There are many large seaworthy vessels that ply the oceans to connect the threads of commerce and economic interaction across the world. Some carry bulk containers, some oil, some high-value products like cars. The MV Cougar Ace fits into that last category, and as impressive as her engineering is, she's mostly famous for a bizarre and photogenic mishap that occurred on a cruise during the summer of 2006. You can read more about the vessel and her misadventures here:
MV Cougar Ace
En route from Hofu, Japan to Vancouver, British Columbia, the Cougar Ace suffered a loss of stability accident while transferring ballast between trim tanks. Details on the mechanics and sequence of what happened are scarce, but the result was an uncorrectable 60-degree list to port stranding the vessel south of the Aleutian Islands. This is a particularly bad place to fall on your side, and the crew was quickly recovered by the US Coast Guard and salvage efforts begun. While the ship was eventually towed to Portland for repairs and a return to service, the cargo of 4,703 Mazdas intended for the North American market were all ultimately scrapped due to a combination of damage during the list and fear of a bad public reaction to their sale.
While this was a bad event for international shipping in general and Mazda in particular, it was a key moment in the history of internet memes. The dramatic images of the Cougar Ace languishing on her side earned the tag "failboat," which will forever be symbolic of when things just don't work out the way they should.
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