Some hours after the "Jean Nicoli" left Marseille in the afternoon of Mar 6, 2017, at 4.30 p.m., being bound for Ajaccio, the ferry encountered gale force winds with speeds of 50 knots. The ship had sailed earlier than scheduled to avoid the bulk of the storm, but she was hit by a 10-meter wave 20 miles off the Hyères islands near Porquerolles, south of Toulon, at 10.30 p.m. When the wave crashed on the gateway, a window was smashed, and the following seawater ingress damaged navigational and engine control equipment. Without working radar and very limited in its ability to control the ship from the bridge, the "Jean-Nicoli" was then about 40 kilometers south of the Levant islands. The vessel aborted the sailing to Marseilles and headed for Toulon as the nearest port of refuge with low speed, arriving there in the morning of Mar 7. The CROSSMED was alerted and notified the Marifime Prefecture which deplyoded the tug "Ailette" of the French Navy as an escort to port. Two tugs assisted the ship to dock after the arrival at 2 a.m. The communications on board between bridge, engine and deck had to be carried out by VHF hand radios in the meantime. The ferry was finally berthed at the Fournel wharf around 3.30 a.m. The 50 passengers were safely disembarked. The ferry was then moved to the La Seyne cruise wharf for repairs. She was expected to return to its schedule start of next week. In the meantime the "Paglia Orbia" should took over the Ajaccio-Marseille link. On Mar 7 she was held in Marseille due to the storm and had to cancel the sailing Porto-Vecchio.
WORLD SHIPPING
08 March 2017 - 12:00
Update: 09 March 2017 - 00:46
Ferry damaged by 10-meter wave
Ferry damaged by 10-meter wave
WORLD SHIPPING
08 March 2017 - 12:00
Update: 09 March 2017 - 00:46
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