On November 25, the 97 meter ro-ro passenger ship Bella Desgagnes ran aground in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Kegaska, Quebec. The Bella Desgagnes had encountered strong winds reaching in excess of 80 km/h when the vessel struck the seabed off Kegaska. One of the vessel’s bow thrusters sustained damage. None of the passengers were injured, but one crewman suffered minor injuries. The Bella Desgagnes proceeded to Sept-Îles at reduced speed. Reports state divers had made an inspection to the bow thrusters to see what repairs were necessary.
On October 24, the NTCL barge broke free from its towline and went adrift in the Beaufort Sea. The 134 foot long self-propelled barge was under tow headed to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada after delivering supplies when it encountered a heavy storm in the Beaufort Sea. When the towline parted, the tug continued on its way to Tuktoyaktuk instead of risking the crew in the storm. The tug was able to reach port safely while the barge was driven westerly by the storm.
Canadian and US authorities dispatched aircraft to monitor the barge. Reports state that there where little resources in the area as ice is quickly forming in the Beaufort Sea. The barge owner, Northern Transportation Company, has attempted to rescue the vessel, but can’t find any available tugs in the area.
Photo: uscg
Five days later, the barge was last spotted off Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. However, flights during the following days were unable to locate the barge. Authorities believe the vessel could have frozen in the ice some 10 miles offshore or possibly sank. Flights will continue and a GPS tracker will be dropped on the vessel if it spotted again. Reports state there are some concerns about pollution as some 3,500 litres of diesel fuel were still in the barge’s tanks.
The 134 meter long container ship Simushir became disabled off Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), Canada. The vessel had lost power and had gone adrift. The Simushir was just 14 kilometers off shore in bad conditions with waves reaching 4 metres in height.
Photo: Maritime Forces Pacific
The crew contacted authorities who dispatched vessels to the scene. The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Spar and Canadian Coast Guard vessel Sir Wilfrid Laurier arrived on scene, but were not equipped to tow the Simushir to away from shore. Another Canadian Coast Guard vessel Gordon Reid arrived a short time later and was equipped to tow the container ship. The Reid attempted to attached lines to the Simushir, but each time the line snapped. After the third attempt, the Gordon Reid halted further attempts. The Simushir had shifted location and was an additional 30 kilometers further away from shore.
The tug Barbara Foss was requested and was reported to be heading to the scene to take the Simushir under tow. Reports state the Simushir was carrying 268 containers with mining equipment from Everett, Washington bound for Russia. No reports of injuries to the 10 crew on board.
