[callpor]

Reported this afternoon that 1500 passengers and crew being evacuated by helicopter off cruise ship Viking Sky which declared emergency after engine failure off Nowegian Coast.

There are detailed reports on BBC and other news media.

 

[Barrie Youde]

Reports indicate that at two and a half miles off a lee shore she has managed to regain the use of one engine.

Let us hope.

 

[Stephen J. Card]

Yes, they are still evacuating the passengers, already 100 off. One engine running and now at anchor but they are going ahead to evacuate. One engine is enough to start the kettle and not much else. Stephen

 

[OilJiver]

A modestly sized vessel in comparison to many cruise ships in operation today. And perhaps of better design than many.

Multiple engine failure in poor weather might suggest a fuel problem. Whatever, now reported that one of her (4) propulsion engines re-started. Hope that’s correct.

Thoughts very much with all those having to deal with such an urgent situation right now.

 

[Harry Grainger]

Come on Steve give the Engineers a break. They have managed to get one engine started. For a number of hours according to "Global Marine Traffic" site she has been making over 3 knots and pulling away from the coast. She has a vulture, sorry tug in close proximity along with a couple of rig supply boats.
Still I must admit a frightening time for all on board, here's hoping for a happy ending.

 

[Pompeyfan]

The cargo ship that changed course to assist Viking Sky is reported in trouble herself with engine failure, listing, with nine crew being airlifted off.

 

[howardang]

Come on Steve give the Engineers a break. They have managed to get one engine started. For a number of hours according to "Global Marine Traffic" site she has been making over 3 knots and pulling away from the coast. She has a vulture, sorry tug in close proximity along with a couple of rig supply boats.
Still I must admit a frightening time for all on board, here's hoping for a happy ending.

The vulture crack is not called for. They are all doing their best to make people safe and I would have expected someone with a marine background to be thankful that such ships as tugs and supply vessels are able to come to the assistance of seafarers in trouble. Let's just hope that the situation is resolved with on more people hurt.

Howard

 

[tsell]

We have had a number of threads on the subject of the risk to passengers on these 'blocks of flats'. A few years ago, member Chillytoes posted this observation:

Old 3rd December 2013, 19:48
Chillytoes Chillytoes is offline
Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 172

Quote...
"I have just come home from a cruise on Sun Princess. Never again! The first day when emergency drill was carried out my feeling was "Too many people in each muster point." The numbers (about 500+) were realistically unmanageable. And a large number of passengers had to use walking sticks, zimmer frames or wheelchairs. Despite the fact that all passengers were told that it was a drill and that it would take place at a certain time, and that people began arriving at their muster stations at least 15 minutes or more before the allotted time, it still took more that 20 minutes to get the rest into the muster station. How can you cope with such a situation, not to mention the probable panic from the large number of hotel staff. And this was just to get to the muster stations. Getting all these people from there to a lifeboat doesn't bear thinking about. The passenger compliment for that vessel is 1900, far too many for me!
The above is only part of my extreme dissatisfaction with the cruise and the operators. Appalling!"
...End quote

I've had my share of extreme seas and I wonder how in this day the lives of passengers are put at risk by ship designers, whereby relatively modest seas - well, ok, they were a bit rough - were able to enter through window panes? Was this the cause of her list?
Fortunately, the ship was in a position where helicopters were able to reach her, but even so, panic aboard was reported. It doesn't bear thinking about if she was not.

... and now we learn:

https://keepcruisingworld.com/2019/...g-vessel-with-60-000-passengers-onboard.html/

G'day(Pint)...This is your Captain spickin': "Sheilas an' sprogs, please head to lifeboat stations - if the queues are not too long. Gentlemen, please occupy the bars. We will be supplying as much free grog as you can drink, as it may be a few days before we can abandon ship ourselves. Cheers - hic!(Pint)

Ever experienced one of these?:

Taff

 

[Barrie Youde]

#8

Brilliant, Taff.

It is good to see you back.

 

[Barrie Youde]

#7

Amen to that.

 

[Engine Serang]

I'll hold my wheesht until more details emerge but if a modern Norwegian flagged cruise ship has to send out a mayday the whole industry better pay attention.

 

[Barrie Youde]

#11

On her own coast, too.

 

[Engine Serang]

#5

When the crew and passengers saw the helicopters and other ships appearing over the horizon few would have said bloody hell that'll cost the P&I a pretty penny.

I have total admiration for the RNLI and its volunteers and all other "First Responders". Hope yyou are never waiting, with your lifejacket on, hoping a "Vulture" is coming to save you. I think you may have made a typing error.

 

[Basil]

. . . . .

Multiple engine failure in poor weather might suggest a fuel problem. Whatever, now reported that one of her (4) propulsion engines re-started. Hope that’s correct.

Thoughts very much with all those having to deal with such an urgent situation right now.

Sounds likely. Well done the engineers for getting the donks running again - Phew!

The insightful comment from Chillytoes and the news video of unsecured furniture (no turnbuckles) sliding around puts the whole thing into a perspective which I, as a freighter sailor, hadn't considered.

