# Russian Cargo Ship Under Tow off Canada



## Geoff Gower (Sep 8, 2011)

The Russian general cargo/container ship Simushir adrift and laden with around 500 tons of bunker fuel and 60 tons of diesel is now under tow off the west coast of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. The vessel is approximately 12 nautical miles northwest of Gowgaia Bay, off Moresby Island. The Canadian Coast Guard says the ship was incapacitated in gale force winds early Friday morning. Eleven crew are onboard, and the ship’s captain is injured. He has now been evacuated by helicopter, and the US and Canadian coast guards and a number of other vessels are responding. Winds are reportedly blowing the ship to shore in a seven to 10 metre seas, and it was expected to run aground. However, the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Gordon Reid has now managed to secure a line and is towing the incapacitated ship away from the Haida Gwaii coast, according to officials with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria. Three more powerful vessels are on their way to assist. The local indigenous group, the Haida Nation, had said the situation is dire. “The Haida Nation’s worst fear is coming true,” said president Peter Lantin. “Our priority is to minimize the impact on our homeland and get our people on-site to start dealing with the grounding. We’ll deal with the politics of the situation later.” The 134m Simushir was built in 1998. It is controlled by Russia's Sakhalin Shipping and classed by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has been working closely with the Department of National Defence/ Canadian Armed Forces since the beginning of this incident. While the crew continues to work on restarting the ship's engine, the CCG is making preparations to stand up an Incident Command Post to manage the incident from a strategic location where all key stakeholders will be mobilized for a unified command, control and coordination of the response effort. This includes federal Departments, Provincial personnel and First Nations. The CCG has been cascading available assets including, but not limited to the CCGS Gordon Reid, the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the CCGS Bartlett, the CCGS Arrow Post and the CCGS W.E. Ricker. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre has also tasked a nearby vessel, the M/V North Star to remain on the scene. In addition, the owners of the Simushir have tasked the ocean-going tug Barbara Foss to assist as well. 
The Cormorant helicopter and a United States Coast Guard helicopter remain on stand-by and have been prepositioned to provide air support. Furthermore, the Canadian Coast Guard is taking proactive measures to ensure that an environmental response plan is in place as required.


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## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day geoff gower.sm.yesterday.21:29.re:russian cargo ship under tow off canada.another great shipping report.looks like they will save her,thank you for posting regards ben27


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## TOM ALEXANDER (Dec 24, 2008)

This is a serious incident, but blown totally our of proportion by the press. To hear the news reports the entire vessel was laden with bunker oil (no type specified). Should she have run aground the effects of any spill would have been significant, but I fail to see the engaging of just about the whole West Coast Coast Guard fleet, especially the W. E. Ricker, an older Fisheries research vessel based in Nanaimo and days away from the site - That is of course if the news release is reliable? 

Perhaps this will, however, encourage the politicians to put more effort (money?) into developing a more all encompassing plan into providing rules for ocean gong vessels to operate further offshore in order to allow more time for a proper response should there be any kind of failure such as this. Either that or a capable offshore tug be provided to accompany any such vessel desiring to work inshore until such time as she is in deeper waters.


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## borderreiver (Oct 11, 2008)

BBC now call her a tanker in the head lines. but the text a box boat.


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## Papa Bear (Apr 15, 2007)

Whenever anyone mentions oil pipelines or gas lines or tankers the reaction in B.C. is as far as I am concerned ridiculous. Case in point, the reporting on this story. It would have been nasty if she had hit the beach but when one is not prepared what can you expect. The CCG Ricker never even left the Barkley Sound area.
Bit of a blind spot on the West coast of theHaida Gwaii but as of this morning they are on screen with the Barbara Foss towing Simushir and CCG Laurier and USCG Spar in attendance bound for Prince Rupert.


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