The tour boat Tom Thomson is above the waterline once more.
Following the sinking of the 80-passenger vessel yesterday, Coast Guard officials along with contractors organized by its owner Stephen Wyllie refloated it by pumping water out of it for several hours.
One area of concern is a possible spill of diesel fuel, but the Coast Guard is unaware of how much, if any, was released from the 58-foot-boat.
The federal maritime agency is on scene to ensure that the owners meet all obligations surrounding cleanup. By law, the Coast Guard is brought to any type of incident where there is a potential environmental cleanup required.
The Tom Thomson was brought to Huntsville late last fall as the first of three vessels purchased from a tour-boat company in Ottawa. It took 12 days and $60,000 to get the boat into the water in downtown Huntsville. Â The boat is owned by Algonquin Cruises and is an off-shoot of Lady Muskoka Cruise lines in Bracebridge.
In October it took a maiden Muskoka voyage for town officials and local tourism outfits, before taking visitors on leaf viewing outings for unique views from Fairy Lake.