Actor Tim Allen’s yacht leaked diesel in Michigan harbor, resulting in day closure

Actor Tim Allen’s holiday weekend didn’t quite go to plan, with his yacht spilling gallons of diesel into the marina of a northern Michigan village on Sunday.

Authorities say that the ship spilled between 30 to 50 gallons of diesel due to a faulty fuel filter that leaked the fuel into the engine compartment, which would dump the excess fuel into the marina. The actor was unaware of the faulty filter, though once he became aware of the issue as he was coming into Omena Bay, he took steps to correct it, and prevent more fuel leaking into the harbor. Still, the spill resulted in Northport’s marina closing for 12 hours, and another marina nearby to close for a day. As of press time, both marinas have reopened. Allen expressed regret that the accident resulted in closures which interrupted the holiday weekends of other people.

Though he will not face any fines from the Coast Guard and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, the actor will be on the hook for all costs incurred during cleanup, and did receive a letter of warning from the Coast Guard. Officials say fines are not necessary in this case as the spill was accidental, small and due to mechanical error, and also confirmed that the actor himself hired the environmental response team that helped with clean up.

Northport is a village about 30 miles north of Traverse City.