An autopilot failure caused a new ferry full of passengers to strike the bottom of the Baltic Sea causing hull damage. Ferry Tiiu, which entered service this year, struck the seabed on 28 July when the automatic steering system was engaged, causing passengers to panic, according to local reports.
The ship, which was built in Turkey for operator TS Laevad, was en route from Rohuküla, Estonia to Heltermaa on the island of Hiiumaa. After turning on the Rukkirahu channel, it veered to starboard when on autopilot. A senior officer on watch attempted to change the ship’s course away from the grounding danger using the automatic steering wheel, but was not initially able to so.
According to the local report, the officer tried turning off the autopilot and the emergency stops. The automatic steering finally turned off, but this was too late to prevent Tiiu’s hull bottom hitting the seabed. The ship temporarily listed, jolting passengers from the blow and then regained its balance and touched the seafloor a second time.
The captain was roused from his cabin to the bridge and there was concern and panic among the passengers, according to the Estonian report. Tiiu was returned to Rohuküla. An inspection of the hull found damage to the bow that means the 114 m long ferry is out of action for drydock repairs for one and a half months.
An initial investigation into the accident showed that there may have been a technical malfunction in which the ship’s control system refused to respond. Tiiu entered service on the Rohukula-Heltermaa route in the middle of April. It can accommodate 150 cars and 12 lorries and has seats for 500 passengers on two decks, while it carries rescue equipment for 700 passengers.
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.