A Matson ship en route to Oahu from California has stalled at sea and may need to be towed to the islands, reports Hawaii News Now.
A problem in the engine room cut off power on the cargo ship, Matsonia, and engineers onboard are working to restore power, said Matson spokesman Jeff Hull.
There are 21 people on board the vessel that was traveling from Oakland, Calif. “We have experienced engineers on ship at all times capable of doing repair work,” he said. “So far they have been unsuccessful in repairing the problem in the engine room so there’s no power.”
The vessel would not arrive in Honolulu on its scheduled arrival date, Wednesday, because it had experienced a mechanical problem.
The ship stalled about 480 nautical miles from Honolulu with 21 people on board and loads of cargo including perishables. An emergency generator is running for the crew as they rush to fix the issue.
Matson officials say a tug boat has been dispatched to the vessel and will tow it into Oahu if mechanics are unable to complete repairs.
Meanwhile, a tropical depression east of Hawaii is expected to grow into a tropical storm Wednesday, but forecasters say the storm is not likely to become a hurricane and should pass north of the islands this weekend.