Manolis L
General Cargo Vessel · Liberia · Lost 1985 · Newfoundland
A 1985 cargo wreck in Notre Dame Bay whose leaking fuel oil became a decades-long environmental hazard, eventually removed by government-led ROV operations in 2018.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Manolis L was carrying a cargo of newsprint from Botwood, Newfoundland, when she ran aground on Blow Hard Rock near the Change Islands and sank in January 1985. The wreck lay largely undisturbed for nearly three decades until a 2013 storm cracked her hull, releasing heavy fuel oil that fouled shorelines and wildlife in Notre Dame Bay. Sustained public pressure led the Canadian government to fund a full technical assessment and, in 2018, a remotely operated removal of the remaining oil.
Vessel
- Not established
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- Steel
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- Diesel
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Loss
- January 17, 1985
- Grounding
- Blow Hard Rock, off Change Islands, Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland
- Notre Dame Bay
- Botwood, Newfoundland
- 2,990 tonnes of newsprint
- Not established
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The Wreck Today
- 230 ft
- Hull cracked by a 2013 storm, releasing heavy fuel oil; oil was fully removed from the wreck by remotely operated vehicles in 2018.
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Position
- Not established
- Approximate position
- Change Islands, Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland
General location is Blow Hard Rock off the Change Islands; a precise verified position was not available in the sources reviewed.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (65/100)
Details of casualties, if any, and the vessel's construction history are not established in the sources reviewed.
Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Environmental incident history, cargo, and removal timeline.
Depth, wreck assessment methodology, and grounding location.
