A ship stranded for two days off Verchères, the Coast Guard mobilized

The Canadian Coast Guard said Thursday that it is closely monitoring the situation of a ship that ran aground on Christmas Eve along the navigation channel of the St. Lawrence River, in the Verchères sector.

The bulk carrier MV MACCOA, under the Cypriot flag, had left the port of Hamilton, Ontario, and was heading to Ireland, carrying approximately 20,000 tonnes of corn on board.

In an email sent to -, the Coast Guard says the ship ran aground following a widespread power outage.

The cause of the outage is unknown and is currently the subject of an investigation, however, specifies Kariane Charron, communications manager at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

There were no injuries on board, no damage to the ship’s hull and no pollution observed.

The Coast Guard has mobilized a team to monitor the situation and ensure that the necessary measures will be taken to refloat the ship, specifies Ms. Charron. The Coast Guard also assigned one of its helicopters to monitor the situation and confirm the absence of pollution.

According to the spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, “the situation of the ship remains stable and the crew of 20 people is still on board the ship.”

On the evening of December 24, when the incident occurred, generators, heating systems and other supplies were delivered to the ship. Soon after, the ship managed to get its own generators running and restore power to the ship.indicates Ms. Charron.

According to her, the position of the stranded vessel has no impact on maritime traffic; however, a slow speed advisory for vessels passing nearby is in place in the area.

A refloating plan is still being developed by the ship’s owner, Ms. Charron further indicates. “The holiday season has an impact on the availability of staff from various contractors and partners to remedy the situation,” she adds. It is still too early to confirm when a bailout attempt may take place. »