MORRISBURG – A Quebec City-bound freighter ran aground near the Crysler Marina east of Morrisburg on November 23.
The Canadian-flagged ship, Tim S. Dool, became stuck in the mud on what is known as the Crysler Island Shoal at around 12:30 p.m. last Saturday. The Algoma Central-owned freighter is fully loaded with a grain shipment.
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation said there were no injuries and the ship is not taking on any water. There also have been no leaks or pollution in the waterway. No explanation has been given thus far for why the ship struck the shoal.
Water levels on Lake St. Lawrence have decreased in the run up to the end of the 2024 shipping season. However there are no warnings in place for this section of the river of possible high spots or areas of caution along the river bottom.
The vessel is outside of the navigation channel for the Seaway so there is no blockage of current traffic on the international waterway.
Officials are waiting for tug boats to arrive on site to attempt to pull the ship free. A similar grounding along the Morrisburg waterfront in 2018 took several days to resolve as the ship’s hull rested against the mud on the river bottom. The mud acted like a suction cup, holding the ship in place when attempts were made to free the ship.
Water levels were increased in Lake St. Lawrence to try to raise the ship off the river bed, but that effort failed to free the ship.
According to the ship watching website BoatNerd, a salvage plan is being developed but it has to be approved by Transport Canada before it can proceed.
The Tim S. Dool is grounded very near the wreck of the Eastcliffe Hall, which sank in July 1970.
Built in 1967, the Tim S. Dool is the oldest ship in Algoma Central Corporation’s fleet of 25 ships.
There is no published time line on when the nearly 60 year old ship will be freed, or when the required tug boats will arrive on the scene.