Freighter adrift off BC's North Coast

[MurrayM]

The 400' Russian freighter, Simushir, enroute from Washington State to Russia lost all power yesterday in a gale and is adrift, again, off the Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) southwest coast.

The sorry saga so far;

Simushir, fuel-laden Russian cargo ship, adrift off Haida Gwaii after tow lines part - British Columbia - CBC News

Not a very comforting scene being played out as Canada contemplates 364 supertankers a year over 1,100' long exporting diluted bitumen from Kitimat, through these same waters. It is a U.S. tug enroute (over 20 hours and still not on scene) and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter waiting in Sandspit to evacuate ships crew if need be.

Hardly the "world class" response capabilities being fed to us by Ottawa...

[Xsbank]

Coastal pro mariners I have talked to are largely in favour of the tankers (lots if work) but the government is out to lunch. They are so behind in their shipbuilding program and so under-funded that if anything did happen out there, it would be the mariner's own response, or like it was when I worked there in the '70s, we would rely on the US Coast Guard (used to be Annette Island) in Ketchikan. Our S&R pros are eager but have few resources.