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M/S "Viking Sky" Looses Propulsion Off Norway In Bad Weather

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Yacht News, Mar 23, 2019.

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  1. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

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    Viking Ocean Cruises M/S "Viking Sky" lost her propulsion in bad weather today off the Norwegian coastline. The vessel has been drifting towards shore and it is a rush to get her 1,300 passengers and crew off. Currently helicopters are being utilized. Some passengers are said to have been injured although the severity of the injuries is unknown at this point. Norwegian Met Officials suggest the storm will last until midnight local time. Videos are circulating showing the harrowing scenes onboard as furniture and debris slide in the rough weather. Reports suggest one engine was restarted and anchors deployed.

    Attached Files:

  2. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    On that video it looks like they have some propulsion and are at least pointing into the waves. AIS show them slowly making way into the weather
  3. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    They got 1 engine started and are making way.
    139 pax evacuated, 3 seriously injured.
    They keep evacuating people through the night.
    Ocean going tug on the scene.
    Earlier today they were 2.5 NM from shore with the anchor holding.
    38 knots wind.
    (Translated from local Norwegian newspaper)
  4. HTMO9

    HTMO9 Senior Member

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    In the same area and the same storm, a cargo ship also had loss of propulsion, recieved some damage from the storm, gained some dangerous list and declared emergency. Norseman, it looks like Your Norwegian Coast Guard buddies are busy at the moment.

    Viking Sky is a 2017 Fincantieri built cruise ship. Amazing, today a cruise ship with a capacity of 1.300 passengers is concidered a "small" cruiseship.

    I take off my hat to all those life savers, coast guard men and women, SAR pilots and other rescue people. Every day, they risk their life and health in order to save the souls of those in danger.
  5. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    This would be the cargo ship:
    https://www.vg.no/i/6j956L
    Yes, the Coast Guard is busy up there.
    The cruise ship is in a bad area called Hustadvika, (I sailed there as a youngster, 15 years old and the most junior boy aboard, peeling potatoes up and down the coast while on vacations from school.)
    That piece of the coast is famous for heavy seas when it is blowing, the wrong area to lose probulsion in a gale for sure.
    Now 166 pax is evacuated, another 1000 + to go.
  6. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Why do cruise ships sail in these conditions in the first place.
  7. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    It would have been okay, to a degree, if them engines did not stop.
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2019
  8. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    2 year old ship, near new ship, top of the lines cruise ship, LOOSING PROPULSION???
    Wisky Tango Foxtrot???
  9. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Worst case scenario for sure, storm and loss of power.
    El Faro too..
  10. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    A2D83D7D-0B73-47F3-83FB-03D848EC1CFF.jpeg 180 pax evacuated now.
  11. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    It's hard compare a 2 year old cruise ship with an out dated reef material candidate operated with death wish operators. Please don't get El Faro compared to this.
  12. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Aye mate, no comparison expect they both lost power in bad weather. :oops:
  13. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Thank you my friend. No comparison past that.
  14. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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  15. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    Evacuation halted after 463 pax were lifted off. Each chopper takes 15 pax indicating 31 flights.
    The ship got 3 out of 4 engines running and now proceeding to the port of Molde.
    She was drifting as close as 300 feet from the rocks before the anchor held.
    The coastal pilot on the bridge described the situation as tense..
    Link to article in Norwegian with pictures and video clips.

    https://www.vg.no/i/e8MPpM
  16. Oscarvan

    Oscarvan Senior Member

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    So the bigger question is.... how do you lose power to ALL FOUR engines.....:eek:

    There's some flaw in design there...... me thinks..... but what do I know....

    >>The coastal pilot on the bridge described the situation as tense..<<

    There's that Teutonic sense of understatement again.....LOL.
  17. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Do they use pods on this ship or shafts?
  18. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    They lost power to 3 of the 4 engines, after dragging Anchor it finally held 100 meters from the rocks, then they used the remaining good engine in forward to take some of the load of the anchor.
    Finally they got 3 engines going, got a line onboard from a tug and limped to the nearest port.
  19. Oscarvan

    Oscarvan Senior Member

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    OK.... still would like to know how you lose more than one engine at a time.

    For reference....I'm an aviator and in rare instances losing more than one can happen... but it generally involves catastrophic failures that cannot be designed for. Doesn't sound like that was the case here.