Mar. 7, 2005. 01:00 AM
Leaky conservation boat rescued by Coast GuardGroup on way to videotape sealsAging vessel likely hit ice: Captain
SUSAN AITKENCANADIAN PRESSHALIFAX—The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's quest to observe seal pups hit another snag yesterday, as their aging vessel had to be shepherded through ice-covered waters after springing a leak.
The 54-metre vessel, Farley Mowat, began taking on water around 9 a.m. in the Cabot Strait north of Cape Breton Island.
"The ice must have hit something ... We don't know where the water is coming in because (the leak) is underneath the engine," ship's captain Paul Watson said in an interview from aboard the ship about 15 kilometres north of Cape Breton.
The boat and 28 passengers from 10 countries left Halifax on Friday for Îles de la Madeleine, where they planned to videotape the birth of harp seals.
The departure was delayed four days, after Transport Canada said the vessel didn't have the proper certification stating that it would not pollute waters.
The federal agency detained the vessel until Watson provided the documentation.
By midday yesterday, an Aurora aircraft, Cormorant helicopter and Hercules aircraft had all reached the vessel, said navy Lieut. Pat Jessup.
"The reports from the Farley Mowat are that they are holding their own," said Jessup. "Their own pumps are doing the job right now but we are, as a precaution, going to send the extra pumps to help them out."
The coast guard ice patrol vessel, Sir Wilfred Grenfell, based in St. John's, Nfld., happened to be in the area at the time and met up with the 49-year-old leaking boat around 2 p.m.
Watson said the coast guard would help them plough through the ice to Port aux Basques, Nfld., where the crew hoped to find the source of the leak.
"Second thing is to put a temporary patch and third to permanently repair it," the captain said.
Despite the scare, Watson said all on board were doing just fine.
"These are things you have to expect on any ship really if you're going into the ice."
The ship is equipped with two zodiac vessels, life rafts and survival suits for all on board, including volunteers from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, Bermuda, and Ecuador.
Richard Dean Anderson, better known as the handyman TV star in MacGyver, wasn't on the vessel when the leak occurred.
The actor, who is a member of the society's board of directors, is due to meet up with the group for a news conference protesting the annual seal hunt.
Reached by cell phone, Anderson joked that he couldn't have made ``a lick" of difference in fixing the boat.
"I'm old and grey and slow. He (MacGyver) is a character and I don't have my writers with me."
Leaky conservation boat rescued by Coast GuardGroup on way to videotape sealsAging vessel likely hit ice: Captain
SUSAN AITKENCANADIAN PRESSHALIFAX—The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's quest to observe seal pups hit another snag yesterday, as their aging vessel had to be shepherded through ice-covered waters after springing a leak.
The 54-metre vessel, Farley Mowat, began taking on water around 9 a.m. in the Cabot Strait north of Cape Breton Island.
"The ice must have hit something ... We don't know where the water is coming in because (the leak) is underneath the engine," ship's captain Paul Watson said in an interview from aboard the ship about 15 kilometres north of Cape Breton.
The boat and 28 passengers from 10 countries left Halifax on Friday for Îles de la Madeleine, where they planned to videotape the birth of harp seals.
The departure was delayed four days, after Transport Canada said the vessel didn't have the proper certification stating that it would not pollute waters.
The federal agency detained the vessel until Watson provided the documentation.
By midday yesterday, an Aurora aircraft, Cormorant helicopter and Hercules aircraft had all reached the vessel, said navy Lieut. Pat Jessup.
"The reports from the Farley Mowat are that they are holding their own," said Jessup. "Their own pumps are doing the job right now but we are, as a precaution, going to send the extra pumps to help them out."
The coast guard ice patrol vessel, Sir Wilfred Grenfell, based in St. John's, Nfld., happened to be in the area at the time and met up with the 49-year-old leaking boat around 2 p.m.
Watson said the coast guard would help them plough through the ice to Port aux Basques, Nfld., where the crew hoped to find the source of the leak.
"Second thing is to put a temporary patch and third to permanently repair it," the captain said.
Despite the scare, Watson said all on board were doing just fine.
"These are things you have to expect on any ship really if you're going into the ice."
The ship is equipped with two zodiac vessels, life rafts and survival suits for all on board, including volunteers from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, Bermuda, and Ecuador.
Richard Dean Anderson, better known as the handyman TV star in MacGyver, wasn't on the vessel when the leak occurred.
The actor, who is a member of the society's board of directors, is due to meet up with the group for a news conference protesting the annual seal hunt.
Reached by cell phone, Anderson joked that he couldn't have made ``a lick" of difference in fixing the boat.
"I'm old and grey and slow. He (MacGyver) is a character and I don't have my writers with me."
1 comment:
Seriously though, all he would have needed was some chewing gum a cigar, parts of an old car and some aerosol lubricant!
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