The USCG says it has started to track the Japanese fishing trawler RYOU-UN MARU, aka the Tsunami Ghost Ship, after the weathered vessel drifted into U.S. waters over the weekend. The fishing vessel has been drifting unmanned at sea since the March 2011 Fukoshima earthquake and tsunami.
As gCaptain reported earlier, the derelict vessel was first spotted in mid-March by the Canadian coast guard off the coast of British Columbia but ocean currents have since taken her approximately 180 miles west of the Dixon Entrance in Southeast Alaska, posing a navigational hazard for busy shipping lanes in the area.
To track the ship, the USCG been conducting flyovers of the vessel since Saturday and have also deployed a data marker buoy into the water near the vessel to provide real time updates of its location.
“The unlit and unmanned vessel, which was originally being monitored by Canadian authorities, is now drifting through high traffic shipping lanes in U.S. waters and has become a potential threat to mariners,” said Capt. Daniel Travers, D17 chief of incident management. “We are tracking the vessel and working with federal, state and local agencies to ensure the safety of the maritime transportation system and the marine environment.”
Where the vessel is headed now is not exactly up to us mortals, rather the spirits that have already piloted her across Pacific. One thing is for sure however: wherever she goes, the USCG will be watching it.
Buoy Drop Video
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 109,836 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
In a quiet corner of the Pacific last August, a vessel unlike any other was making what many thought was its final voyage. R/P FLIP (Floating Instrument Platform), the U.S....
Wendover Production’s latest video, “How Inland Waterways Work,” the spotlight is on the often-overlooked yet vital network of U.S. inland waterways that power much of the economy. These rivers and...
Yachting World is reporting that while missiles rain down on oil tanekrs and major shipping companies divert billions in cargo away from the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a handful of brave, or...
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
Sign Up
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,836 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
