Ghost Ship Adrift

It all started over a year ago in a port called Hokkaido, Japan.  While this old and rusted out ,164 foot fishing vessel was moored and waiting to be scraped when the unthinkable happened.  A 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit which triggered a tsunami like no other I have heard about.  So much destruction everything else in it’s path,  the waves dislodged the vessel (like so many others) and sent the Ryou-un Maru adrift into the sea for an incredible journey.  Just one piece of about 5 million tons of debris that was swept out to sea. 

A little over a year has pasted since this happened and the dead vessel still roamed the ocean.  No crew, no lights, no power, totally lifeless and helpless, surely a hazard to shipping lanes and anything else that may cross it’s path.  Truly a ghost ship.

While the vessel floated aimlessly, still in international waters, the Canadian fishing vessel, 62 foot Bernice C put claim to salvage rights but was unable to tow it so they departed.

Once the Bernice C was at safe range and the stricken Ryou-un Maru was in U.S. waters it was time to take action.  As a Coast Guard C-130 flew above, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter poured cannon fire into the Japanese ghost ship that had been so long adrift.  As it was pummeled by the cannon fire it burst into  flames and began to take on water.  About four hours after the first assault, its hull pockmarked with holes, finally vanished into the more than 6,000 foot deep sea about 180 miles from land.

Another vessel at the bottom of the sea.  Was every effort taken to salvage this one or was it let go to long before even trying?  It is hard to know for sure.

This vessel is the largest object to reach North America following the tsunami although there have been smaller objects found on both Canadian and American coastlines.  It is expected that much more will arrive via the currents by the year 2014.  How will we handle that when it comes?  Are we prepared for what is to come?