Golden Seas Assisted at Sea by Tor Viking II

The crew of the 738-ft Golden Seas reported an engine turbo-charge failure to the Coast Guard at 4 a.m. Friday, Dec. 3, limiting power and steerage about 70 miles north of Adak and drifting southeast toward Atka Island. The Golden Seas is carrying Canola seed from Vancouver, Canada to the United Arab Emirates.

The Tor Viking II, a 251-ft towing vessel outfitted with four engines totaling 18,300 horse power, reached the bulk carrier Golden Seas at approximately 5:30 p.m., Dec. 4, and was able to successfully attach towlines and began the tow at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

The vessels are en route to Dutch Harbor transiting about 8 mph and are expected to arrive Tuesday if they are able to maintain their current speed and weather conditions remain favorable.

The vessels' voyage has been slightly delayed, opting to move to the south side of the Aleutian Islands to avoid rougher seas.

"We will continually monitor the the vessels situation as well as the weather until they safely reach Dutch Harbor," said Capt. Jason Fosdick, federal on scene coordinator. "Although the southern route adds length to the transit, the reduction of the seas and weather further ensures the safety of the crews and the towing evolution."

The Golden Seas is scheduled to anchor in Captain’s Bay in Dutch Harbor where repairs are expected to be made to the vessel. The Coast Guard will monitor repairs and inspect the ship in order to ensure the vessel is safe to return to sea.