Paul Tregurtha runs aground [Updated]
UPDATED: AUGUST 17:
SAULT STE MARIE, Mich. — Salvage experts successfully refloated the freighter Paul R. Tregurtha early Thursday morning that had been hard aground in the downbound channel of the St. Marys River.
At 5:30 a.m., two tugs with a combined 4,000 horsepower, moved the stern of the ship into the middle of the channel. This enabled salvage experts to successfully raise the ship’s bow by filling stern voids which reduced the amount of forward weight on the rocks.
The vessel was cleared to proceed to anchorage near Detour, Mich., where the owners, the Coast Guard marine inspectors, ABS Surveyor and divers will continue inspection and investigation activities to ascertain the vessel’s condition and ensure it’s safety prior to departing anchorage. The vessel is planning to offload its cargo of 62,000 tons of coal and proceed to a drydock facility for repairs.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is onscene and a crew aboard the vessel Bufe swept the channel to identify any hazards raised by the grounding. USACE will be dredging areas in the vicinity of the grounding. The dredging of the channel is expected to be completed today. The Sault Ste. Marie Vessel Traffic Service is making preparations to allow eleven delayed vessels to resume their downbound transits as soon as the channel is reopened to commercial traffic.
“It is important for us to reopen this channel as soon as possible, so commercial vessels can resume their delayed transits and get cargoes to their destinations,” said Lt. Rob Scott, chief, Marine Investigations Division and chief, Waterways Management Division at Sector Sault Ste. Marie. “We understand shipping traffic in the Great Lakes Region is crucial to the economy of the United States and we are working steadfastly with our partner to reopen the shipping channel to commercial traffic.”
AUGUST 15: The ship known as the “Queen of the Lakes” has run aground on the St. Marys River.
The Paul R. Tregurtha, the largest ship operating on the Great Lakes Complex, ran aground near the ferry between Neebish Island and the mainland.
The ship is currently blocking traffic in and out of the area.
The ship measures 1013 feet, 6 inches and holds several records in cargo loads.
Author: EUP News Staff
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