Bulker Expected to be Stuck for Days After Grounding in St. Lawrence

A dry bulk carrier flagged in Cyprus is currently aground in Canada’s St. Lawrence River. The vessel, named Maccoa, is facing delays in its refloating efforts due to the upcoming Christmas holiday. Fortunately, there are no signs of pollution or water ingress. The ship is stuck outside the navigation channel, but it is not obstructing river traffic. The Canadian Coast Guard is actively coordinating a plan to free the vessel, which may take several days to finalize.

Incident Details and Response

The Maccoa, with a deadweight tonnage of 30,898, departed Montreal late on December 23. It only traveled a short distance before running aground near Ile Marie and Vercheres around 1:00 AM on December 24. According to the Canadian Coast Guard, the vessel is currently positioned sideways outside the navigation channel. Thankfully, it is not blocking other vessels from passing through the river.

While the exact cause of the grounding has not been confirmed, local media reports suggest that the ship may have experienced a loss of power. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries or pollution incidents associated with this grounding. The Coast Guard is working closely with the pilot authority, Transport Canada, and the vessel’s operators to devise a plan for refloating the Maccoa. However, they have indicated that the holiday season may delay the process, potentially extending the time the ship remains aground.

Engineers working to connect second Power Ship before Christmas -PM Phillips

The Maccoa measures 607 feet (185 meters) in length and appears to be riding high in the water, indicating that it is not carrying a cargo. The vessel was on its way to Waterford, Ireland, and is managed by Navarone, a Greek company. This incident is not the first navigation challenge faced by the Maccoa in the St. Lawrence River, highlighting ongoing concerns about the vessel’s operational reliability.

Previous Navigation Challenges

This is not the first time the Maccoa has encountered difficulties in the St. Lawrence River. In 2018, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada issued a report detailing another incident involving the vessel. At that time, the ship was inbound, loaded with 18,830 tonnes of salt rock in bulk. It had departed Montreal and was bound for Johnstown, Ontario, with a pilot on board.

During that incident, the Maccoa was near the Côte Sainte-Catherine Lock in the South Shore Channel when a bridge crossing the canal failed to lift, creating a clearance issue. The pilot attempted several maneuvers to slow the ship while keeping it within the channel. However, the ship’s bow thruster was not operational, causing it to drift toward the right side of the channel. Although the pilot eventually regained control, the vessel was presumed to have made contact with the riverbed. A subsequent survey found no damage, but the Transportation Safety Board investigated the reasons behind the bridge’s slow response and the vessel’s loss of control.

Earlier this month, another vessel, the Tim S. Dool, was freed from the river after being aground for over three weeks. In that case, cranes were required to partially offload the cargo before tugs could pull the ship back into the shipping channel. The Maccoa incident serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by vessels navigating the St. Lawrence River and the importance of effective coordination among maritime authorities.