With 'major repairs,' Saputi fishing vessel back in the water after February rescue

A Nunavut fishing vessel that had to be rescued by the Danish coast guard in February, is back in the water after extensive repairs.

The F/V Saputi was fishing for turbot when it ran into ice in the Davis Strait. All 30 crew members many of whom were from Nunavut and Labrador were all safe, but recounted a terrifying ordeal as the ship took on water and they waited for help.

TheSaputi'stwo pumps were not enough to stop the rising water, but a Canadian Hercules aircraft was deployed, dropping additional emergency pumps to the vessel. Crews pumped water out of the vesselfor about 30 hours, until aDanish coast guard vessel arrived to escort them toNuuk, Greenland.

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In a news release, Harry Flaherty, president and CEO of the Qikiqtaaluk Fisheries Corporation, said the Saputi has since undergone "major repairs" at a Polish shipyard.

"I am pleased to report that the Saputi is now ready to go fishing," Flaherty said in the statement.

He said the ship arrived in the port of Bay Roberts in Newfoundland and Labrador on June 15, where it picked up supplies and crew members, and "started steaming to the fishing grounds" on Friday. Fishing operations resumed on Monday.

"This has been a stressful time for management, our crew and their families," said Levi Barnabas, chairman of theQikiqtaalukCorporation which co-owns the ship, in the statement.

"However the vessel is now in excellent condition and we look forward to returning to fishing our shrimp and turbot quotas.

"Our crews have been out of work since the accident and they are now excited about returning to fishing and providing an income for their families."

There's no word on how much it cost to repair the vessel. At the time of the incident, it was estimated that the ship may have lost about $1 million in catch and sustained at least $1 million in damages.