 

[tsell]

#8

Brilliant, Taff.

It is good to see you back.

Yes, it goes with my stunning good looks!!

Well, Barrie, in spite of your welcoming comments, which I really do appreciate, I'm not sure about the old site. Its degradation is spiralling out of control and the mods have shown no interest in reversing it. I wonder why?
I have had a great many emails and some PMs referring to Bob's well-written post on the Christchurch tragedy and many have copied me of some of the unbelievable bile that has emerged from a notable few of the posters. Not hard to see from their attention seeking that they were unloved and desperately seeking an arm around the shoulder from a like mind.
I posted my thoughts early in the piece and from what I am told, the juvenile vituperation has continued from those tossing out baits to get the decent adult members to bite. Ah well, it takes all kinds, I guess.
I was about to say, "Their mothers must love them." However, that's obviously not the case with some!

No doubt some of the 'unloved' will now use this thread to flex their puny muscles!!

Cheers, hope all is well with you, mate,

Taff

 

[Stephen J. Card]

Read this on www.

What caused VIKING SKY trouble and near-disaster? Was helicopters rescue justified?

Posted in Accidents by Mikhail Voytenko on Mar 24, 2019 at 08:04.


What caused VIKING SKY trouble and near-disaster? Was helicopters rescue justified?


Maritime Bulletin reader from Netherlands, Mr. Jan Verloop, shared with MB his version of VIKING SKY troubled engines, explaining how and why engines stalled. I believe his version to be very plausible:
Reading the current reports about the Viking Sky distress, I am reminded about the 2012 incident off Alaska when the drilling rig Kulluk ran ashore after its tug Aiviq suffering "engine problems". The Aiviq engines were OK but suffered from bad fuel, causing all 4 engines to stall. https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB1510.pdf
In both cases the vessels where fairly new and have a diesel-electric drive system. In both cases it was bad weather with a heavy rolling ship. My feeling is that fuel oil got mixed with available water, air and tank residue causing a foam type slurry that upsets fuel filters and centrifuges. Let's wait and see what the investigations will show

Was decision to evacuate passengers by helicopters a right one?
The ship dropped anchor or both anchors while disabled and drifting towards shore. Situation was very critical and absolutely unpredictable. If the crew failed to restart engines and stop drift, the ship could be pushed onto rocks, with hull breaches, water ingress and very high probability of sinking. Severe storm and high sea wouldn’t allow the use of lifeboats for evacuation. So rescuers were in very dire straits indeed, whether to launch highly dangerous airlift by helicopters, or wait and pray for lucky escape. I strongly believe, that the decision to launch evacuation by helicopters was justified, right, and responsible.
With all that said, I can’t but admire Norwegian Rescue helicopters teams professional skills, and outstanding bravery.


END.


I'm not sure. The ship was only a day at sea from the previous port. Might have been in heavy weather, but would have had stabilizers on, so the heavy rolling condition would be much reduced? In that case the 'mixing' of bunker oil with water & air should not have caused the engines to fail?

The video clips on the news. No.1 Passengers sitting up in the highest location. Didn't someone not tell then to go down below and stay in their effin' seats? Stupidity. No. 2 'Window pane' broke and water got in. Looks like a window out on deck. Not broken by the weather, but broken by all the gear, chairs, planter etc that were rolling about the place.

Stephen

 

[callpor]

The AIS plot whilst immobilised and drifting shows that she came within 2 miles of the coast and a whisker away from grounding. Getting that first engine running was a very close call? This is what you call a "near-miss"?
It must have been terrifying for the passengers.

 

[callpor]

On one of the many Viking Sky threads on LinkedIn, Michael Lloyd posted an interesting comment:-
"I thought that these ships were supposed to evacuate their passengers and crew in 30 minutes without shore assistance. That is what the classification society has passed the ship as being capable of. Seems like that there was a small error. Anyway, all is well as the IMO says that the ship is the best lifeboat. If that is so why are they evacuating?"
Let's just be thankful they got the motors going again and should now be able to berth somewhere safely.

 

[duquesa]

Viking Sky Emergency

While steering clear of all forms of criticism regarding cruise ships and engines, I would simply like to say that, even with the huge offshore industry in that locality, I am impressed by the various highly capable "bits of kit" that are nearby to assist when and if called upon. The cruise vessel appears to be now in a safer situation unlike the "Hagland Captain" that went to her aid. Let us hope that she too will benefit from the resources on hand. These are not "vultures" but merely seafarers doing their professional best to help their unfortunate fellows. (Applause)

 

[Stephen J. Card]

The AIS plot whilst immobilised and drifting shows that she came within 2 miles of the coast and a whisker away from grounding. Getting that first engine running was a very close call? This is what you call a "near-miss"?
It must have been terrifying for the passengers.

The master made the correct call.... get them off as quick as possible. At the end the boats would have been lethal and if you got into a raft you would have been blown ashore.

Stephen