Sarnia's Sidney Smith Dock has been closed due to severe erosion. City of Sarnia photo.Sarnia's Sidney Smith Dock has been closed due to severe erosion. City of Sarnia photo.
Sarnia

Underwater welding needed to repair Sidney Smith Dock

Repairs to the sunken Sidney Smith on Sarnia's waterfront are scheduled at the beginning of December.

The steam-powered lake freighter, which was sunk and filled with sand and stone to become the dock at the foot of Seaway Road, has been closed since the beginning of October.

It had to be shut down after sinkholes appeared and fill material was disappearing when crews put it in.

City of Sarnia Construction Manager Robert Williams said they've since confirmed there's a hole in the ship's hull.

"We did have professional divers in and we had the entire dock inspected," said Williams. "Generally speaking the dock is in good condition, but in one location we do have a hole about five metres down, on the hull of the ship. That's a previous patch, so we're making arrangements to have it repaired."

Williams said those repairs are tentatively booked for December 2.

"We have a contractor coming in, ASI, which has a local office, but these guys are coming in from Stoney Creek and they have underwater divers. They'll be placing a steel patch over the hole and welding that solid. So actually, they'll be putting two patches on, two pieces of steel, to make it more manageable. It will be underwater welding."

Williams said once that's complete, crews will focus on reopening the dock.

"After we do the patch we have to do a little bit of work to find out how much material was missing from the inside of the ship. Once we confirm that there's no more risk of sinkholes, then we'd open the dock."

The cost for the diving inspection and repair work is estimated at $50,000.

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