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Lawsuit filed in case of derelict tug
The alleged owner of the 'Craig Trans'', which had been leaking oil in a rural harbour along Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, was being sued over cleanup and dismantling costs that the Canadian Coast Guard claimed to be more than $4.1 million. The tug was at the centre of a decade-long saga that started when it was impounded in Halifax in late 2012, after Transport Canada found numerous safety violations on board. The 'Craig Tran' was registered in Bolivia when it arrived in Canadian waters in 2012 to tow the derelict cargo m/v 'Kathryn Spirit' (IMO: 6717069) from Beauharnois, Quebec, to Mexico. But before the operation started, the 'Craig Trans' was detained in Halifax. The crew of the tug, most of them from Honduras, remained stranded on board for a month, living in squalor because the owner refused to fly them home. They were finally able to return to Central America thanks to donations gathered by the Anglican non-profit Mission to Seafarers. As for the 'Kathryn Spirit', it sat abandoned. It cost the federal government $25 million to remove it in 2018. The ship subsequently changed hands a number of times, and in 2017 ended up moored in the community of Marie Joseph, located about 120 kilometres east of Halifax. The Canadian Coastguard found that it was leaking oil on May 23, 2023. A contract to remove contaminated water, dismantle the tug and dispose of pollutants was tendered, and awarded in November. Work at the site was completed in March 2024. The bill has landed in the Federal Court, as Canada’s ship-oil pollution compensation fund was seeking to make a pre-emptive claim against Clement Fleet, the Eastern Shore man who allegedly owned the 'Craig Trans'. The ship fund was still determining how much of the Coastguard’s claim will qualify for compensation. Once a decision has been made and money got paid to the Coastguard, Ship and Rail Compensation Canada would be able to pursue the amount from Fleet. Once the compensation has been paid, the organisation planned to head to court in an attempt to recoup the amount from whoever is responsible for the pollution. The fund first turns to the vessel’s insurance. If there was none, it could seek to seize the owner's assets, garnish wages or put a lien on a property. The court action was to protect the fund's right to try to recover the costs when the time has comes. Fleet had operated a commercial boat shed in Marie Joseph that caught fire and was destroyed in 2021. Reports with photos: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/craig-trans-nova-scotia-derelict-tug-9.7248885 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/tug-crew-stranded-in-halifax-to-head-home-monday-1.1384236 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/craig-trans-auction-1.3452207
Tug detained in Halifax for poor living conditions
The crew of the "Craig Trans" was cared for in Halifax, after the tug was detained because of poor living conditions and concern for the general condition of the vessel. Rough weather had forced the "Craig Trans" into the port of Halifax in the evening of Dec 18, 2012. Transport Canada did an inspection and noted deficiencies that need to be repaired before it can leave port. Aboard the tug were eight Honduran sailors, who had run out of food and water three days ago. Help has come from the Mission to Seafarers. They supplied food and water. The company Atship was fronting money, taking care of humanitarian needs and took one crew member to hospital for a minor ailment. The tug was on its way to Montreal where it was assigned to pick up a ship for scrap. Report with photo: http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/bolivian-boat-detained-in-halifax-due-to-poor-conditions-1.1085955#ixzz2FaO3GfZR
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