SS El Faro

SS ''El Faro'' was a United States- flagged, combination roll-on/roll-off and lift-on/lift-off cargo ship crewed by U.S. merchant mariners. Built in 1975 by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. as ''Puerto Rico'', the vessel was renamed ''Northern Lights'' in 1991 and, finally, ''El Faro'' in 2006. She was lost at sea with her entire crew of 33 on October 1, 2015, after steaming into the eyewall of Hurricane Joaquin.Slade, Rachel. ''Into the Raging Sea: Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm and the Sinking of the El Faro''. HarperCollins, New York, 2018.

''El Faro'' departed Jacksonville, Florida, under the command of Captain Michael Davidson, bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 8:10 p.m. EST on September 29, 2015, when then-Tropical Storm Joaquin was several hundred miles to the east. Two days later, after Joaquin had become a Category 4 hurricane, the vessel likely encountered swells of and winds over as she sailed near the storm's eye. Around 7:30 a.m. on October 1, the ship had taken on water and was listing 15 degrees. The last report from the captain, however, indicated that the crew had contained the flooding. Shortly after that, ''El Faro'' ceased all communications with shore.

On October 2, the 40-year-old ship was declared missing. An extensive search operation was launched by the United States Coast Guard, with help from the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, and the Air National Guard. Searchers recovered debris and a damaged lifeboat, and spotted (but could not recover) an unidentifiable body. ''El Faro'' was declared sunk on October 5. The search was called off at sunset on October 7, by which time more than had been covered by aircraft and ships. The Navy sent to conduct an underwater search for ''El Faro'' on October 19, 2015. ''Apache'' identified wreckage on October 31 "consistent with the 'El Faro''cargo ship ... in an upright position and in one piece". The next day, November 1, the Navy announced a submersible had returned images that identified the wreck as ''El Faro''.

Construction, modification and earlier career

''El Faro'' was built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1975 as ''Puerto Rico''. As operated by the Navieras de Puerto Rico Steamship Company, ''Puerto Rico'' hauled cargo to and from the East Coast for fifteen years. In 1991, she was purchased by Saltchuk Resources, the parent company of TOTE Maritime, and renamed ''Northern Lights''. Under Saltchuk, she frequently sailed between Tacoma, Washington, and Anchorage, Alaska.

In 1992, the ship underwent a conversion at Atlantic Marine Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. A 90-foot (27 meters) mid-body, which included an additional cargo hold and a spar deck, was added. Between 2005 and 2006 the ship was modified a second time, also at Atlantic Marine Shipyard, to carry lift-on/lift-off cranes. An additional 4875 long tons (4953.2 metric tons) of fixed ballast was added, and the ship's load line was raised by about two feet so additional cargo could be carried. However, a required damage stability assessment was not performed.

In February 2003, just before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the ship was chartered by the Military Sealift Command as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom; she ferried Marines and military equipment from San Diego, California, to Kuwait. On March 19, while in the Persian Gulf, the vessel came under fire from missiles. The nearby explosions rocked the ship but caused no damage or injuries.

Through October 2005, near the end of the ship's chartered service, she made 25 voyages and 49 port calls. Collectively, 12,200 pieces of military equipment—weighing in all—were transported by the ship. Robert Magee, then president of TOTE, and the ship's crew were praised by United States Air Force general Norton A. Schwartz: "You and your team of professionals showcased the US flag industry at its best." After completing her military services in 2006, the ship was transferred by TOTE to its subsidiary company Sea Star Lines and renamed ''El Faro''. The vessel returned to the original route and served as a "lifeline" between the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico.

When she sank on October 1, 2015, ''El Faro'' was scheduled to return to Tacoma to relieve another vessel.

Vessel condition

''El Faro'' had passed two inspections, one by the United States Coast Guard, in March and June 2014. She completed the