Cougar Ace to be towed to port in Wide Bay, Alaska

8/08/06

Anchorage, Alaska

The Unified Command, working to right the car carrier Cougar Ace, has reported that sea swells on Monday forced the discontinuation of salvage team efforts. As a result the Cougar Ace will be brought to a mooring in Wide Bay, Unalaska Island. Sea and weather in Wide Bay should permit safe salvage operations. The mooring operations will take most of the afternoon.

Two towing configurations will be employed simultaneously to control the vessel as it is towed to Wide Bay. Crews will also use a double mooring on location there. The tugs will remain on scene and a barge loaded with pollution response gear will be stationed on site. The Unified Command is working with the mayor and city council of Dutch Harbor to keep the residents and stakeholder of the city apprised.

The salvage team began transferring water from the number nine cargo deck around 3 p.m. Monday; however it soon became apparent that choppy seas in the area posed a risk to the safety of the team. The salvage vessel Makushin Bay, which was being used as a staging area for the pneumatic pumps, was unable to remain close enough to the Cougar Ace without striking the ship and posing a threat to crews working on board the 654-foot ship.

With safety of the salvage team and protection of the local environment as paramount concerns the Unified Command of federal and state agencies and the ship's operator, decided to suspend pumping by 6 p.m. and begin arranging for the vessel to be brought to a safe mooring in Wide Bay.

Officials believe that the relocation of the ship will allow the transfer of ballast water to be completed safely and quickly, allowing company officials and others to board the ship and more fully investigate the condition of the vessel.

Current weather on scene consists of 15 knot winds from the southwest with seas around two feet. They have overcast skies and patchy fog though visibility remains at eight miles.

Several vessels remain on-site to assist the Cougar Ace as needed and to protect the local environment and marine habitat including the Coast Guard cutters Morgenthau and Sycamore, motor vessel Redeemer and private tugs Sea Victory and Gladiator.

From US Coast Guard Press Release

Vessel Position as of 8/8/2006 (PDF 258K)