Looks like the Mazda ship that almost sank a month ago is coming to Portland Oregon. I'll do everything I can to try to work that ship when it gets here, but there will be a bunch of negotiating on how the cars will be removed from the ship and by whom. Hopefully, the ILWU will get the job and I hope I get in on the action. I'll for sure try to get some pics, I'm just as curious as everyone else what the carnage is inside the ship.
You can read up on the latest by googling "cougar ace".
Quote:
Car-laden ship righted after month on its side
Crews have righted a ship loaded with new cars and SUVs that had keeled over onto its side a month ago in the north Pacific Ocean.
The Cougar Ace, which had been listing severely south of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, is being prepared for a tow to Portland, Ore., the Anchorage Daily News reported Saturday.
The ship listed to its port side July 23 as its crew was attempting to adjust the ship's ballast water.
The Singapore-flagged ship is loaded with nearly 5,000 Japanese-built Mazdas sold in the United States. The inventory consists of subcompacts and SUVS, Miatas and RX-8 sports cars, said Jeremy Barnes, a Mazda spokesman.
As far as the Coast Guard could determine, there was minimal damage to the cars, LoSciuto said. A naval architect was killed when he slipped and hit his head while aboard the then-sideways ship.
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Voodoo Blue 4X4 with AT.
Added: Warn M8000, Factory rack, Factory hitch, Toytec lift (FJ3-FRCC), Amp-Fortyone-2 Black Alloy wheels with Nitto Terra Grappler 295/70/17, Cobra 75 WXST, Square Sliders, roof rack light bar with 4 Pro Comp lights, 2 Pro Comp lights on custom tube bumper, FJ battery clamp (Thanx Noisycow).
DIY Projects completed:
Toytec lift install, Sliders, body mount chop,Bandi Mount,hitch & tow ring, roof rack light bar and LCNW style bumper.
As promised, I have been working the Cougar Ace for a few days now. I'm shocked by how little damage there is to the vehicles on the ship. I'd estimate 95% or better of all the vehicles have no damage at all. The lashing straps kept the vehicles secure despite an almost 70 degree list, a testiment to the toughness of nylon straps. The cars are being hand pushed onto flatbeds and taken off the ship to the Portland Honda facility. It looks like it will take 3-4 weeks to get all the cars off the ship.
Here is a statement from Mazda on the cars:
Quote:
NO MAZDA VEHICLES ON CAR-CARRYING VESSEL COUGAR ACE WILL BE SOLD AS NEW
IRVINE, Calif., September 11, 2006 - Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced that the Mazda vehicles aboard the car-carrying vessel, Cougar Ace, which ran into trouble on July 23, 2006, off the Alaskan coast, resulting in her listing some 60-plus degrees, will not be sold as new vehicles.
“While we do not, at this time, know the full extent of the damage to vehicles on board , none of the Mazdas will be sold as new”, said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO of MNAO. “It is possible that those vehicles which are undamaged or repairable will be made available for sale as used cars through Mazda’s dealer network in the U.S. and Canada. We will only be in a position to decide on any used car sales once the vessel has been unloaded and each unit comprehensively inspected. Those beyond repair will be immediately scrapped.”
“In the interest of transparency and customer peace of mind, we will post the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) of vehicles destined for sale on our consumer Websites, www.MazdaUSA.com and www.mazda.ca, so that there is no confusion as to which vehicles were on the ship,” added O’Sullivan.
Slightly more than half of the cars are MAZDA3s and about one-fourth are Mazda CX-7s. The vehicles were headed to the ports of Vancouver ( Canada), Tacoma and Hueneme (U.S.).
The Cougar Ace sailed from Japan to North America with just over 4,700 Canadian- and U.S-bound Mazdas aboard. She became stricken when an issue during a routine ballast-water change caused her to list. Thanks to heroic efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard, all 23 crew members were transferred from the ship within hours.
After the ship was stabilized, she was towed to sheltered waters in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where she was returned to an even keel. She is currently under tow to the Port of Portland, Ore., where she is expected to arrive on September 12. Upon arrival, her cargo will be further evaluated and unloaded.
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario, Canada, and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.
__________________
Voodoo Blue 4X4 with AT.
Added: Warn M8000, Factory rack, Factory hitch, Toytec lift (FJ3-FRCC), Amp-Fortyone-2 Black Alloy wheels with Nitto Terra Grappler 295/70/17, Cobra 75 WXST, Square Sliders, roof rack light bar with 4 Pro Comp lights, 2 Pro Comp lights on custom tube bumper, FJ battery clamp (Thanx Noisycow).
DIY Projects completed:
Toytec lift install, Sliders, body mount chop,Bandi Mount,hitch & tow ring, roof rack light bar and LCNW style bumper.
No kidding... We purchased a new CX-7 about 2 months ago, Shes at about 5000 miles already, and I highly recommend it. Very tightly built vehicle. Very firm suspention, turbocharged motor, etc. If someone gets a chance, grab one of these at a good deal.
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