Disabled ship heads to BC port

Photo: Contributed

The latest image of the stricken vessel and the tug boat nearby.

The stricken Russian container ship Simushar is under tow again off the north coast of British Columbia.

The Canadian Forces' joint rescue co-ordination centre in Victoria says the ocean-going American tug boat Barbara Foss has a secure line attached to the ship.

Spokesperson Acting Sub Lt. Melissa Kia says the owners of Russian vessel plan to have it taken to Prince Rupert.

Kia says the winds and seas have calmed significantly since yesterday, and at their current speed of seven nautical miles per hour the ships should reach port later today.

The Canadian Coast Guard vessel Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the U.S. Coast Guard vessel Spar are providing escort service.

A mechanical failure left the Simushar drifting in heavy seas Thursday night, sparking fears it could run aground and spill hundreds of tonnes of fuel along the pristine shores of Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

A Canadian Coast Guard vessel tried towing Simushar yesterday, but the tether kept breaking.

Kia says there have been no such problems since the bigger and better equipped tug took over.