Overheating forces Havila Voyages to evacuate Polaris in Stranda
Passengers and crew onboard Havila Voyages’ Havila Polaris were forced to evacuate on Wednesday (24 July) after the ship experienced a mechanical issue
The vessel was off Stranda on its way into the Geirangerfjord on a northbound route and at around 1pm, overheating was reported in the propulsion system on the port side.
The line confirmed there had been no outbreak of fire onboard, but “significant” overheating triggered cooling and foam spraying in the affected areas.
Havila Polaris had 397 passengers onboard in addition to a crew of 68. The ship docked at Stranda under its own power, where all passengers and crew were evacuated for safety reasons.
No passenger injuries were reported, but two crew members were checked by medical personnel on land for suspected smoke inhalation.
Around two hours after stopping, Polaris received temporary sailing permission from DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and the Norwegian Maritime Authority to sail back to Ålesund where it docked at Storneskaia.
“We never compromise on safety and would never sail back to Ålesund unless it was safe for passengers and crew,” said CEO Bent Martini.
“It is, of course, unfortunate that we had an incident onboard, but as we see it, the crew has handled the situation as well as possible and prevented more significant damage to the ship.”
Havila Voyages to provide more information in due course
Passengers will be able to stay on the ship in Ålesund, and Havila Voyages will provide more information about the next steps once the extent of the damage is clarified and further plans are made.
“It is important for us to get a complete overview of the damage and how this affects future operations. We need some time for this, in cooperation with our suppliers,” added Martini.
Earlier this year, the line had to cancel a sailing on board Havila Pollux after an “unforeseen malfunction” was discovered with the vessel’s motor.
