Hercules Leader, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) operated by NYK, rescued six yachtsmen in distress off the coast of Bermuda on January 19.
Vehicles carrier Hercules Leader - Image courtesy of Rick Mellor
While Hercules Leader was sailing from the U.S. port of Jacksonville to Gibraltar, a British colony south of Spain, the vessel received a request from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to assist a yacht that had become stranded off the coast of Bermuda. The ship immediately set a course for the yacht and rescued the six sailors around noon. The following day, on January 20, the yachtsmen disembarked from Hercules Leader into a rescue boat off Bermuda, as directed by the USCG.
Afterward, NYK was offered appreciation by the USCG in writing.
About Hercules Leader:
Captain: Eugen State
Flag: Japan
Crew: 25 seafarers (Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Romanian)
Gross Tonnage: 63,083 tons
Type of Vessel: Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC)
Ship Management: NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd.
Source: NYK