Divers say grounded Rand Logistics vessel is structurally sound

Calumet sits hard aground in the St. Marys River, outside the channel, northwest of Sugar Island, Michigan. The starboard bow of the 629-foot cargo vessel is seen sticking into the channel

AUGUST 11, 2017 — The St. Marys River yesterday remained closed to commercial vessels from the Soo Locks to 6 Mile Point as the U.S. Coast Guard continued to monitor a 629-foot U.S. cargo ship that ran aground on the north side of Sugar Island, Wednesday, August 9 at about 11:40 p.m.

The 19,600 dwt self-unloading bulker Calumet, departed Essar Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and was transiting downbound on the St. Marys River to its next port of call in Brevort, Michigan, when it ran aground. The vessel was not carrying any cargo.

The Army Corp of Engineers conducted an assessment of the river bottom around the vessel.

Contracted divers conducted an initial assessment of the vessel’s stern and determined that it is structurally sound.

Rand Logistics Group subsidiary Grand River Navigation, the owner of the ship, has hired an Oil Spill Removal Organization to place boom on the surface of the water near the front of the vessel to protect the environment as a precaution.

The Coast Guard conducted two aerial flights Thursday, one with an MH-60 helicopter from Air Station Traverse City, and one later in the day by a Coast Guard Auxiliary Air Patrol. A Coast Guard pollution aerial observer was aboard both flights and saw no pollution.

Grand River Navigation was set to finalize a salvage plan and present it to the U.S. Coast Guard for review and approval late yesterday.

The cause of the grounding is under investigation.