A second massive cargo vessel with mechanical problems is moored off Greater Victoria while its representatives decide on next steps.
A cargo of gravel aggregate is now being transferred from the CSL Tecumseh onto the 804-foot Honourable Henry Jackman, another cargo ship.
CSL Tecumseh, which sails under the flag of the Bahamas, was most recently in Port McNeill, according to the vesselfinder.com website, and ran into a mechanical problem on Dec. 25.
The 748-foot bulk carrier, built in 2013, was towed to its current anchorage off Royal Roads in Colwood.
No pollution was released into the marine environment by the vessel and no gravel aggregate was lost, Transport Canada’s Sau Sau Liu said in a statement Tuesday.
No details of the mechanical problem were available from the federal agency.
Once the cargo transfer is completed this week, the Henry Jackman will take it to its planned destination, and the Tecumseh will be moved for repairs.
It is not clear where the Tecumseh is going for repairs.
Transport Canada’s job is to ensure that the Tecumseh complies with Canada’s Shipping Act and with international conventions, Liu said.
The Henry Jackman was built in 1981 and also sails under the flag of the Bahamas.
Meanwhile, the 984-foot container ship GSL Eleni remains at Pier B at Ogden Point after losing its rudder and being escorted into Victoria on Jan. 1.
The Eleni was on its way to Japan when it lost its steering ability off Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Six tugs guided the massive ship into Juan de Fuca Strait.
The ship, which is registered in Monrovia, Liberia, is loaded with containers stacked six deep.
Liu said the vessel’s representatives are currently determining the next steps for the vessel, which will include towing it to another location to remove its container cargo.
Once plans are prepared, Transport Canada will review them to ensure that they meet regulator requirements, Liu said
It’s not common to see such large ships pull into Victoria, although they are often seen in nearby waters waiting to enter the Port of Vancouver.
The Eleni has attracted hundreds of local residents keen to see such a large vessel up close.
It was slightly more than a year ago when another cargo ship attracted widespread attention.
Residents lined the Dallas Road waterfront to watch a fire burn on the 853-foot container ship Zim Kingston off Victoria. In that case, the ship lost more than 100 containers off Vancouver Island’s west coast in heavy seas and then moved near Victoria, where it caught on fire.
The vessel was eventually relocated to Nanaimo, where its cargo was unloaded. Most of the containers that fell overboard were not recovered, although everything from refrigerators to children’s toys washed up on Island beaches.
