ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Emergency vessels rushed Saturday toward a struggling cargo ship carrying thousands of gallons of fuel oil that had been drifting near the far reaches of Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands, but began moving on limited power, officials said.

Engine problems caused the 738-foot Golden Seas, with a full load of canola seed, to drift in strong winds and rough waters in the Bering Sea early Friday, sparking concern it might run aground on an island.

The ship was about 28 miles north of Atka when improving weather allowed it to begin moving away from shore at about 4 mph late Friday afternoon, according to the Coast Guard and other responders.

A commercial towing vessel was expected to reach the ship about mid-day Saturday while a Coast Guard cutter was expected by Sunday afternoon.

Responders said the vessel, which is managed by Allseas Marine, based in Athens, Greece, lost its turbo charger. That left it without enough power to overcome 29-foot seas and winds blowing at 45 mph. Conditions calmed later in the day, allowing the ship’s limited power to potentially avoid running aground before the vessels arrive.