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Monday, March 27, 2006
Cruise ship pulled off sandbar in Columbia
WASHOUGAL -- A grounded cruise ship was returning to Portland under its power Sunday after crews were able to refloat it.
Coast Guard Ensign Nick Barrow said the tides and two tug boats combined to get the Empress of the North moving in the Columbia River shipping channel.
"It was a very quick process, a matter of minutes," he said.
The 360-foot sternwheeler hit a sandbar about 350 yards from shore Friday morning. There were no injuries and the estimated 260 occupants were taken off without incident.
Crews pumped about 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel on Saturday to make it lighter and easier to refloat.
The ship was to arrive at a Swan Island docking facility Sunday night. The Coast Guard established a 100-yard safety zone around the ship as it made the journey. "They will be navigating pretty delicately on the way down," Barrow said.
The 1,000-mile, weeklong cruise left Astoria on March 19, and was to have ended Sunday back in Astoria. Fares for the trip range from $2,100 to $4,800 depending on the season, accommodations and any side trips.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said it appeared that winds and currents forced the ship onto the sandbar. It came to rest in about 7 feet of water with its bow some 14 feet outside the shipping channel.
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