Over 100 Passengers Stranded After Condor Ferries Vessel Hits Harbour Wall

A Condor Ferries vessel collided with a harbour wall while entering St Helier, leaving more than 100 people stranded overnight in Jersey.

The Condor Islander, travelling from Portsmouth to Guernsey, made “light contact” with the Elizabeth East Berth wall on Wednesday, July 3, due to heavy winds.

There were no reported injuries.

The incident occurred when the vessel’s starboard side scraped the Elizabeth East Berth while docking.

Ports of Jersey verified the damage, claiming that the Condor Islander made contact with it while docking.

The extent of the damage to the East Berth is still being examined.

Engineers inspected the ship’s damage overnight, and the vessel proceeded to Guernsey before returning to Portsmouth the following day.

Meanwhile, Condor Ferries arranged hotel rooms for the stranded passengers, including 53 schoolchildren and six teachers.

Some passengers were frustrated with Condor Ferries’ lack of communication.

One passenger told ITV News that more communication was needed and that they were not informed about the situation or how long it would take.

The ship was supposed to sail at 7:15 p.m., but the passengers were told that the vessel would leave at 9:15 p.m., and there was a rush to arrange accommodations.

Marcus Calvani, the head of the Jersey Hospitality Association, stated that customers were accommodated in about 20 minutes on Wednesday evening.

Condor Ferries apologized for the inconvenience, saying that the Condor regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers.

The Ports of Jersey are currently analyzing the damage to the east berth.

Freight shipments were rerouted to other vessels in the fleet to ensure uninterrupted operation.

This incident comes shortly after discussions in March about a proposed undersea tunnel between France and the Channel Islands.

The multibillion-pound proposal might take ten years to complete.

It would feature shuttle trains connecting St Peter Port, Jersey Airport, and Saint Helier, potentially lowering travel time between Jersey and Guernsey to 15 minutes.

Despite the inconvenience and initial communication challenges, Condor Ferries accommodated all affected passengers and continued to operate.

The ongoing assessment of the damage to the Elizabeth East Berth will ultimately determine future docking operations in St Helier Harbour.

Reference: Independent, ITV

Over 100 Passengers Stranded After Condor Ferries Vessel Hits Harbour Wall appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News