Fuel Spill English Bay/Kits Point

[Dogbreath]

That hard blow we had a few days ago put a 40+ foot sailboat up on the rocks off Kits Point the Coast Guard has been sniffing around but the ship hasn't been moved yet.

Tonight I was @ the Maritime Museum beach (aka the dog beach) and started into the water for my evening swim but after a few steps I thought WTH?

At almost the same time the stench of diesel hit me I noticed the sheen on the water-the north end of the beach where it meets the water was covered with a thin film of fuel.

So I hustled out/told people there to keep their dogs out-some of them couldn't see the fuel or even smell it.

Used the hose on the dock to sluice myself off/warned a few other people with dogs only a few of whom could smell the stench and headed home as the Coast Guard showed up again and started examining the wreck closely; I imagine they were looking to see how bad it was and whether or not to call out the spill response team.

I suppose the high tide tonight might have shifted the boat and punctured the fuel tank-if I hear anything more I'll post back.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Yup-- welcome to Harperville-- no need to clean up that stinking stuff-- ITS THE SMELL OF MONEY!!!

 

[Dogbreath]

A few pics from the net there's an absorbent boom around the wreck now.

 

[wishiniwasfishin1]

That really sucks. A lot of the boats anchored out there are not very seaworthy, and in pretty crappy shape. Surviving a beaching is a lot to ask of a boat...yet it happens every year. But hey, they get to anchor in English Bay and have one of the best views money can buy.

 

[Gong Show]

Bad situation that is only going to get worse.
Not much you can do with a small diesel spill.
Problem is that the used absorbent boom and/or pads have to be incinerated and that is not nice for the environment.
No way of thickening up the spill to recover by mechanical means.

Not that I am pro-Harper, but this has little to do with the Feds. It was the City of Vancouver that wanted the derelict boats out of False Creek. That prohibition did not solve the problem, just moved it to the relatively exposed anchorage off Kits.
This is only going to get worse, as boat owners can not afford the increasing moorage rates or even find moorage. A coast wide problem too.

 

[Dogbreath]

OK so Vancouver Pile Driving moved in on the high tide with a large barge & crane and hauled the hulk out they also dug out a bunch of rocks & dirt from the area whether or not that helped remains to be seen there's still a strong smell of diesel around but no more sheen.