# Burning Car Carrier ‘Sincerity Ace’ Abandoned in the Pacific Ocean



## Geoff Gower (Sep 8, 2011)

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the active search for one remaining unaccounted for crewmember of the Sincerity Ace.
Good Samaritans from four merchant vessels were able to rescue 16 of the 21 Sincerity Ace crew who abandoned the burning car carrier following a fire on New Year’s Eve roughly 2,000 miles from northwest of Hawaii.
The Coast Guard says four missing mariners were located but remain in the water as they were unresponsive and unable to react to life-saving equipment.Coast Guard watchstanders have issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast Notice to Mariners requesting vessels transiting the area to keep a sharp lookout for the remaining unaccounted for the crewmember.
Searches were conducted throughout the day Wednesday by a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew and the crews of the motor vessels Venus Spirit and Genco Augustus.
“Following the conclusion of morning and afternoon searches by our aircraft and commercial vessels we suspended the active search. This is always a difficult decision and takes many factors into account,” said Chief Petty Officer Dennis Vetrano, with Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu. “We extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of the crewmembers affected by this tragedy.”


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

Thanks for the info Geoff. It's so sad to hear of the loss of life and of a ship in this day and age.
These car carriers sound very dodgy. There have been a couple of incidents in the Solent area over the last few years involving them. One was one that nearly capsized in Southampton Water, and would have, had it not ended up leaning on a sand bank, and another had a serious fire on board. Fortunately neither incident resulted in a loss of life. More luck than judgment I think.


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## seaman38 (Mar 16, 2016)

Dickyboy said:


> These car carriers sound very dodgy.
> 
> There have been a couple of incidents in the Solent area over the last few years involving them. One was one that nearly capsized in Southampton Water, and would have, had it not ended up leaning on a sand bank, and another had a serious fire on board.
> 
> Fortunately neither incident resulted in a loss of life. More luck than judgment I think.


Considering at the last count there were 998 car carriers in business around the world, the number of incidents is minimal. We tend to think that the main routes are Japan/Korea to UK/USA, but there are routes we tend to ignore Brazil to Continent and vice versa, Brazil to Uraguay, Chile, Peru etc USA to South America, Japan to Thailand, Singapore, UK to USA, Japan, Continent and others too numerous to mention.

The incidents in Southampton were found to be human error, one being attributed to unauthorised transfer of ballast. Luck has very little to with it

Having been a supt for a car carrier I can assure you that they are as safe as any other vessel transitting the world's oceans, but accidents do happen, even in the best run companies.


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## gypcoll (Dec 10, 2007)

Well, it was certainly lucky the Bramble bank was there, would have been unlucky in deep water, definition of luck i suppose, gypcoll


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## Bob S (Jul 12, 2004)

The one on the Bramble Bank, Hoegh Osaka, January 2015.


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## bilgerat52 (May 18, 2018)

That ship and many identical to it have been to many ports in Australia as well


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## limeybiker (Dec 8, 2007)

Considering the number of vehicles that burst in to flames due to faulty manufacture. As we used to say in the " Andrew", Sod's Law.


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