Asphalt Tanker Loses Power off Nantucket

The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Asphalt Sailor was stuck some 210 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, due to propulsion loss, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) informed. 

The incident occurred in the afternoon hours of July 13 local time, with the 356-foot ship carrying 17 crew members on board.

The coast guard’s cutter patrolling offshore was the first asset to arrive on scene at about 5 a.m. on July 14. Assessing the situation, the USCG reported the Asphalt Sailor crew was in no immediate danger, and worked to determine the cause of the power outage.

Another USCG cutter, patrolling off the coast of New England, took over for the Rollin Fritch at about 4:30 p.m. the same day.

The parent company of the 9,200 dwt Asphalt Sailor has been working to dispatch a tug from New York City to meet with the vessel and tow it back to port, according to the USCG.

The 2006-built vessel was not carrying cargo and no injuries were reported.

Owned by Asphalt Gulf of Mexico, the tanker is operated by the US-based Valt, VesselsValue’s data shows.

World Maritime News contacted Valt for the current status of the vessel, however, the company is yet to reply.