The boats, due to set sail for Guyana in October, are stationed in the port of Trois-Rivières with their Caribbean and South American sailors.
Guyanese company BK Marine has acquired these boats, which were previously Canadian-owned, according to Vince Giannopoulos, VP St-Laurent and East Coast of the International Union of Canadian Seamen.
The new owners intend to use her for towing and shipping in South America and the Caribbean.
As they have been sold to the new owner and they will have to use sea water to get to their destination, we can easily imagine that there is still some work to be done in adapting the tugs to this new reality to ensure the voyage security, explains Sara Dubé, director of public affairs at the port of Trois-Rivières.
Two of the three tugs stranded in the port of Trois-Rivières for several months, the Bradley C. at the front and the Brianna T. at the back.
Photo: Radio Canada / Julie Grenon
According to Transport Canada, the boats have been inspected and are being held in port for non-compliance. The detention order can only be lifted when the owner company has eliminated all outstanding issues.
At the time of writing, BK Marine had not responded to Radio-Canada’s requests for interviews.
Sailors in the Quebec cold
The drop in temperature has been difficult for sailors unaccustomed to the climate. Most of them have neither clothing nor equipment for the winter.
They’re allowed to get off the boat and walk around town, but they just don’t have the necessary gear to stay warm, says Vince Giannopoulos.
Help came from the local community. Paul Racette, manager of the Trois-Rivières Seamen’s Home, led efforts to collect winter clothing for the seafarers. The foyer offers space for warming up and internet access.
Mr Racette claims to have seen nothing like it in eight years of service at the port of Trois-Rivières.
They came here without pay, he says, noting that 25 seafarers came initially but 14 have since left.
Arrived without a contract, without a salary
Engineer Mark Wong came to Canada last June to work on a boat but without a contract. In October he found himself among those stuck in Trois-Rivières.
You promised [le contrat] pretty quickly, but the contract never came, he says. Shortly after his return to Guyana on December 24, Mark Wong finally got his contract.
As a sailor, I adapt to all conditions. But winter came… It’s a relief not to be in the cold, he said.
Vince Giannopoulos regrets that many workers come without a contract, a situation he feels is too common. He claims that several of them received a third of the promised salary.
Imagine taking a job in a foreign country. You get there and nothing meets your expectations. It can be really difficult to deal with such a situation.
With information from CBC News and Julie Grenon