Are you ready for a rematch Vancouver?
For the second time this week, an attempt will be made to dislodge a barge that washed up on rocks at Sunset Beach as a result of a severe windstorm on Nov. 15. Since its arrival in the city, the barge has made national headlines and spawned its own social media presence.
While locals have largely welcomed the barge, at high tide on Nov. 16 a tugboat named the Spruce I was spotted attempting to remove the barge with no success. The spectacle was watched by about 100 people along the beach and even more via live stream.
The tugboat and the barge are owned by the same company according to a statement from the Canadian Coast Guard. Sentry Marine Towing is a Canadian tug boat company based out of Richmond that has been operating in Metro Vancouver and the West Coast since 2013.
Together with Transport Canada, Sentry Towing is planning another attempt to dislodge the barge at high tide on Sunday, Nov. 21. Transport Canada did not indicate the time but the higher of the day's tides will occur at 7:53 a.m.
“Once refloat has been successful and the barge stabilized, we will allow the barge to proceed for repairs, and we will follow up with the owner to ensure the vessel is fit for service,” a spokesperson with Transport Canada wrote in an email to Vancouver Is Awesome.
The empty barge previously carried wood chips and is not a threat to pollute hydrocarbons.
A previous version of this story reported an attempt at removing the barge would be made on Nov. 18 at 4:11 p.m. V.I.A. has since received updated information from Transport Canada that the attempt will be made on Sunday, Nov. 21 at high tide.
