A Rand Logistics bulk carrier grounded off Michigan, shutting a portion of the Saint Lawrence Seaway system.
US Coast Guard Lieutenant-Junior Grade Sean Murphy tells TradeWinds that the 20,100-dwt Calumet (built 1973) remains hard aground as the agency awaits a salvage plan from the New York shipowner's Grand River Navigation subsidiary.
In the meantime, the St Marys River is closed to commercial traffic between the Soo Locks and 6 Mile Point. The river and locks system carries shipping traffic between Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway.
The Calumet ran aground late Wednesday night on the north side of Sugar Island after it departed an Essar Steel terminal in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.
No pollution
There have been no injuries or signs of pollution, and the USCG says the vessel remains stable.
Murphy says it is too early to say whether there is any damage to the vessel, which is insured by the North of England Protection & Indemnity Club.
Tracking data from MarineTraffic.com shows one vessel stopped at the Soo Locks while another is stopped while enroute to the canal.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
