Cougar Ace departs Unalaska Bay, Alaska under tow

9/01/06

Anchorage, Alaska

The motor vessel Cougar Ace has departed Unalaska Bay under tow by the ocean tug Sea Victory today. They are being escorted by the tug Gladiator.

The vessel has been certified and approved by the Coast Guard and NK Class Society for transit to Portland, Ore. The transit time is expected to take 10 days.

Upon reaching the Columbia River special arrangements have been made to facilitate its safe transit up the busy waterway to Portland. An emergency tow line and arrangement with the Gladiator has been set up as a precaution. The Coast Guard has checked and secured all ballast tanks. No ballast transfers will be made during the transit.

The Cougar Ace, a 654-foot Singapore flagged car carrier, sailed from Japan on July 22 with a load of 4,813 cars. The vessel was en route to two ports along the West Coast of Canada and the United States. The vessel encountered difficulty during a ballast exchange on July 24 about 230 miles south of the Aleutian Island chain in international waters. The vessel sustained a 60 degree list within a few minutes.

The Coast Guard Cutter Rush, a 378-foot cutter from Hawaii, was determined to be the closest Coast Guard asset. It was diverted immediately however, the Cougar Ace was still a 20 hour transit away. Coast Guard C-130s from Air Station Kodiak were the first on scene followed soon after by Coast Guard helicopters and Alaska Air National Guard helicopters with pararescue teams aboard. Upon arrival they hoisted the crew from the Cougar Ace. The crew was delivered safely to Adak and eventually returned to their homes in Asia.

Salvage crews attempted to right the vessel at sea but weather conditions and the large swells common to the Pacific Ocean forced a change of venue to the sheltered waters of Wide Bay. The crews proceeded to hook onto the enormous ship laden with cars and tow it through Samalga Pass and into the Bering Sea to Wide Bay on the north side of Unalaska Island. Following the necessary surveys, salvage crews worked steadily to dewater the number nine cargo deck and add water to the appropriate ballast tanks to right the vessel. They ship was kept at a 10 degree list for several days to facilitate cleaning before it was finally righted completely on Monday. Crews re-secured all the cargo, mostly Mazda brand vehicles. Only 41 of the 4,813 cars were found to have shifted.

On Monday vessel stores were supplied and loaded for transit, and rigging and reinforcement of the tow arrangement continued. Inspections of the vessel located a minor amount flood water in some of the vessel's piping due to downflooding through vent piping when the vessel was still healed over. The flood water was pumped to tanks aboard the Magone Marine barge Kashega. The tailshaft was locked in place as was the rudder post. Testing of the watertight integrity of the cargo doors was completed and found to be satisfactory. No pollution has been reported from the vessel in Wide Bay.

The Coast Guard in Alaska will continue to monitor the transit of the vessel until it reaches Puget Sound and the Columbia River where Coast Guard District 13 assets will take up the work and escort the vessel to Portland.

(Photo courtesy of Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Unalaska.)

More information is available on the Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation website at: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/cougarace

From US Coast Guard Press Release