Cruise ship "Marco Polo" aground off Gravdal and later refloated
On Nov 1, 2014, the with 1,096 People. among them 650 passengers, aboard ran aground in the Buksnes Fjord off Gravdal.
The The ship got too far into the bay when being about to dock in Storeidøya. It turned around and ran aground just outside Bethesda.
The dive boat "Gard" was called for assistance. Also the pilot boat "Øysprinten", the lifeboat "Det Norske Veritas", the Coastguard vessel "Nordkapp", tugs and the lifeboat "Sundt Flyer" from Svolvær were alerted. 4-5 coaches were waiting at the pier to take passengers to trips organized by the Arctic Guide Service. Some tender boats were used to transport passengers ashore. At 10:33 a.m. the "Gard"connected to the ship in order to pull it off the ground with the "Det Norske Veritas" pushing on one side to support the attempt.
The "Marco Polo" had a slight list to port. The water was at its lowest at 1 p.m., the flood being expected for 7 p.m. At 10.36: the captain inspected the ship and found no damage. At 11:11 a..m the first passengers were landed at the cruise docks in Storeidøya.
The police counted how many passengers were coming ashore and how many were left in the ship, an information which is important in case it has to be evacuated. Police officers went on board to conduct a routine inspection of the officers. On scene was a fresh western breeze with winds turning SSW around 7-8 p.m. and increasing, before calming down again late at night.
Marco Polo refloated
The "Marco Polo" refloated from the sandy hook it had been stuck on for nine hours with own power and supported by winds and tides.
The ship moved a few hundred meters and was heading with own machine in slow speed southward in the Buksnes Fjord around 5.30 p.m. The lifeboat "Det Norske Veritas" had just to push the bow of the ship into the wind. The cruise ship anchored off the port of Gravdal. At 6.15 p.m. the Coastguard ended its involvement.
The divers which had descended from the patrol boat "Nordkapp" at 1.15 p.m. did not find damage at the hull. There was a total of 1096 people on board, mostly elderly passengers from England. Some were taken ashore to join the tours they had booked.