A sunken vessel in the Saint John River that has raised the ire of many locals is now being removed.
Local salvage crews began lifting the “Not a Starship” from the bottom of the river on Friday, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.
It has since been raised and is now sitting at a private facility as the next steps for removal and disposal are analyzed.
The boat sank in the Browns Flat area, north of Saint John, in February after its owner left it in the river over the winter.
The vessel’s owner had been given until April 30 to remove it, but the boat remained there after that deadline.
However, Transport Canada, the initial lead agency, gave the owner more time as he had taken initial steps to have it removed.
On June 11, Transport Canada transferred the file to the Canadian Coast Guard as the lead department.
A Coast Guard spokesperson told our newsroom they issued a formal directive to the owner on July 3, giving them until July 8 to come up with a plan to remove the vessel.
The following day, a local salvage company assumed ownership and liability of the vessel and provided a removal plan.
The spokesperson did not answer questions from our newsroom about who will foot the bill to remove the vessel.
