From smp.no:
Hurtigruten’s expedition cruise ship Fridtjof Nansen with 398 people on board touched ground Wednesday night south of Måløy. No one was injured, but the ship has a hole in the hull.
It is very demanding weather in the area and so it is not surprising that something like this can happen, says on-duty rescue leader Asbjørn Viste at the Main Rescue Center South Norway to VG.
There was a pilot on board the ship when it hit the seabed, the shipping company Hurtigruten Expeditions informs. They do not yet know what caused the ground contact, but point to the demanding weather conditions in the area as a possible contributing cause.
We have initiated some early investigations of the causal relationship. The most important thing for us now is to take care of the guests and our crew, and the further transport of guests, who must first get off the ship before they can get home, says press officer Øystein Knoph to NTB.
From Hamburg
The ship sailed from Hamburg on New Year’s Day and was scheduled to return to the German port city on 16 January. After landing in Måløy in Western Norway, the guests will probably be accommodated in a hotel in Ålesund before further transport home, Knoph says.
Operations manager Sølve Oldeide at Nordfjord Harbor tells NRK that there are holes in the hull. Divers are on site and will go down and look over the damage.
What we know as of now is that the ship has suffered minor damage to a propulsion unit and to the hull. Now we will spend the day examining them further. The situation is stable, and there is no danger to either the ship or any of them on board, says Knoph.
Received assistance
On Twitter , the Rescue Company writes at 7.49 on Wednesday that the rescue boat Bergen Kreds has assisted Fridtjof Nansen towards land at Trollebø quay in Måløy. There was then a gale with strong gusts in the area.
According to the West Police District, which was notified of the case at 3.51, no injuries have been reported so far. The incident happened south of Gangsøya.
Police and firefighters were at the scene Wednesday night.
Now they are also working on finding out how they should be allowed to take in ladders, and assess whether passengers are going ashore or whether it is safer to stay where they are, Oldeide told Fjordenes Tidende.
MS Fridtjof Nansen is one of Hurtigruten’s new expedition ships, which are equipped for cruises in Arctic waters. It is not used on the Coastal Express route along the coast.
The north bound coastal express route passed Måløy in the morning as usual, but it did not dock.
Journalist for Fjordenes Tidende, Erling Wåge, who is on the quay in Måløy where the Hurtigruten is located, can inform that extra ropes will be delivered to secure the ship.:
Video: Erling Wåge
Update:
Gusts of 70 knots in the area
There are no reported injuries and the atmosphere reported to be good on board.
This was told by press officer Øystein Knoph in Hurtigruten Expeditions.
He said that the ship grounded at 03:17 last night and was damaged. It was bad weather with gusts of 70 knots in the area.There are 233 guests on board in addition to a crew of 165 people.
BUS FOR BOAT: Passengers will be transported to Ålesund by bus.
PHOTO: ASGEIR HEIMDAL REKSNES / NRK
Hectic day: When Fjordenes Tidende spoke with information manager in Hurtigruten Expeditions, Rune Thomas Ege on Wednesday night, we had many hours of hectic activity behind him.
You can safely say that it was a long day for many in Hurtigruten Expeditions, says Ege.
PHOTO: ERLING WÅGE, FJORDENES TIDENDE
On Wednesday, the focus was on taking care of passengers and crew in addition to securing the ship, says Ege.
At around 14.00 on Wednesday afternoon, around eleven hours after the dramatic event, the 233 passengers on board were evacuated. They were sent by bus to Ålesund (nearest international Airport) where they were accommodated in a hotel before they were to be sent home. It took six more buses to get all the passengers to Ålesund.
How did the passengers react to what happened?
I have not talked to them. But what I have received feedback on is that there was a calm atmosphere on board. But it was probably not as they had intended that the great cruise would end.
Who was left on board the ship on Wednesday night?
It’s pretty much the whole crew. They stay there until we can clarify some things, says Ege.
Ege can not say anything about the extent of the damage to the ship. He confirms that there is a hole in the hull below the waterline, and that some water has entered the ship. They have had good control over that. What will happen next with the ship was not taken until Wednesday night.
A local diving company has been down and filmed the damage to get a picture of the extent of the damage.
The ship will probably stay in Måløy beyond Thursday as well while we work on what will happen next, says Ege.
He reckons that the ship will have to dock or slip to repair the damage before it can return to operation.
Hurtigruten owned ship Fridtjof Nansen is still in Måløy, but will sail to Florø when the weather and capacity at the yard allow it.
PHOTO: ERLING WÅGE / FJORDENES TIDENDE
