Kodiak based cutter heading to intercept disabled freighter

DATE: December 07, 2004 11:55:58 AKST

Freighter adrift for more than 13 hours

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Dec 7, 2004 Contact: Petty Officer Paul Roszkowski (907) 487-5700
After 4 p.m. Alaska Standard Time, (907) 463-2000

Press Release

Kodiak based cutter heading to intercept disabled freighter,

Freighter adrift for more than 13 hours

KODIAK, Alaska - The Kodiak-based Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley is heading toward Bogoslof Island to intercept a bulk freighter adrift for more than 13-hours.

The motor vessel Selendang Ayu, a 738-foot Malaysian flagged bulk freighter, began drifting toward Bogoslof Island, about 50 miles northwest of Dutch Harbor when the ship's main engine quit operating more than 13-hours ago.

The 26-people aboard the Selendang Ayu have been working to restart the ship's engine. The ship's captain is concerned that if the engine cannot be restarted the ship may drift into nearby Bogoslof Island. The ship is currently drifting toward the island at a rate of one and a half nautical miles per hour.

The Coast Guard hired the Magone Marine tug Redeemer and the vessel owners hired the Foss Maritime tug Sydney Foss to attempt to take the Selendang Ayu in tow.

"The Coast Guard hired a tug using the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund because of the potential impact for pollution should the vessel ground on one of the Aleutian Islands", said Capt. Ronald Morris, Captain of the Port of Western Alaska.

The Alex Haley diverted its course to intercept and possibly assist the Selendang Ayu if a commercial tug cannot arrive on scene in time. The cutter's crew expected to arrive on scene about 11:30 a.m., Alaskan Standard Time.

The Alex Haley is a 283-foot medium endurance cutter named after the Coast Guard's first chief journalist, Alex Haley, the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of "Roots".

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Freighter adrift for more than 13 hours



KODIAK, Alaska - The Kodiak-based Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley is heading toward Bogoslof Island to intercept a bulk freighter adrift for more than 13-hours.

The motor vessel Selendang Ayu, a 738-foot Malaysian flagged bulk freighter, began drifting toward Bogoslof Island, about 50 miles northwest of Dutch Harbor when the ship's main engine quit operating more than 13-hours ago.

The 26-people aboard the Selendang Ayu have been working to restart the ship's engine. The ship's captain is concerned that if the engine cannot be restarted the ship may drift into nearby Bogoslof Island. The ship is currently drifting toward the island at a rate of one and a half nautical miles per hour.

The Coast Guard hired the Magone Marine tug Redeemer and the vessel owners hired the Foss Maritime tug Sydney Foss to attempt to take the Selendang Ayu in tow.

"The Coast Guard hired a tug using the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund because of the potential impact for pollution should the vessel ground on one of the Aleutian Islands", said Capt. Ronald Morris, Captain of the Port of Western Alaska.

The Alex Haley diverted its course to intercept and possibly assist the Selendang Ayu if a commercial tug cannot arrive on scene in time. The cutter's crew expected to arrive on scene about 11:30 a.m., Alaskan Standard Time.

The Alex Haley is a 283-foot medium endurance cutter named after the Coast Guard's first chief journalist, Alex Haley, the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of "Roots".

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