VESTERALEN

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Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry permitted to sail again

The "Vesterålen" was permitted to sail again in the evening of Jan 8 after trials were carried out with representatives of Veritas. The ship departed from Bergen northbound at 10.30 p.m. with around 100 passengers on board. The ship was headed to Ålesund where it some cosmetic repairs to the bow will be carried out before the ship continues its northbound track.

Ferry demolished gangway in allision

On Jan 8, 2013, at 2.20 p.m. the "Vesterålen" lost engine power and hit the terminal in Bergen with great power. The walkway to the terminal broke down and suffered major damage. The ferry came in too fast after the propulsion failed to reverse and slammed into the quay and the glass footbridge. The entire terminal building shook for several seconds so that witnesses thought it was an earthquake. The bow of the ferry suffered a gash of one metre width in the bow. About 3,000 liters of hydraulic fluid from the gangway have leaked into the sea. The fire department laid out oil booms to capture the hydraulic oil. After the allision the ship slowly backed out and was sidelined at the pier. No injuries among the 84 passengers and 41 crew have been reported. There was thick fog and just a few meters sight when the accident happened. Norwegian reports with photos and video: http://www.bt.no/nyheter/lokalt/Hurtigruten-traff-kai-med-et-smell-2823577.html http://www.ba.no/nyheter/article6431479.ece http://www.tv2.no/nyheter/innenriks/hurtigruten-krasjet-i-kaien-i-bergen-3960343.html http://www.dagbladet.no/2013/01/08/nyheter/innenriks/batulykke/bergen/25141954/

Ferry saved distressed fishermen

Two people were saved by the "Vesterålen" which was underway to Tromsø on Sep 4, 2012, at 9.30 p.m. The ferry was notified by the Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway about two people in need of help after their 25-foot fishing boat had begun taking on water. Both now were in a rubber boat in the outer reaches of the Lyngen Fjord, drifting in heavy sea. Both were safely picked up by the ferry and were in good condition. The lifeboat "Ulabrand" and the coastguard vessel "Farm" also attended. The f/v was blown onto rocks.