COUGAR ACE, Now Upright, Headed for Oregon

Coast Guard spokespersons said late Wednesday that salvage crews were preparing the car carrier COUGAR ACE for towing to Portland, OR, where it will discharge its cargo and undergo repairs. The vessel that developed a severe list south of the Aleutian Islands last month is finally upright. The salvage tug SEA VICTORY was reportedly set to tow the vessel, accompanied by the escort vessel GLADIATOR, in a trip which was expected to take about 10 days.

The vessel developed a severe list onto its port side on July 23 as the crew attempted to adjust the ship's ballast condition and an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident by Singapore government agencies is still underway. The car carrier has been moored at a buoy northwest of Dutch Harbor since tugs delivered it on August 8. Since that time, dewatering and salvage efforts have almost completely removed its list.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Coast Guard spokesperson Sarah Francis said that the resecuring of all cargo, some minor dewatering operations and final surveys were still left to be completed prior to the departure of the tow from Wide Bay. The Singapore-flagged car-carrier was loaded with about 5,000 Japanese-built Mazdas for the U.S, markets. The condition of the automobiles is still to be determined.

The salvage operation is being managed by Titan Maritime. An expected Coast Guard press release intended to update the situation on the COUGAR ACE did not arrive in time for this issue of the MarEx e-newsletter.