A derelict Squamish vessel that has been beached in the Fraser River is being dismantled.
On Feb. 5, the Coast Guard announced in a Facebook message that crews have begun taking apart the galley and cargo deck of the MV Spudnik.
Authorities are also working to clean up the machinery and bilge areas.
The Coast Guard said that it received clearance from the Port Authority of Vancouver to proceed with the deconstruction of the ship.
“Did you know that deconstruction of a ship the size and complexity of the MV Spudnik, requires plans and a whole suite of regulatory controls to protect the public, the infrastructure and the environment?” the Facebook post reads. “Everything from air monitoring, to fire protection, to environmental management needs to be planned for and implemented before work proceeds.“
Preceding this development, Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan announced in early January that the Coast Guard would be removing the Spudnik.
The vessel has ties to Squamish.
The 1945 U.S. Navy landing ship was moored in Howe Sound for more than a year starting in 2013.
This boat, at the time owned co-owned by Squamish resident Steen Larsen and Patricia Wilson, was cast adrift amidst high winds while anchored off Newport Beach on Nov. 12, 2014.
The Coast Guard responded. A tug towed the vessel to the Amix facility on the Fraser River, where it was cleaned of diesel fuel and lube oil. It’s been on the Fraser since then.
In January, the Coast Guard told The Chief it is unaware of any new owners of the vessel and that the owner hasn’t responded to any requests from the authority.
