Unalaska, AK – The Cougar Ace finally left Dutch Harbor at about 2 p.m. this afternoon.

The car carrier is headed for Portland, Ore. after spending three and a half weeks moored in Dutch Harbor. The Cougar Ace still isn't moving under it's own power; it's being towed south by two tugboats from Crowley Maritime. Coast Guard spokeswoman Sara Francis said that, while the Coast Guard isn't accompanying the vessel to Portland, they will be following its progress intently.

The Cougar Ace was headed to Vancouver, British Columbia with a cargo of nearly 5,000 Mazda vehicles when it keeled over on its side in the North Pacific on July 23. After initial attempts to right the ship at sea failed, it was brought into port off Unalaska Island on August 8.

Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes said that, while his company has received salvage contractors' reports on the state of the vehicles onboard the Cougar Ace, they're waiting for their own inspection in Portland before deciding what will happen to them.

The Coast Guard estimates the vessel's travel time to Portland at 10 days.