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Grounded MSC box ship: new road may have to be cut to enable salvage
Weather conditions have hampered initial salvage operations for box ship MSC Baltic III, which lost power and grounded on Canada’s east coast
The Canadian Coast Guard has provided an update on the status of container ship MSC Baltic III, which grounded near Wild Cove off Newfoundland and Labrador provinces on Canada’s east coast.
The coast guard said weather and sea conditions were posing a problem for operations on the water, but its crews were continuing to assess the grounded box ship from shore and in aerial fly-overs and had seen no pollution.
The coast guard said MSC had put forward a set of options that may help salvage operations to progress.
"MSC has put forward options to remove fuel and cargo from the vessel, both by sea and land. A combination of these options may be used. These options include the use of a tug and barge along with portable tanks, as well as possible ground transport through upgrades and extensions of the road to provide access to the MSC Baltic III. If the road is constructed, it would also help alleviate the impact sea conditions have on removal operations," the coast guard said.
The salvage company is mobilising the necessary equipment to heat and remove the heavy oil from the fuel tanks, and they have reported that the shipboard cranes are operational and can be used to offload the vessel’s stranded cargo.
Currently on scene are 14 response crew, a 26-foot pollution response vessel (PRV) and Rosborough vessel, as well as the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Jean Goodwill. The coast guard said it had ferried to the site a response trailer, four medium hauler vehicles, a medium-high speed sweep, two deck tanks, 800 m of ro-boom, all-terrain vehicles, and 14 clump weight anchors.
28 February
The Canadian Coast Guard continues to update on its salvage response to the grounded container ship MSC Baltic III.
The coast guard’s latest update said the vessel ’cannot be safely refloated,’ in its current condition.
In earlier reports (below), the coast guard said the vessel’s hull has been broken or holed in places, likely from the grounding and nearly two weeks spent against a rocky shoreline in what the coast guard continually refers to as difficult sea and weather conditions.
"The salvage team is continuing their assessment of MSC Baltic III, as sea conditions allow, and are developing the salvage plan. Given the vessel’s current condition, it cannot be safely refloated. The initial focus will be on the removal of the fuel and cargo," the coast guard update said.
A cargo manifest provided by MSC "indicates the cargo contains some materials listed as dangerous goods." According to the manifest, the potentially dangerous goods include items listed under fabrics, food products, metals and polymeric beads. Polymeric beads are non-biodegradable and can become microplastics that pose a threat to acquatic organisms and the wider food chain.
24 February
After revealing the vessel’s hull was ’deformed’, further visual assessments and soundings of the vessel’s structure have shown the box ship has ’significant breaches or holes’.
"The vessel appears to have settled firmly on the seabed, and is stable at this time. Tank soundings have confirmed approximately 1.7M litres of heavy fuel and marine gas oil on board the vessel. No pollution has been observed," the coast guard reported.
Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Jean Goodwill is stationed at the scene of the grounding, with oil spill response equipment on board, but the coast guard said poor weather conditions have remained a problem more than a week after the vessel lost power and grounded.
"Sea conditions hampered some operations over the weekend including the ability to safely access the vessel.
The salvage team is continuing their assessment of MSC Baltic III as sea conditions allow. It includes further tank soundings and inspections of cargo holds," the coast guard said.
21 February
Sea conditions continue to hamper some operations including the ability to deploy response equipment in the grounding of box ship MSC Baltic III off Canada’s eastern seaboard.
The Canadian Coast Guard said its crews continue to assess MSC Baltic III from the shoreline and by air.
"No pollution has been observed. A preliminary report from the salvage team indicates there is an oily water mixture in the engineroom and water in some cargo holds. A dive team is onsite and confirmed that 75% of the vessel’s hull is resting on the seabed. A deformation in the hull of MSC Baltic III has also been observed," the coast guard’s latest report, from 20 February, said.
The coast guard’s CCGS Jean Goodwill vessel is at the scene of the vessel with additional response equipment, and the salvage team is continuing their assessment of MSC Baltic III as sea conditions allow.
19 February
A box ship that grounded in Canada’s easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador after a ’full power blackout’ was reported on board had its first visual assessment a little more than 48 hours after the vessel’s crew sounded a mayday alert to the Canadian Coast Guard.
