USS Ardent Assists Stranded Iraqi-Owned Vessel

ABOARD USS ARDENT – While conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the Arabian Gulf, March 6, USS Ardent (MCM 12) responded to a distress call by an Iraqi-owned commercial vessel.

Ardent arrived on scene after the crew of Motor Vessel Gulf Queen reported via bridge-to-bridge radio that the vessel was dead-in-the-water with no topside or navigational lighting visible. The Avenger-class mine countermeasure ship deployed two rescue and assistance teams (RNA), which performed a security sweep of the crippled ship and conducted an assessment of its electrical and engineering conditions as well as the welfare of the crew.

According to Engineman 2nd Class (SW) John Porter, Gulf Queen's engine equipment was extremely degraded.

“The ship had no means to repair itself due to the lack of personnel, technical knowledge and few spare parts,” said Porter, who hails from Salina , Kan.

At the time of the initial boarding, the Ardent RNA teams determined the ship was still seaworthy, but reported the vessel's battery power was critically depleted. The team also discovered a crack in the hull which caused flooding in some of the vessel's main spaces.

Due to a loss in electrical power, Ardent's engineering support team was unable to utilize Gulf Queen's main drainage; therefore, Ardent provided two P-100 dewatering pumps to assist in the drainage.

“The amount of oil, fuel and exhaust leaks was a serious fire hazard and extremely unsafe for personnel to work around,” Porter said.

The Navy worked through the Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Center (MEMAC) in Kuwait to contact Gulf Queen's owner to arrange for safe towage. MEMAC is an international organization among all Arab countries set up specifically to facilitate international cooperation in the response to vessels in distress.

Ardent remained on station for three days, providing support until the owner of the vessel could arrange for a tug boat to arrive to tow the damaged vessel to Iraq . During the course of the three-day assist, Ardent Sailors also supplied the Gulf Queen crew with food and fresh water. During that time, Ardent crewmembers also continued to dewater the ship in order to keep it from sinking.

“The [Gulf Queen] crew was very appreciative of our assistance and were very happy to see us every day,” said Hull Technician 1 st Class(SW) Orlando Garcia, from Pharr , Texas . “The ship's master made a comment that he wished we were part of his crew.”

Ardent Commanding Officer Lt. Cmdr. Philip Sobeck, said his well-trained Sailors did an outstanding job during the assist.

“This is ‘Maritime Security 101,'” said the Boyertown, Penn. native. “We were fortunate to be at the right place at the right time to assist. [The crew's] first reaction was based on training and a whole lot of motivation.”

The Ardent crew, homeported in Ingleside , Texas , and forward deployed to Manama , Bahrain , is currently underway assisting with MSO in the 5th Fleet area of operations. MSO set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons, or other material.

"Ardent remained on station for three days, providing support until the owner of the vessel could arrange for a tug boat to arrive to tow the damaged vessel to Iraq. During the course of the three-day assist, Ardent Sailors also supplied the Gulf Queen crew with food and fresh water. During that time, Ardent crewmembers also continued to dewater the ship in order to keep it from sinking."

It's great that we have such wonderful crews and officers and ships, but I have to ask whether we really should be providing THREE DAYS of such continual support to any non-US vessel. It's in the Persian Gulf, not the middle of the Atlantic, so it shouldn't have to take 3 days for the owners to get outside civilian assistance. Of course, help 'em out when you find them, but shouldn't we require that the frickin' owners of the vessel hire a civilian ship to come help in a lot less than 3 days??? It sounds like the USN is providing extensive services for a rat-hole company with an unseaworthy ship. Again, I would not hesitate about the initial emergency aid, but then shouldn't the ship's owners be the ones to foot the bill and come to the rescue for further aid? I assume we aren't going to be sending them a bill for what it really costs to have a USN ship tied up for 3 days and nights with this.....

It's great that we have such wonderful crews and officers and ships, but I have to ask whether we really should be providing THREE DAYS of such continual support to any non-US vessel. It's in the Persian Gulf, not the middle of the Atlantic, so it shouldn't have to take 3 days for the owners to get outside civilian assistance. Of course, help 'em out when you find them, but shouldn't we require that the frickin' owners of the vessel hire a civilian ship to come help in a lot less than 3 days??? It sounds like the USN is providing extensive services for a rat-hole company with an unseaworthy ship. Again, I would not hesitate about the initial emergency aid, but then shouldn't the ship's owners be the ones to foot the bill and come to the rescue for further aid? I assume we aren't going to be sending them a bill for what it really costs to have a USN ship tied up for 3 days and nights with this.....

It's an Iraqi commercial vessel. Part of the United States mission is to aid and assist in Iraq's commercial development and help its economy recover. This assistance by the Navy is really no different than US Army and Marine Corps helping repair infrastructure such as roads, sewer systems, and power stations.

...to contact Gulf Queen's owner to arrange for safe towage.

The owner probably took three days in order to let it sink. From the sound of it is was not seaworthy and would probably cost a ton to repair. He may have wanted to sell it to the insurance company.

Or BALE.

That too, though that term is most often used to describe scooping up and flinging water over the side of an open boat. A small open boat. On a vessel that may have several thousand gallons coming in (not all at once, please God), the term bail is euphemistic for sinking, and is usually followed by swimming.

(ref: Chapman Piloting; cf: Abandon Ship. See also the article Ohhhh, SHIT! from Boating For Dummies.)

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