By Mark Edward Nero
The US Coast Guard on May 20 helped assist a bulk carrier vessel after the ship experienced a loss of propulsion at 10:20 a.m., about five miles offshore from Daly City, California.
The Singapore-flagged bulk carrier Ultra Lascar lost propulsion while operating offshore inbound for the San Francisco Bay. For a time, the vessel was anchored about three miles offshore from Daly City where it awaited the arrival of two assist tugs, which then met a third tug prior to proceeding to an anchorage in San Francisco Bay.
With the Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Parks Service, and several state and local response agencies monitoring the situation, the carrier was eventually able to make its way from San Francisco to the nearby Port of Stockton on the afternoon of May 22, and was still moored there as of May 23.
The vessel was carrying a cargo of salt, bound for delivery to the Port of Stockton, plus about 161,000 gallons of fuel oil onboard, which is used as fuel for the engine.
The Ultra Lascar, which was built in 2015, has an overall length of 79 meters (259 feet), a beam of 30 meters (98 feet), and a gross tonnage of 22,600.
The cause of the power loss is under investigation.
