Two salvage vessels have reached the Franklin Strait in Canada’s Arctic to begin operations aimed at refloating the Dutch-flagged Thamesborg, which ran aground earlier this month while en route from China to Canada with a cargo of carbon blocks.
The 21,359-dwt ice-class cargo ship struck a shoal along the Northwest Passage on September 16. Experts noted that much of the region remains poorly charted, with surveys dating back decades. The vessel’s easterly route choice, instead of the more commonly used western lane, remains unclear.
The 4,000-horsepower tug Beverly M I, dispatched from Belledune, New Brunswick, has arrived on site. With a bollard pull of 71 tonnes, the tug recently assisted another Wagenborg vessel, Tiberborg, which went adrift in Baffin Bay in August. Joining it is the Norwegian-flagged Silver Copenhagen, a 4,230-dwt ice-class reefer vessel that transited via Greenland to support cargo transfers thanks to its shallow six-meter draft.
Weather delays briefly postponed preparations last week, but salvage managers confirmed that cargo transshipment will begin shortly, weather permitting. A third salvage vessel is also en route to support the final phase.
The Canadian Coast Guard has approved Wagenborg’s refloating plan, while its icebreaker Des Groseilliers remains on standby. ROV inspections confirmed the Thamesborg’s fuel tanks and cargo holds remain intact.
