Royal Wagenborg reports that its general cargo vessel Thamesborg remains aground in stable condition in the Franklin Strait off Prince of Wales Island, Canada. A salvage plan has been approved by relevant authorities and the company now reveals some of the details.
Thamesborg is a modern ice-class vessel, which was on its way from Asia to Baie Comeau on the East coast of Canada, when it ran aground in the Franklin Strait off Prince of Wales Island on 6 September. The ship is carrying a cargo of carbon blocks. The Franklin Strait is an Arctic waterway in Northern Canada’s territory of Nunavut. It is located between southeastern Prince of Wales Island and the Boothia Peninsula and is part of the Northwest Passage.
The crew on board the Thamesborg are safe and in good health and there has been no pollution resulting from the grounding. The vessel’s fuel tanks and cargo holds are intact and all preparatory salvage operations to date have proceeded without incident, states Wagenborg. Multiple ballast tanks were ruptured in the grounding, these tanks were empty before the grounding and are now filled with seawater taken on in the Northwest Passage.
Also read: Salvage plan Thamesborg approved, lightering continues
Salvage plan
The Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada have reviewed the salvage plan submitted by Wagenborg and the salvage experts and consider it reasonable and appropriate to start salvage operations. The details of this salvage operation that we are able to provide are as follows:
- Stage 1: Around 4000 tonnes of cargo aboard the Thamesborg has been transferred to the Silver Copenhagen and the Nulavik. This stage of the operation was needed to reduce the vessel’s draught for an upcoming refloating attempt. Should it be deemed necessary, there are resources on location to remove additional cargo and further lighten the ship.
- Stage 2: With the arrival of the MSV Botnica on October 3rd, the remaining equipment needed for a successful refloating operation is now on site. With this equipment the amount of ballast water in the damaged tanks will be reduced in a controlled way in order to refloat the Thamesborg. Conditions permitting, the refloating operation is scheduled for this week.
- Stage 3: Once the Thamesborg is refloated, the vessel will be inspected and set direction to a port of refuge, the location of which is still to be confirmed with the relevant authorities. The current plan is for the Thamesborg to make this voyage under its own power. However, the Botnica is available to assist by escorting, towing or icebreaking.
The Thamesborg has an ice class 1A notation, which translates to having engine output and other properties that are capable of navigating in difficult ice conditions, with the assistance of icebreakers when necessary. It should be noted that circumstances may lead to changes in the original salvage plan, as well as to the timing and sequence of events.
Trying to refloat before ice forms
Regarding the timeline for the completion of this operation, much depends on favourable weather and sea conditions. The continued safety of the crew and all responding personnel, alongside maintaining the integrity of the ship and local environment will remain Wagenborg’s key priorities, regardless of time pressures.
That being said, questions have been raised regarding the onset of winter and the impact if the ship is not refloated before ice forms. All company resources and energy are currently being dedicated to ensuring the Thamesborg is successfully refloated prior to this window closing; there are contingency plans in place if this outcome does not materialise, but Wagenborg states it will address that scenario only if and when faced with it.
Also read: Thamesborg to be lightered before salvage attempt
Cause of grounding under investigation
The precise cause of the grounding is yet to be determined; a full and thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the grounding is underway, in coordination with Canadian authorities, including the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) therefore any statement made on the causes prior to the completion of this investigation would be premature.
On the matter of costs of the ongoing salvage operation, Wagenborg states: ‘While Wagenborg’s singular focus at the moment is the safe and efficient refloating of the Thamesborg, we wish to reaffirm that Royal Wagenborg maintains comprehensive maritime industry insurance coverage, including Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance and Hull & Machinery (H&M) insurance on all of our vessels and we are confident these industry safeguards will serve their designed purpose in this instance.’
Also read: Wagenborg vessel runs aground in Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage transits
When it comes to sailing the Northwest Passage, Wagenborg states it has completed over fifty successful commercial transits of the Northwest Passage since 2016, establishing a proven track record. The company says this is thanks to innovation, investment in cutting-edge technology and through close collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada.
‘All transits are undertaken with extensive planning, including the use of low-sulphur marine gas oil, a relatively slow operating speed, and enhanced navigation and communication systems,’ explains Wagenborg. ‘Crucially, the company consistently hires experienced Canadian Ice Navigators to supplement the professional crews and provide local expertise for the high-latitude waters. We regret that even with every known technology and safeguard in play, the grounding of Thamesborg has occurred and Wagenborg is committed to learn lessons from this incident and continue leading our industry in navigating this sea route.’
Picture: Dutch-flagged vessel MV Thamesborg pictured aground in the Franklin Strait, on 8 September (photo by the Canadian Coast Guard).
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