Weather conditions have hampered operations at the scene of the vessel’s grounding, some 12 nautical miles from the Bay of Islands on the western side of Newfoundland Island.
The Canadian Coast Guard said an additional vessel, CCGS Ann Harvey, arrived on scene on 17 February.
"Weather hampered activity in the early part of the day. When weather improved, a fast rescue craft was launched for a visual assessment of the vessel. No pollution was observed," the coast guard said.
The coast guard said privately held shipowner MSC "continues to be co-poperative and responsive" in response operations for the stricken vessel.
"We have been advised that the vessel contains approximately 470 containers, over half of which are empty. The others contain items such as food, lumber and paper supplies. We are still trying to confirm the amount of diesel on board," the Canadian Coast Guard said.
The coast guard has established a 2 nautical mile airspace restriction for drone operators around the site of the vessel grounding, with coast guard helicopters still conducting overflight operations in the area to monitor the vessel.
All 20 crew from MSC Baltic III were airlifted to safety by coast guard helicopter shortly after the crew reported a blackout on board the vessel on 15 February.
17 February
An MSC box ship has grounded after the crew reported the vessel had suffered a "full power blackout" near the coast of Canada’s easternmost provinces.
"On Saturday morning, 15 February, the [Canadian] Marine Communications and Traffic Services in Port aux Basques received a mayday from the cargo ship MSC Baltic III located approximately 12 nautical miles outside the entrance to Bay of Islands, NL. The vessel reported a loss of power," the Canadian Coast Guard reported. The acronym NL refers to Canada’s Newfoundland and Labrador provinces on the country’s eastern coast.
The vessel lost power in a storm with high winds, reportedly gusting to 120 km per hour, and what the coast guard termed ’unfavourable’ sea conditions, which can be seen in a video of the grounded vessel below.
"The vessel was unable to secure an anchor and ran aground in Wild Cove west of Lark Harbour. There were 20 people on board. All crew have been safely airlifted from the vessel by a Cormorant helicopter," the coast guard said in its initial report.
On 15 Feb, JRCC was alerted for a full power blackout on a cargo vessel drifting towards the shore of Newfoundland. Thanks to 103 and 413 #SAR Squadrons swift response, all 20 crew were airlifted to safety. #RESCUE pic.twitter.com/mqmk5kQfWK
— Halifax JRCC CCCOS (@hfxjrcc)On 15 Feb, JRCC was alerted for a full power blackout on a cargo vessel drifting towards the shore of Newfoundland. Thanks to 103 and 413 #SAR Squadrons swift response, all 20 crew were airlifted to safety. #RESCUE pic.twitter.com/mqmk5kQfWK
— Halifax JRCC CCCOS (@hfxjrcc) February 15, 2025
According to the Halifax, Nova Scotia Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, the vessel’s crew alerted authorities to "a full power blackout on a cargo vessel drifting towards the shore of Newfoundland".
"Thanks to 103 and 413 SAR Squadrons’ swift response, all 20 crew were airlifted to safety," the Halifax JRCC reported on its X social media feed.
The coast guard has continued to report on the vessel, giving daily updates in what is still considered an ’active incident’. "With the crew rescued, the focus shifts to assisting with the salvage effort, and marine environmental and hazards response," the organisation said.
The coast guard said weather in the area continues to be a factor as it carries on its work to assess the vessel and formulate a response. In addition to establishing an emergency zone around the incident area of two nautical miles to allow operational access to the vessel, Canadian Coast Guard crews and Eastern Canada Response Corporation representatives are establishing a response staging area in Lark Harbour, NL.
"Additional Canadian Coast Guard crews and equipment are en route. CCGS Jean Goodwill will transit to the site from Canso, NS [Nova Scotia], as weather permits and CCGS Henry Larsen is standing by in Corner Brook, NL to facilitate operations," the coast guard said.
The coast guard said the privately owned container shipping giant MSC, which owns MSC Baltic III, has been "co-operating and responsive, and a team from the salvage company contracted by the owner is expected in the area ... to assess the situation".
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