Defiance

On Sep 22, 2018, at 4:31 a.m. currents freed the "Defiance" and "Ashtabula" from the clay bottom in Round Island Passage in the Straits of Mackinac. The Coast Guard had conducted an overflight with a pollution responder on in the evening and did not identify any signs of pollution. Another overflight was planned for the morning of Sep 23. After the grounding the U.S. Coast Guard had established a safety zone around it in the Straits of Mackinac, between Mackinac Island and Round Island. The vessels departed Cedarville, Michigan and was transiting to its next port of call in Buffington, Indianam when it ran aground. The cause of the grounding was under investigation of the Coast Guard Sault Ste. Marie. No injuries, pollution or flooding have been reported. Reports with photos: https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/09/720-foot_ship_loaded_with_dies.html https://www.9and10news.com/2018/09/22/update-tugboat-defiance-freed-after-running-aground-in-mackinac-island-port/

Tug Defiance (871 gt, built 1982), towing the barge Ashtabula , ran aground, amid strong winds, in position lat 045 50 26N, long 084 36 35W, 7.5 nautical miles from Mackinaw City, at 1939 hrs, Sep 21. According to reports, the barge is carrying 97,918 gallons of diesel fuel and more than 2,900 tons of stone.