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Ship hits cable in Faroe Islands
On September 6 2012 at 8 a.m. Jewel of the Seas hit a sagging power cable (It was not energized), stretching betwen the islands of Bordoy and Eysturoy, while entring the port at Klaksvik, Faroe Islands.Passengers learned of the incident from a scary wakeup call from the captain saying "We have had a serious accident with an injury."
The cable damaged the mast, some equipment on the mast and the funnel.
Map
The cable was listed as 60 m high on nautical charts, which should have provided plenty of clearance for Jewel which is 54 m high.
The ship was piloted by the captain and crew, because they had been there on June 26th with no problems. The harbor master insisted they couldn't of hit anything, but changed his mind when he saw the damage.
A picture of the power lines clearly showed one cable hanging lower than the rest.
Temporary repairs were made in Klaksvik so Jewel could continue to the next port, Reykjavik, Iceland, where where permanent repairs to the mast and funnel were made on a scheduled two day layover.
The ship left Klaksvik via a northern passage which avoided the power lines.
Repairs to the funnel were paid for by the Faroe Islands Power company. The Royal Caribbean legal department filed an official complaint and expected to be compensated for all expenses.
They were investigating the cause of the sag and whether the power company knew about it.
Links:
- 16 day Transatlantic Cruise
- Cruise Ship Jewel of the Seas Hits Aerial Cable, Seriously Injuring Crew Member :: Maritime & Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer Blog
- Royal Caribbean ship damaged after hitting cable in Europe - USATODAY.com