Car Carrying Vessel News

China's Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry Co. reports car-carrier completes latest phase sea trials, but more work to be done. Car carrying vessel (MD087) built for the Gram Car Carrier company returns to the shipyard's COSCO steel structure dock having completed a 55-hour sea trial. The builders say that the ship's quality satisfied the ship owners and the classification society but that there remained one eighth of 150 requirements to be made good, which they say demonstrates they have reached a new breakthrough in building quality.

Mazda Motor Corporation said that all of the U.S.- and Canada-bound Mazda vehicles from the car-carrying vessel, Cougar Ace, which nearly capsized off the Aleutian Islands in late July, would be scrapped. The Cougar Ace sat listing at more than 60-degrees for nearly a month after an incident at sea, before it could be towed to the Port of Portland, Ore., for repairs and to have its cargo off-loaded. O'Sullivan added that although some of the Mazdas aboard the Cougar Ace showed little or no visible damage from being tied-down at severe angles for an extended period, the potential for future problems led the company to reconsider its initial decision to sell any of the vehicles as used.