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Bernic refloated by Mammoet

The "Bernic" was refloated on Nov 19, 2011, at noon. The salvage company Mammoet Maritime using a winch pontoon succeeded in pulling out the vessel out of the silted mouth of the Pommeroeul-Conde Canal. The operation was supported by the salvage tug "Spitsbergen". The recovery was conducted without any problems and damages. An earlier attempt to salvage the "Bernic" by the freighter "Alea" had failed. Ship traffic between Fresnes and Mortagne was halted during the salvage, but around 12 a.m. the "Bernic" resumed its voyage to Belgium with own power. Dutch reports with photos: http://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/nid16719-bernic-weer-vrij.html http://www.tugspotters.com/dev/index.php?itemid=42033#more

Bernic grounded in closed canal

In the evening of Nov 4, 2011, the unloaded "Bernice" has run aground at the lock of Fresnes between the Scheldt river and the Canal Pommeroeul-Condé. The skipper was assuming that this compound to the Belgian Canal Nimy-Blaton was accessible, but the 12 km long canal is closed since 1992 because it had become too shallow and Belgium and France could not agree on the dredging costs. Sbsequently, the work was postponed because local residents objected to the construction of silt deposits along the French River Scheldt. On Nov 7 the ship remained stuck and was waiting for a tug to be pulled off.