Baffin Fisheries’ new ship stranded in Athens after engine fails on maiden voyage

Crew members aboard Baffin Fisheries’ Inuksuk II have spent more than 14 days docked in Athens, Greece after an engine failure stalled the fishing vessel on its first voyage. “We are very disappointed. This was entirely unexpected,” Baffin Fisheries CEO Chris Flanagan said in an interview.

“We knew there would be some break-in period and glitches with a brand-new vessel. There always are and that’s expected. But we didn’t expect anything like this to happen.



” In October 2021, Baffin Fisheries announced its purchase of the $72.5-million, 80-metre stern trawler, which it said was the largest Canadian-owned fishing vessel. The new addition to the fleet was to replace an aging vessel as a safer, more cost-efficient option.

Earlier this month the Inuksuk II was bound for St. John’s, N.L.

, from Tersan Shipyard in Turkey, where it was constructed. Thirty-six hours into the journey, on Oct. 15, the ship’s main engine started shutting down.

“A tugboat was dispatched to tow and assist the vessel to the closest port in Athens, Greece,” said K​​avavow Mikijuk, president of Baffin Fisheries. While the main engine was repaired in an Athens shipyard, one of the vessel’s auxiliary engines was still malfunctioning. The ship’s warranty covers engine failure, so it was decided the Inuksuk II would return to its manufacturer in Turkey to be fixed, Flanagan said.

There are 15 crew members currently living on board the vessel in the two weeks it has been docked in Greece, since accommodations are still in working order. Most are Baffin Fisheries employees, along with representatives from Tersan Shipyard. “The crew weren’t in danger,” Flanagan said.

“It was urgent, but not an emergency. It was an unfortunate, bad news situation but the vessel is sound otherwise.” The plan was for Inuksuk II to test its fishing gear and pick up fishing crew and food technicians while in St.

John’s for a fishing expedition near Baffin Island. The vessel’s eventual destination was to be Iqaluit for a “christening ceremony” attended by the company’s board members, Flanagan said. The journey had been expected to last 17 days; now, the timing of the ceremony will be dependent on ice conditions.

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