Summary of Events
Allegations have been made regarding damage caused to Yamachiche residences by the vessel EM KEA travelling on Lake Saint-Pierre on April 26, 2017. Following the incident, TC conducted an investigation, and its conclusions are based on multiple evidence, including interviews, documentary evidence, and data from the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) Automatic Identification System (AIS).
On April 7, 2017, due to increased water levels, a Notice to Mariners to reduce speed in the area was issued by the CCG. The Notice requested mariners to navigate at safe speed in order to avoid damages to shore properties and to pay particular attention when meeting or overtaking. The Notice was in effect at the time of the incident.
According to the AIS data provided by the CCG, the vessel EM KEA would have passed Yamachiche around 3:50 a.m. on April 26, at a speed of 17.6 knots. This is the same time at which residents claim to have sustained damage caused by waves. At the time of the incident, a licensed pilot, a member of the Corporation des pilotes du Saint-Laurent Central (CPSLC), was on board the EM KEA. The Laurentian Pilotage Authority (LPA) employs CPSLC pilots to ensure the safe transit of ships in the sector that includes Montréal, Trois-Rivières and Québec City. The information obtained from the AIS indicates that there was no critical situation at the time of the incident that would have made it necessary for the vessel to travel at such a speed on Lake Saint-Pierre.
The recorded speed of the EM KEA prior to its entry onto Lake Saint-Pierre was 13.8 knots. Its speed increased steadily to reach 17.6 knots when passing through Yamachiche, and up to 18.6 knots a little further on. The EM KEA then reduced its speed upon exiting Lake Saint-Pierre.
The weather conditions at the time of the incident do not appear to have been a factor, with 24 km/hr north-east winds.
The speed surveys obtained for Lake Saint-Pierre show that, within 48 hours of the event, all commercial vessels, except for the EM KEA, passed through the area at speeds no greater than 14.4 knots.
A detaining order was imposed on the EM KEA upon its return to Montreal on May 22, 2017. A Transport Canada Marine Safety inspector went onboard to collect information and complete the investigation.
Documents obtained onboard the EM KEA show that the engines were operating at full capacity when the vessel was travelling on Lake Saint-Pierre on April 26.
Conclusions of the Investigation
The facts demonstrate that the EM KEA was the only commercial vessel travelling on Lake Saint-Pierre at the time of the incident in Yamachiche on April 26, 2017, around 3:50 a.m.
The weather conditions at the time of the incident (24 km/hr north-east winds) do not appear to have been a factor in the damage to the shore properties.
The investigation concludes that the vessel contravened the Notice to Mariners in effect, because its speed was not adjusted to avoid causing damage to shoreline properties, particularly in the Yamachiche sector.