A salvage operation is set to start on the drifting car carrier Felicity Ace that caught fire on February 16, some 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azores in the Atlantic, while on its way from Emden, Germany to Rhode Island, US.
that caught fire on MOL Shipmanagement Singapore, managers of the Panama-flagged ship have appointed a salvage company, and an initial salvage team has arrived in the Azores and should be on site today. “Further salvage assets are being readied to attend the vessel,” MOL said in a statement.
“A team of sixteen experts from subsidiary SMIT Salvage was mobilised yesterday and is present on the Azores,” Boskalis said on Friday, adding that a large equipment is en route from Spain and the Netherlands to assist with the fire fighting.
The Portuguese Navy, through the Ponta Delgada Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), has a warship standing by and monitoring the drift of the 6,400 ceu ship. According to its latest report, there are no traces of pollution in the area so far.
The 16-year-old Felicity Ace is reportedly carrying close to 4,000 cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, as well as many Volkswagen and Audi cars. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are not currently known. All 22 crew members were safely evacuated from the vessel and taken ashore with assistance from nearby merchant ships and a navy helicopter.
