Rum Rescue Calls Out to Captain Morgan

PENNSAUKEN, N.J., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain Morgan abandoned rehearsals for a very a special music awards event on the west coast to welcome to safety a barge containing 90,000 gallons of his finest rum that is to be used in his latest line extension, Captain Morgan Lime Bite Rum. Crowley Maritime's 580-foot-long barge La Princesa had fallen victim to last week's Nor'easter and remnants of Hurricane Ida, which raced up the coast and combined to generate over 25-foot seas and 45+-mile-per-hour winds. The vessel became stranded on the shores of Sandbridge, Virginia Beach when both of its tow wires parted from the 136-foot ocean-going tugboat, Sentry, which had been traveling up the East Coast and was approximately 140 miles from its destination. Any excessive delay or damage to the Captain Morgan rum inventory may have significantly impacted the rollout of this new product.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rum-rescue-calls-out-to-captain-morgan-70668862.html

The TITAN Salvage crew of Crowley Maritime successfully re-floated the barge La Princesa off Sandbridge beach at 7:48 a.m. Wednesday morning. The crews used two tugs pulling together on the bow and stern of the barge at high tide to free it. The barge, which broke free from the Sentry on the evening of November 12th, grounded on the beach near Little Island Pier Friday morning, November 13th. The Crowley and TITAN Salvage personnel worked together to remove the barge from the beach while ensuring the safety of the public and environment. The American Bureau of Shipping and all necessary government response teams surveyed the vessel to ensure it was safe before heading to its destination port in Pennsauken, N.J. under the direction of Sentry's 32-year veteran Capt. Elijah Seals.

"I knew that the best crew in the world would be made available to salvage this battle of wills against Mother Nature," said Captain Morgan. "90,000 gallons? That is 425,000 bottles of Captain Morgan Lime Bite that would have never made it to the store shelves over the holidays and enjoyed with a mixer or to liven up a domestic beer. Whether it is the Nor'easter of the decade or the storm of the century, Captain Morgan is there to battle, support and guard over the world's most popular spiced rum so that all my friends of legal drinking age can appreciate its joys like I do, in a very responsible manner."

"The quick resolution of this situation was a testament to the professionalism and teamwork displayed by TITAN, Crowley, the Coast Guard, and all the first responders in Virginia Beach," said Rob Grune, Crowley's senior vice president and general manager of Puerto Rico and Caribbean services. "After ensuring the safety of the public, the environment, the vessel and its cargo, our priority was to get our customers' cargoes to their destinations as quickly as possible - including Captain Morgan's rum. Communication with all our customers was constant to ensure they knew what was happening with the operation every step of the way."

The Captain Morgan Rum is now situated at Crowley's Petty's Island Terminal located in the Delaware River directly across from Philadelphia and is getting ready to be shipped to its plant in Relay, Maryland. The oak aged rum is transported across the Atlantic Ocean to its final bottling destination in 20-foot and 40-foot tanks with 6,800 gallons or more capacity.

"Some diligent commitment by all parties brought forth a success story for everybody, especially for my bottling team in Relay, Maryland who were greatly anticipating this important shipment to meet our supplier deadlines," said Diageo-Relay Plant Manager Rick Robinson. "We are very thankful to all the Crowley Maritime team for their world class professionalism and seamanship in getting this shipment to its destination in the safest manner possible."

Unconfirmed stories about Petty's Island go back to Elizabeth Kinsey, a Quaker, who acquired the island from Lenni-Lenape Indians in the late 17th century and later transferred the property to William Penn. Petty's Island has had a long and colorful history; indeed it's been home to a slave depot and possibly even pirates. The island takes its name from John Petty who owned it around the time of the American Revolution. During the 19th century schooners were built here and a summer resort flourished before industrial operations took root in the early 1900s.

According to documents kept by the Camden Historical Society, it was the property of the Lenape Indians until 1678, when a Quaker woman bought it for $240 and annual payments of 16 barrels of gunpowder and 16 barrels of rum. It was later owned by William Penn, and it received Benjamin Franklin on his first trip to Philadelphia. At times, Petty's Island was a place for parties, duels, slave ships and, on at least one occasion, a lynching.

Whether you're saving a marooned barge or simply marooned at the bar, Captain Morgan reminds consumers to drink responsibly. Captain's Orders!

About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

About Crowley
Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 117-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company. The company provides diversified transportation and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are the following services: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response through its TITAN Salvage subsidiary; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture through its Jensen Maritime subsidiary; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at www.crowley.com