Efforts to refloat the bulker Federal Yamaska, which grounded on the St. Lawrence River north of Montreal on August 12, commenced on Friday morning. The Canadian Coast Guard reported that it would take several hours before a refloating operation could begin. Despite attempts by five tugs on Wednesday to free the 590-foot vessel, the efforts were unsuccessful. The bulker, loaded with sugar and bound for Montreal, is positioned south of the main shipping channel.
The vessel’s owner, Fednav, has submitted a new salvage plan involving a lightering operation, which will offload 3,200 tonnes of sugar at a rate of approximately 400 tonnes per hour. The Canadian Coast Guard is on standby with anti-pollution measures, and so far, there have been no reports of injuries or pollution.
Investigations into the grounding revealed that the Federal Yamaska lost power and drifted diagonally across the shipping lane, which remains open but with restrictions. Authorities noted that the St. Lawrence River is experiencing its lowest water levels in 15 years, although they do not believe this was the cause of the incident.
