Canadian Miner

[MN Boater]

Another photo of the Miner.

[guest5]

The affidavit was used to secure an arrest warrant for the Greek-owned Hellas, the tug that was towing the MV Miner when the ship broke free on Sept. 20 and ran aground off Scatarie Island.

Repeated attempts to free the ship have failed.

I certainly wouldn't say that the ship owner and the towing company did everything they possibly could after the grounding, but still why would the Province arrest the only tug that has actually been out there trying to do something?

Seems like the government of Nova Scotia just gave the towing company a valid legal reason to walk away from the mess. What can they do now if their only tug in the area can't even leave port?


info on the tug and towing company:

http://www.gigilinis.gr/index1.php?lang ... oductid=22

[Brent]

The difference in the distance the ship is from shore could be accounted for if it was high tide in one photo and low tide in another. The tides in that area if I remember right were in the area of 20 feet. I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Are there larger versions of those images available?

Those little photos are from the CBC site. I emailed them and asked if higher-res pics exist, will let you know if they send anything.

[TWilush]

Are there larger versions of those images available?

[Guest]

On another point, look at the first photo of her aground on the island, she was at least a hundred yards off shore then, now in the most recent photo her bow has swung far in and is a mere 25 feet off shore now (just guessing) This cant be good on the hull, being swung and drug over the rocky bottom.

She isn't 25 feet off shore any more.

[fireman12]

$600,000 if the ship had remained in one piece , up to $24,000,000 for wreck removal and the cleanup . If anyone else here is from the Cape , and remembers the Kurdistan breakup and clean up , it almost seems like that is being used as the reference point . Given that these numbers were used in court documents that were filed in the lawsuit , I suppose they came from a knowledgable government expert . I wonder if Mammoet will still be involved , or have they stepped aside from it all ?

[LocalGuy]

Does asbesos have as much of a presence in these relatively recent vessels being scrapped as it was in the old lakers built in the first half of the last century?

When was it removed from construction altogether?

[Vox]

The location is here, on the north shore of the island:
http://maps.google.com/?ll=46.034,-59.695&z=18

In the earlier news photo that has been published several times, you can see the curving trail in the background.

[Guest]

An earlier post stated that the ship is located in a position that exposes her starboard side fully to the Atlantic. Does that mean she is located on the eastern shore of Scaterie Island? I've looked in multiple locations and other than general statements about being grounded at Scaterie, there hasn't been a specific location given as where exactly the ship rests at that place.

[Guest]

Miner was going to Turkey, not India. Turkey seems to be more inline with the west, anyone have any recent facts on their scrapping efforts and environmental concerns?

Published on October 7, 2011

Halifax — The Nova Scotia government says the salvage and cleanup costs associated with removing an old bulk carrier stranded off Cape Breton could hit $24 million if the ship breaks up.

The estimate is contained in court documents filed by the province with the Federal Court.

An affidavit from Duff Montgomerie, deputy minister of the Natural Resources Department, says salvage of an intact ship would probably cost about $600,000.

The affidavit was used to secure an arrest warrant for the Greek-owned Hellas, the tug that was towing the MV Miner when the ship broke free on Sept. 20 and ran aground off Scatarie Island.

Repeated attempts to free the ship have failed.

The province has also filed a statement of claim seeking the costs associated with the salvage, towing and cleanup of the hulk, which was headed to the scrapyard.

The owners of the tug have 30 days to file a statement of defence.

[Guest]

Miner was going to Turkey, not India. Turkey seems to be more inline with the west, anyone have any recent facts on their scrapping efforts and environmental concerns?

[Shawn]

And , a figure of $400,000 is being bandied about as the likely cost of ` removing ` the ship from Scaterie . As no one has been on board , or close enough yet , I don`t know who is coming up with that amount .

I would be absolutely astounded to find out they could get her removed for that little. Perhaps before she started breaking up I could have believed it, but now?

Is there any chance the figures of her actual removal costs will be available once everything is said and done? I'd be interested in knowing how close they came to that guess.

[Brent]

Part of the reason ships are scrapped over seas is the price of scrap steel is slightly higher. I think the main reason is that asbestos and PCB's are not the big issue there as they are in the US and Canada. The cost of asbestos removal if done properly is quite high. If ripped out and thrown in a pile makes the cost almost nothing. The over seas scrappers don't seem to be too concerned about the health and welfare of their workers, which would expedite the scrapping process. I watched a series on TV a while back about scrapping in Alang and they said on there, that the average is about 1 worker a day being killed. It didn's state how many were injured daily.

[Richard Jenkins]

Answering "Guest," Miner's #1-#20 hatch covers are/were 53' x 17'.

Thank you for the information. The hole being 4 hatch covers long makes it 68 feet long not including how much deck space is between the hatch covers. That's a large area open to the sea!

17 feet doesn't include the space between the hatches. From the center of one hatch to the center of the next one is 24 feet (not including the spaces where the hatch covers are stacked, which are the equivalent of one more hatch width), so that hole is actually more like 96 feet!

[Guest]

Answering "Guest," Miner's #1-#20 hatch covers are/were 53' x 17'.

Thank you for the information. The hole being 4 hatch covers long makes it 68 feet long not including how much deck space is between the hatch covers. That's a large area open to the sea!

[Slip]

Scrap Value. Here in Pa., scrap is supposedly being bought fo $.20 per pound or $400.00 a ton. I assume that price is delv'd to the scrap yard. Also I think the pieces have to be a certain (small) size. If She weighs 8 to 9000 tons, that equates to appx. $3.2 or $3.6 million dollars scrap value, minus cost of cutting up and delivery to yard. Wonder what net value would be after all incurred costs are deducted

[BobG]

Answering "Guest," Miner's #1-#20 hatch covers are/were 53' x 17'.

[Guest]

"As no one has been on board "

Is there any reason there is nobody aboard? It would appear that the forward end and the high cabins represent some security. Do they not need anybody to protect the claim to the wreck? Would the after cabins be secure?

[fireman12]

Latest at noon time news CBC News Now is that the tug Hellas has been arrested , probably because of the lawsuit by the Nova Scotia government . And , a figure of $400,000 is being bandied about as the likely cost of ` removing ` the ship from Scaterie . As no one has been on board , or close enough yet , I don`t know who is coming up with that amount .

And , gale winds are forecast again for the area tomorrow , which , as Mr Jenkins said , will probably hasten her breaking up into more than one piece , although there isn`t much holding the stern onto the rest of the hull right now .

And scrapping is done overseas for one reason , the high value of scrap steel today , which makes the scrappers at India and Turkey offer top dollar per ton for scrap steel .