ON fire and adrift

[70 copo]

Finally there is the 2019 Golden Ray disaster. This car carrier is similar to the Felicity Ace.

Capsizing in shallow water, the Ray was finally slated for demolition and later caught FIRE while being salvaged. This ship became the poster child for bad salvage contracting.

Look at the ultimate cost of bad decision making:

[70 copo]

Todays update on the ACE says she has now developed a list to one side. NOT good.

https://www.providencejournal.com/st...nd/6860627001/

[Charley Lillard]

When I ordered my 2021 Porsche I was able to follow it thru production and on its journey across the ocean with tracking to within the last 15 minutes. Glad I wasn’t tracking my new car that happened to be in this ship. That would be really depressing.

[70 copo]

This interview is 24 hours old now. No change from what we know just more confirmation of how bad the situation really is:

The blaze is fed by the lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles on board the ship. Lithium-ion batteries ignite very easily and water does not put out their flames. However, at the time, it remains unclear whether these batteries started the fire or were just caught up in it.

The fire is a complex one. It is currently too dangerous for firefighters to go on board the ship so they are tackling it from outside by attempting to cool down its structure.



"The fire is still far from the ship's fuel tanks. However, he did warn that the blaze was getting closer adding that "everything was on fire about five meters above the waterline."

"Firefighters are now in a race against time, attempting to subdue the blaze before it reaches the ship's fuel tanks."

Link:

https://interestingengineering.com/f...s-felicity-ace

[70 copo]

In the most recent interview the lawyers said the quiet part out loud:

"London-based law firm Watson Farley & Williams said in a recent report that although it is not clear whether electric vehicles are more likely than ICE vehicles to catch fire, it is common ground that the consequences are potentially more disastrous and more difficult to handle.

“If crews are not aware that fighting an EV fire requires a different technique to that employed in fighting a conventional fire onboard, it is easy to see how an incident could lead to a total loss. The evidence indicates that current suppression and drenching systems will not be sufficient for this new risk. New systems will need to be devised and incorporated into ship design,” stated the law firm."

Link: https://splash247.com/firefighters-s...-felicity-ace/

[70 copo]

So IMO there are a few options:

1. Let it burn out and hope it does not reach the fuel while doing so.

2. flood the holds with fire water to cool the battery packs enough to extinguish the massive internal fires.


#1 has risk because the hull of the ship is burned through in several places already and any rough seas could stress the heat damaged hull sufficient to get her to take on water and risk splitting her in two.

#2 has risk because to get enough water in her to cool the fires could also require the fire tugs to sink her through the addition of fire water. Here is where the already present list factors in. She will continue to list to a capsize position.

Davy Jones says:

[70 copo]

Current details of the status of the ACE are sketchy. She is in the process of being brought under tug control and efforts to cool the exterior hull have increased with the arrival of additional fire ships. The ACE is reported as still unsafe for crews to board.

But one thing is fairly obvious. Nobody is currently permitted to release any imagery of the ongoing firefighting efforts.

We can all speculate as to why of course.

LINK:

https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-ne...oned-atlantic/

[earntaz]

It was reported this AM it will be towed to the Bahamas ... ???

[70 copo]

Here is the official information website that has been set up.

Link: https://www.felicity-ace-information-centre.com/

[70 copo]

Reporting out of Australia speculates that all vehicles aboard are now destroyed.

Link: https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/new...er-fire-update