SUPERIOR, Wis. — More than three months after escaping disaster on Lake Superior, the Canadian-flagged bulk carrier Michipicoten remains dockside in Superior, Wis..
The Michipicoten sustained a rupture to its hull on June 8 while carrying iron ore pellets from Two Harbors, Minn. to Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie.
With water entering through a four-metre-long crack, the ship limped toward Thunder Bay, exposing the crew to what one member described later as a "horrifying journey."
After a temporary patch was applied at Keefer Terminal, Transport Canada gave permission to the freighter's owner – Lower Lakes Towing of Port Dover, Ont. – to have it escorted by tugs on June 20 to Fraser Shipyards in Superior for additional repairs.
But a government spokesperson said that, as of Wednesday, federal regulators have not given permission for the Michipicoten to be returned to service.
The spokesperson referred TBnewswatch to the company for more information.
Lower Lakes Towing to date has released no public statements on its plans for the ship, and a person who answered the phone at the company's headquarters this week stated "We have no comment."
The crew of the 72-year-old vessel reported hearing a loud bang when the crack developed.
A preliminary investigation in June pointed to stress or fatigue as the possible cause of the fracture in the hull.
