Ship remains stalled on St-Lawrence River north of Montreal

The bulk carrier Maccoa ran aground north of Montreal on Dec. 24, 2024 shortly after midnight. (Wiki Commons)

A ship that lost power on the St. Lawrence River on Christmas Eve, remains stationary north of Montreal.

According to marinetraffic.com, The bulk carrier Maccoa stopped moving just after midnight on Tuesday as it was on its way to Waterford, Ireland after departing from Montreal on Dec. 23.

"The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) was informed that the MV Maccoa had run aground in the Verchères area following a widespread power failure," said CCG spokesperson Kariane Charron. "The cause of the blackout is unknown and remains under investigation."

The 185-metre long, 24-metre wide ship flies under the Cyprus flag.

The ship is currently between Ile Marie and Vercheres and not in a shipping lane, so it is not blocking any traffic.

There have been no reports of anything leaking from the vessel or any injuries.

The Coast Guard has mobilized a team to monitor and take steps to refloat the vessel, and has sent a helicopter to confirm it is not polluting the waterway.

Charron said generators, heaters and other supplies were delivered to the ship, and it was able to operate its own generators and restore power by Tuesday night.

Yesterday, experts boarded to assess the situation and create a refloating plan.

“The holiday season is having an impact on the availability of personnel from the various contractors and partners to remedy the situation. It is still too early to confirm when a refloating attempt may take place,” Charron added.

The boat has a crew of 20 on board, and the Coast Guard said the situation is stable.