, according to the National Weather Service, is south 45 and seas to 28 feet. The weather is predicted to continue to die down in the region as the low in the Gulf continues to move off in a northeast direction.

Weather in the northern Gulf offshore is forecast at southerly winds 30 to 40 knots with seas building to 22 feet. The weather for tomorrow is very similar, until Monday night when the weather continues to calm. By Tuesday, weather in the Gulf of Alaska will go variable 15 knot with seas of 13 feet. Conditions will remain more or less the same for the remainder of the week.