Thamesborg arriving in Baie Comeau after a 10-week voyage from China via the Arctic. (Source: Courtesy of Richard Bélanger)
Thamesborg‘s journey from China to Canada was supposed to take just three to four weeks via an Arctic shortcut. It ended up lasting more than two months. Wagenborg’s general cargo ship has reached its originally intended destination of Baie Comeau in eastern Canada.
The vessel was successfully refloated on October 8, more than a month after running aground in the Franklin Strait along the Northwest Passage. For the past two weeks Thamesborg and its escorts icebreaker Botnica and tug Beverly M I made their way out of the Arctic traveling through the Baffin Bay, Davis Strait and into the St. Lawrence River.
“Wagenborg report that its general cargo vessel MV Thamesborg has safely arrived in the port of Baie Comeau, Canada where it will start unloading its remaining cargo. Following discharge operations the vessel will be undergoing repairs at a shipyard to be determined,” the company stated after the vessel arrived in port.
Based on AIS data Thamesborg remains at anchor close to shore awaiting offloading. Photos taken upon arrival show the vessel traveling under its own power.
The complex salvage operation involved the transfer of parts of Thamesborg’s cargo to two assisting vessels, Nunalik and Silver Copenhagen. The latter arrived at Baie Comeau two days ahead of the rest of the convoy, with photos taken on October 25 showing it after offloading its cargo. The vessel has since departed the port.
The grounding incident and refloating wrapped up without pollution or injuries, the Canadian Coast Guard confirmed in its final incident update.
“The exact cause of the grounding is subject of an investigation which is conducted in full cooperation with the Canadian authorities, including the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB),” Wagenborg reiterated.
An interim report by the TSB is due within 12 months and should shed light on the cause of the grounding. Some Arctic shipping experts had suggested that Thamesborg took an unusual course through Franklin Strait to the east of the established corridor resulting in it making contact with an unmapped underwater shoal.
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