Japanese problem: an abandoned shrimping boat is found adrift near Canada, displaced by last year’s tsunami disaster. US solution: let’s sink that motherf**ker.
The BBC reports our Coast Guard is currently following the empty Ryou-Un Maru — which has clearly seen better days, and is only one large chunk in an enormous stream of storm-washed crap emptied out into the sea. Apparently the floating rust monument is “a danger to other ships,” and will be terminated with extreme prejudice:
The gunnery ship will use a 25mm cannon on board the Anacapa to scuttle the ghost ship, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow told the BBC.
Sayonara, Ryou-Un Maru! You thought you could just mosey on up to Canada for a little post-tsunami retirement, but we are about to scuttle you hard. Forget giving you back your owner — your owner doesn’t even want you back! And forget the fact that you’re carrying 8000L of diesel fuel that’ll just spill into the ocean — that’s nothing. See you in boat hell. [BBC]