SS El Faro: Difference between revisions
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'''''El Faro''''' was a [[roll-on/roll-off]] cargo ship that |
'''''El Faro''''' was a [[roll-on/roll-off]] cargo ship that sailed under the flag of the [[United States]]. Built in 1975 by [[Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.]] as '''''Puerto Rico''''', the vessel was renamed '''''Northern Lights''''' in 1991 and finally ''El Faro'' in 2006.<ref name="abs" /> It was lost at sea in 2015's [[Hurricane Joaquin]]. |
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''El Faro'' steamed from Jacksonville, Florida, to Puerto Rico on September 29, 2015, when then [[Hurricane Joaquin|Tropical Storm Joaquin]] was several hundred miles to the east. Two days later, with Joaquin now a [[category 4 hurricane]], the vessel ceased all communications with shore and was declared missing on October 2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/03/us/el-faro-missing-ship-hurricane-joaquin/index.html|title=Life ring from missing cargo ship El Faro is found - CNN.com|author=Michael Martinez and Greg Botelho, CNN|date=3 October 2015|work=CNN}}</ref> As of October 5, the ship was the subject of a major search and recovery effort by the [[United States Coast Guard]] in waters immediately northeast of the [[Bahama Islands|Bahamas Islands]]. |
''El Faro'' steamed from Jacksonville, Florida, to Puerto Rico on September 29, 2015, when then [[Hurricane Joaquin|Tropical Storm Joaquin]] was several hundred miles to the east. Two days later, with Joaquin now a [[category 4 hurricane]], the vessel ceased all communications with shore and was declared missing on October 2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/03/us/el-faro-missing-ship-hurricane-joaquin/index.html|title=Life ring from missing cargo ship El Faro is found - CNN.com|author=Michael Martinez and Greg Botelho, CNN|date=3 October 2015|work=CNN}}</ref> As of October 5, the ship was the subject of a major search and recovery effort by the [[United States Coast Guard]] in waters immediately northeast of the [[Bahama Islands|Bahamas Islands]]. |
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''El Faro'' was built by the [[Sun Shipbuilding|Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation]] in [[Chester, Pennsylvania]], in 1975 as ''Puerto Rico''.<ref name="abs"/> In 1991, the ship was renamed ''Northern Lights''; two years later, it was lengthened by {{convert|90|ft|m}} at Alabama Shipyard, Inc.<ref name="abs" /> |
''El Faro'' was built by the [[Sun Shipbuilding|Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation]] in [[Chester, Pennsylvania]], in 1975 as ''Puerto Rico''.<ref name="abs"/> In 1991, the ship was renamed ''Northern Lights''; two years later, it was lengthened by {{convert|90|ft|m}} at Alabama Shipyard, Inc.<ref name="abs" /> |
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Originally operated by the Navieras de Puerto Rico Steamship Company, the ''Puerto Rico'' hauled cargo to and from the U.S. East Coast for more than two decades.{{cn|date=October 2015}} The vessel was purchased by TOTE Maritime in [[Tacoma, Washington]], renamed ''Northern Lights'', and placed in service between Tacoma and Anchorage, Alaska.{{cn|date=October 2015}} ''Northern Lights'' continued to |
Originally operated by the Navieras de Puerto Rico Steamship Company, the ''Puerto Rico'' hauled cargo to and from the U.S. East Coast for more than two decades.{{cn|date=October 2015}} The vessel was purchased by TOTE Maritime in [[Tacoma, Washington]], renamed ''Northern Lights'', and placed in service between Tacoma and Anchorage, Alaska.{{cn|date=October 2015}} ''Northern Lights'' continued to sail between these two ports until the early 2000s, when the ship was chartered to the [[Military Sealift Command]] of the [[United States Navy]].{{cn|date=October 2015}} The ship was later transferred by TOTE to its subsidiary company Sea Star Lines and renamed ''El Faro''. It then returned to coastwise liner service between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.{{cn|date=October 2015}} |
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==Sinking== |
==Sinking== |
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Revision as of 20:58, 5 October 2015
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (October 2015) |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2015) |
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| History | |
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 | |
| Name | list error: <br /> list (help) Puerto Rico (until 1991) Northern Lights (1991–2006) El Faro (2006–present)[1] |
| Owner | TOTE Maritime |
| Operator | Sea Star Line |
| Port of registry | San Juan, Puerto Rico[1] |
| Route | Jacksonville, FL to San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Ordered | 1973 |
| Builder | Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.[1] |
| Laid down | 1974 |
| Launched | 1974 |
| Completed | 1975 |
| Identification | list error: <br /> list (help) Call sign: WFJK IMO number: 7395351 MMSI number: 368208000 |
| Fate | Sunk in hurricane Joaquin in 2015[2] |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | Roll-on/roll-off cargo ship |
| Tonnage | list error: <br /> list (help) 31,515 GT 21,473 NT 14,971 DWT |
| Length | 241 m (791 ft) (after lengthening) |
| Beam | 28.6 m (94 ft) |
| Depth | 12.8 m (42 ft) |
| Propulsion | Single shaft, double reduction compound steam turbine (11,190 kW) |
| Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
El Faro was a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship that sailed under the flag of the United States. Built in 1975 by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. as Puerto Rico, the vessel was renamed Northern Lights in 1991 and finally El Faro in 2006.[1] It was lost at sea in 2015's Hurricane Joaquin.
