On the night of 21st September Minoan Grimaldi Lines’ 46,119gt/2007 built Europalink (above) ran onto rocks off the islet of Peristeres northeast of Corfu when operating Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona.
There were 692 passengers, 70 crew and 366 cars aboard when the incident occurred at around 0200. The Italian-flagged ferry sustained damage to her starboard side with the impact causing two large and several smaller cracks. The hull was breached and, with tug assistance, the Europalink was freed, turned and assisted in to the Corfu port of Kerkira. The ship was listing to starboard with passengers and crew evacuated once safely in port.

The vessel was detained, stabilised and unloaded with traffic and passengers later transferred onwards aboard ships such as the 54,310gt/2009 built Cruise Europa. Overnight accommodation was also provided ashore at the expense of Minoan Lines. The Master and Chief Officer were arrested and later released after being questioned. Both faced charges for causing a collision inadvertently and placing passengers’ lives in danger. The 214m long Europalink was held in port by authorities until repairs could be completed.

That same day the HH Ferries Superflex class Mercandia IV (above) slammed into her berth at Helsingborg at around 21.00 with 124 passengers and 19 crewmembers aboard. The impact resulted in a hole on the bow’s starboard side plus one passenger and one member of the crew were reported to have been injured and taken to a local hospital. The bow doors were jammed so the Mercandia IV was turned to unload over the opposite end of this double-ended ferry. The Captain had realised that the ship was not responding to being slowed and the passengers were warned of an impact. The 4,511gt/1989 built ship was later removed to a shipyard for inspection and repairs.