Operation delayed to unload cargo from ship stuck in St. Lawrence River near Montreal
Posted January 2, 2025 9:00 am.
Last Updated January 2, 2025 12:31 pm.
An operation to off-load thousands of tonnes of corn from a ship that ran aground in the St. Lawrence River northeast of Montreal has been postponed to the weekend.
The plan had been to start unloading the MV Maccoa Thursday, but Fisheries and Oceans Canada says the barges needed to carry the corn are still being readied and have not yet arrived.
More than 3,000 metric tonnes of corn must be off-loaded to help get the ship floating so it can resume its course.
The Cyprus-flagged 185-metre bulk carrier ran aground near Verchères, Que., in the early hours of Dec. 24 following a power failure.
Last weekend, three tugs tried to free the MV Maccoa, without success. Since this attempt to refloat it failed, they had to move on to plan B, which involves unloading the vessel.
Twenty crew members were on board the vessel at the time of the incident. None of them were injured. The boat did not suffer any damage and no pollution was observed in the vicinity.
A tugboat tries to release the MV Maccoa after it ran aground in the St. Lawrence River in Vercheres, Que., Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
The condition of the vessel remains stable and the crew is still on board, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said Tuesday.
Weather permitting, unloading should begin during the weekend of Jan. 4 and 5, the Canadian Coast Guard said in an email.
However, the schedule could be changed depending on weather conditions and the availability of Groupe Océan tugs.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada said that rain could complicate and slow down operations. Corn cannot be unloaded in the rain and certain conditions must be met for it to remain edible.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