El Faro steamed from Jacksonville, Florida, to Puerto Rico on September 29, 2015, when then Tropical Storm Joaquin was several hundred miles to the east. Two days later, with Joaquin now a category 4 hurricane, the vessel ceased all communications with shore and was declared missing on October 2.[3] As of October 5, the ship was the subject of a major search and recovery effort by the United States Coast Guard in waters immediately northeast of the Bahamas Islands.
Construction and earlier career
El Faro was built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1975 as Puerto Rico.[1] In 1991, the ship was renamed Northern Lights; two years later, it was lengthened by 90 feet (27 m) at Alabama Shipyard, Inc.[1]
Originally operated by the Navieras de Puerto Rico Steamship Company, the Puerto Rico hauled cargo to and from the U.S. East Coast for more than two decades.[citation needed] The vessel was purchased by TOTE Maritime in Tacoma, Washington, renamed Northern Lights, and placed in service between Tacoma and Anchorage, Alaska.[citation needed] Northern Lights continued to sail between these two ports until the early 2000s, when the ship was chartered to the Military Sealift Command of the United States Navy.[citation needed] The ship was later transferred by TOTE to its subsidiary company Sea Star Lines and renamed El Faro. It then returned to coastwise liner service between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.[citation needed]
Sinking
On September 29, 2015, El Faro left Jacksonville for San Juan carrying a cargo of 391 shipping containers, about 294 trailers and cars and a crew of 33 people, including 28 Americans and five Polish citizens.[2] At the time, Hurricane Joaquin was still only a tropical storm and the vessel took a track to the north of the Bahamas Chain. This track may have been intended to keep the ship in the safe semicircle of the circulation and pass to the south of the eye.[citation needed] That evening, NOAA's National Hurricane Center forecast that "Joaquin [was] expected to become a hurricane later tonight or Wednesday.[4]
By October 1, the ship was steaming straight for the storm's eye. About 7:00 a.m., less than 48 hours after the ship sailed from Jacksonville, the master reportedly held a conversation over satellite communications with the management offices of the owners. The exact content of the conversation is not yet available to the public, but the United States Coast Guard has reported that the master reported some flooding which had been stopped, but which had left the vessel with a 15-degree list. The master, Captain Michael Davidson, also reported a loss of propulsion, but it is unknown what caused it, or whether propulsion was regained. After that conversation, it appears that the ship's Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) was activated, whose signal was received by the Coast Guard in Portsmouth, Virginia.[citation needed] This signal prompted the Coast Guard to contact the vessel's owners, who informed them of the ship's reported condition. Subsequent attempts by the USCG to open communications with El Faro were unsuccessful.
Marine Traffic's last reported position of El Faro was 24°16′29″N 74°56′43″W / 24.2747°N 74.94522°W on October 1 at 4:01 a.m. [5]
On October 1, Hurricane Hunters aircraft tried to locate El Faro without result. On Friday, October 2, Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft began a dedicated search for the ship. On October 5, the Coast Guard declared the ship lost at sea and the search turned into a search-and-recovery effort.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "El Faro (7500285)". ABS Record. American Bureau of Shipping. Retrieved 2015-10-04.
- ^ a b c "U.S.-Based Cargo Ship With Crew of 33 Sank in Storm". New York Times. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ Michael Martinez and Greg Botelho, CNN (3 October 2015). "Life ring from missing cargo ship El Faro is found - CNN.com". CNN.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ "Tropical Storm JOAQUIN". noaa.gov.
- ^ "EL FARO". Marinetraffic.com.
External links
- El Faro Incident – updates from the ship owner
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