COUGAR ACE Arrives Under Tow at Portland, OR; Proceeds to Shipyard

Published Sep 15, 2006 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

The cargo vessel “Cougar Ace” arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River on Monday and then proceeded to Cascade General Shipyard in Portland, OR, under tow, on Wednesday. According to Ensign Nick Barrow of the Coast Guard, the vessel has since shifted to Terminal 6 at the port of Portland, where it will discharge its cargo. The vessel was also scheduled to undergo further inspections by Coast Guard Sector Portland and Vessel Class Society N.K.K after berthing in Portland. The vessel was towed from the waters of Wide Bay near Unalaska Island, Alaska after last month’s incident where the vessel developed a severe list while shifting ballast.

According to a Coast Guard press release, the vessel left Alaska on September 1 after Vessel Class Society, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, and Coast Guard inspectors there determined it was safe to make the trip. A moving safety zone for the vessel was maintained as it transited the Columbia River and the Coast Guard said that they worked closely with the Columbia River Pilots, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, the Columbia River Bar Pilots, Crowley, Shaver Transportation, Norton Lilly and the Port of Portland to ensure a safe and trouble-free transit.

Salvage crews spent several weeks righting the "Cougar Ace," securing its cargo and making it habitable after the vessel listed to its side July 24. The M/V COUGAR ACE, the 654-foot Singapore-flagged car carrier notified the United States Coast Guard that they were listing and taking on water. The Coast Guard cutter “RUSH,” rescue helicopters and other salvage assets were then dispatched to the vessel’s location. The vessel’s entire complement of 23 crew members was successfully evacuated.

Elsewhere, Mazda announced that the cars on board the vessel will not be sold as new. The “Cougar Ace” sailed from Japan to North America with about 4,700 Mazda vehicles on board. Reportedly, the cars were originally destined for the ports of Vancouver, Tacoma and Hueneme. The extent of damage to any of the vehicles was still to be determined.