El Faro had Gulf Coast connection

The container ship El Faro, which likely sank in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Joaquin, had undergone a mid-body conversion at Atlantic Marine in Mobile, Ala. The ship, at the time called Northern Lights, was rechristened at Atlantic Shipyard in Mobile on Jan. 17, 2006. The mid-body conversion lengthened the ship by cutting it into two pieces - bow section removed - and floating the mid-body nto place and re-connecting it to the bow. The 790-foot ship had two 43-person lifeboats, five life rafts and 46 water survival suits, according to the Coast Guard and the ship's owner. It's not known if the crew could deploy those items before becoming disabled and losing power near the Bahamas. (FOX 10 TV 10/06/15)