New Plan Underway To Refloat Stuck Bulker After Week-Long Grounding On St. Lawrence River

A week after running aground on the St. Lawrence River near Morrisburg, Ontario, the Tim S. Dool remains firmly struck.

Despite several attempts to free the 225-meter-long cargo ship, rescue teams are now preparing a new plan to offload part of its cargo.

The bulker, carrying over 28,000 tons of Canadian wheat, veered off course and got stuck on November 23. It is lodged just outside the main navigation channel, so other ships can still pass without disruption.

The crew of the vessel is safe, and there is no sign of damage or pollution.

Efforts to refloat the vessel have been intense. Three tugboats- Ocean Intrepid, Ocean Taiga, and Ocean Tundra, travelled from Quebec City and tried to pull the ship free, but their efforts on November 29, fell short.

Now, officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation plan to lighten the ship by transferring some of its cargo to barges.

The grounding has grabbed the attention of locals and ship enthusiasts. “It’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Donna Plant, a resident who has been following the story closely.

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Others, like Eugene Johnston from Prescott, have travelled to the area just to catch a glimpse of the massive vessel.

The incident has sparked varied opinions in public. Some believe the ship missed a buoy, while others suspect a mechanical failure. Sean Mullen, a local familiar with the area, wasn’t surprised.

“The turns near Morrisburg are tricky,” he added.

The Tim S. Dool, built in 1967 and operated by Algoma Central Corporation, is a familiar sight on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

The lightering operation, which is expected to take several days, will reduce the ship’s weight and hopefully make it easier to refloat.

Its grounding has been compared to past incidents, like the 1970 sinking of the Eastcliffe Hall, which had a tragic outcome.

Eastcliffe Hall, a bulk carrier, sank in the Saint Lawrence Seaway on 14 July 1970, losing nine crew members. The vessel was en route from the port of Sorel, Quebec, to Saginaw, Michigan, under the command of Captain Richard Groulx.

It was carrying 5,661 long tons of pig iron ingots and 21 crewmen and family members aboard. The ship passed through the Snell and Eisenhower locks before running aground on the Gooseneck Island shoal on 14 July.

The crew members and the ship freed the ship from the shoal only to strike another underwater abutment near Crysler Shoal a short time later. The captain was repeatedly told that the ship had run aground, but he refused to believe it.

Reference: CTV News