The vessel Tim S. Dool, a freighter carrying grain, has been stranded in the St. Lawrence River since November 23, making the authorities turn to lightering as a potential solution.
According to local news, a new strategy involving “lightering” – removing some of the ship’s cargo to reduce its weight – is being planned to facilitate refloating. Although there have been delays in freeing the ship the ship remains stable and is not taking on water.
The incident has drawn attention from local residents and ship-watchers, some of whom have speculated that either a navigational error or a mechanical failure caused the grounding.
The ship ran aground while en route to Quebec City. Despite efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, and other agencies, including the deployment of three tugboats to assist with refloating, the vessel remains stuck outside the navigation channel.
The vessel’s final refloating operation is expected to be carried out soon, but as of now, the timeline remains uncertain.
