Water pumping begins on “Cougar Ace”

Water pumping begins on “Cougar Ace”

Water pumping begins on “Cougar Ace”

   Salvage teams assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard began to pump water Monday from the car carrier “Cougar Ace” in an effort to right the disabled ship that is listing at 60 degrees.
   The “Cougar Ace” tipped on its side two weeks ago in the North Pacific on its way from Japan to West Coast ports with a shipment of 4,813 vehicles. Mitsui O.S.K. Line, the Japanese vessel operator, has tentatively pegged the cause of the accident to a ballast water adjustment mistake that reduced vessel stability. Tugs late last week towed the vessel into the Bering Sea, which is semi-protected from large swells by the Aleutian Islands.
   Salvors plan to pump water from the number nine cargo deck and transfer sea water into the starboard ballast tank to right the “Cougar Ace,” which will then be towed to a port. The operation is expected to take 30 to 40 hours, according to a joint statement from MOL and the Coast Guard. MOL has yet to decide which port to tow the vessel to once it is back on keel.
   The vessel was located 13 miles northeast of Umnak Island Monday.
   The unified operation command said weather conditions were favorable, but forecasts call for 20-25 knot winds and seven-foot seas on Tuesday.