Atlantic Companion - engine problems

The Atlantic Companion suffered an engine breakdown January 20 off the Fastnet Rocks and was adrift for about twelve hours. The ship was en route Liverpool, UK to Halifax, and drifted with the current until the crew managed to restart the engine and make for Bantry Bay, Ireland.

Atlantic Companion sailing beneath the MacKay bridge February 19, 2014.

The ship was built by Kockums shipyard in Malmo Sweden in 1986 and lengthened by Hyundai, Ulsan, South Korea in 1987.  From 1987 to 1994 it was renamed Companion Express for a vessel sharing agreement with Hapag-Lloyd, when it was assigned to the St.Lawrence River route for time.

It made it first call in Halifax March 27,1984, and aside from the brief spell mentioned above, the ship has been a monthly caller in Halifax ever since. 

On February 20, 2012 it lost power in one cylinder while arriving in Halifax and anchored for a time for repairs.

Atlantic Companion (in the background) in number one anchorage as fleet mate Atlantic Conveyor arrives.February 20, 2012.

All five ships in the ACL fleet are due for replacement starting this year. The first hull, to be called Atlantic Star has been floated out of the building dock and is due in service in May. The remaining ships will arrive at two month intervals thereafter. Called the G4 series, they are even bigger that Atlantic Companion and the other G3 series ships. At 30 years of age, the G3s have reached the end of their service lives, and more of these sorts of breakdowns might be expected. 

Fortunately this latest one has not resulted in any injuries or pollution.

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