Not a Starship not afloat: Once stuck-in-ice vessel is now on bottom of St. John River

The owner of a sunken sailboat has until the end of the month to get it out of the water, according to a deadline set by Transport Canada. 

The department "has determined that the Not a Starship vessel has the potential to present a hazard to navigation, and a deadline of April 30, 2024, has been set for its removal," Transport Canada communications adviser Katherine Proulx said in an email.

She said the department is working with the owner to make sure the sailboat is removed in a "responsible manner."

"If the deadline isn't met, the vessel will be deemed as abandoned under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, and the owner could face enforcement actions, including monetary penalties."

Sailboat owner Jordan Tatton has not responded to several requests for an interview. 

Local residents have expressed concern about the sailboat for months — even long before the river froze. 

Rob Thom was one of them. The Greenwich resident said the sailboat was originally anchored in front of his home before two December storms dragged the boat to the cove in front of Beulah Camp. 

He said he was worried about the environmental damage should the boat sink. The boat, after all, was equipped with a diesel engine, a generator and the batteries necessary to operate the solar panels. 

Even at the time the boat first started to stink, the Coast Guard said it wasn't concerned about pollution.

Within days, spokesperson Debbie Buott-Matheson said there was a "minimal amount of non-persistent oils" on the vessel, meaning the type of fuel on board would have evaporated from the surface of the water within 48 hours.

The New Brunswick Department of Environment said it was not involved in the case. A spokesperson said Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard are the lead agencies.

Thom is also concerned about the hazard the sunken vessel presents to boaters, especially with the 17-metre (56-foot) mast — and a second shorter one — protruding above the surface. 

Although Thom has seen a few boats already on the water, he said the danger will increase significantly as the boat traffic increases with warmer weather. 

As a member of the local fire department, he said they're not equipped or authorized to respond should someone strike the boat and need assistance.