ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A powerful tugboat had a partially disabled cargo ship under tow late Saturday in a remote area of the Aleutians and the two were making their way to Dutch Harbor, the Coast Guard said.
The Tor Viking II was towing the 738-foot Golden Seas cargo ship, which suffered engine problems while carrying a load of fuel and canola seed in the Bering Sea. The tug made it to the distressed cargo vessel Saturday evening, attached a line and the two were on a northeastern course later in the night about 40 miles north of Atka Island.
The sluggish cargo ship began experiencing problems Friday, but the situation improved overnight as strong wind and rough seas subsided somewhat and its crew was able to increase the ship's distance from the nearest land, the Coast Guard said earlier Saturday.
The Golden Seas had been drifting toward Atka, which sits about 1,300 miles southwest of Anchorage in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, and it was feared the vessel could go around.
Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/12/04/1587563/fears-ease-that-cargo-vessel-will.html#ixzz17GYYI6FJ
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