By Ian Holmes

Tug boat near Nanaimo hoisted more than 4 years after it sank

Mar 5, 2019 | 3:44 PM

NANAIMO — A sunken tug boat off Gabriola Island was finally removed more than four years after it went down, while another downed tug nearby remains on the ocean floor.

Port of Nanaimo harbour master Rodney Grounds said hoisting the Samantha J, which capsized in October 2014 in Northumberland Channel, frees up a deep sea anchorage slot in the Nanaimo region.

The Port earlier reported the boat leaked 1,800 litres of diesel when it went down between Gabriola and Duke Point. Grounds said the tug’s remaining fuel was safely removed.

“The remains of the boat were turned over to the owner, the vessel was towed out by one of their tugs and was cleared out of the harbour by Saturday (Mar. 2) at about noon.”

The removal, coordinated by an American salvage firm, took several hours last Friday, according to Grounds.

time served

Nanaimo man caught with over 30g of illicit drugs avoids additional jail time

7h ago

big return

Senior women's box lacrosse returns to Nanaimo after 10+ year absence

8h ago

environmental impacts

Accidental pump activation causes minor oil slick in Nanaimo marina

10h ago

He said the boat, owned by Chemainus-based Jones Marine Group, was towing a barge full of wood chips from the west side of Gabriola Island to Harmac Pacific pulp mill when it ran into difficulty and flipped.

Three removal orders were made by Transport Canada to the Jones Marine Group to hoist the tug from 220 feet of water.

Grounds said the presence of the wrecked Samantha J was a navigational hazard and removed one of six deep sea anchorages in the Nanaimo area.

“There was a need to get that anchorage back up in service. It was one less ship that would be sailing into the southern Gulf Islands looking for an anchorage,” Grounds told NanaimoNewsNOW.

The Samantha J rested on a ledge, which Grounds said aided in its retrieval.

However, Grounds said the sunken Albern resting nearby, also owned by Jones Marine Group, will be extremely difficult to remove. The Port of Nanaimo earlier reported the Albern released 1,000 litres of diesel when it was hit by another tug in May 2016. Grounds said the Albern is in more than 300 feet of water and will be hard to locate.

Unlike the Samntha J, the Albern is not considered a navigational hazard.

ian@nanaimonews.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes