After listing heavily in heavy seas in the Skagerrak on Saturday evening, trawler Vestfjord is now alongside in Farsund, and a technical team is travelling from Hirtshals to attempt to restart the trawler’s engine tomorrow.
The problems began when the 26-metre Vestfjord began taking on water that accumulated on the factory deck, resulting in a heavy list to starboard. According to skipper Óskar Halldórsson, the water was shoulder-deep and a hatchway was opened to allow it to drain into the engine room. This righted the list, but in wave heights of three to four metres, this was a gravely serious situation.
A rescue helicopter arrived on the scene, evacuating two of the crew and delivering pumps that made it possible to stabilise the amount of water on board as tug FFS Arion arrived. The original plan was to tow the disabled Vestfjord to Hirtshals, but considering the conditions, the decision was made to take the shorter distance to Farsund.
The two remaining crew on board Vestfjord finally were able to set foot on dry land on Sunday afternoon.
‘Now we have to find a hotel, and then we’ll have one or two large burgers. We are tired and cold,’ Óskar Halldórsson said.
Today (Monday) the opening in Vestfjord’s side is scheduled to be sealed, and the remaining water in the engine room and factory deck drained.
’Our people will arrive in Farsund on Monday afternoon. Then we’ll see if it’s possible to start the engine,’ said Vestkajen Maskinværksted general manager Morten Mikkelsen, speaking to Fiskerimasinet.
The Vestkajen staff are already familiar with Vestfjord, as they installed its main engine in 2011 when the trawler was Hunter, owned by Carl Aamodt. At the time the trawler suffered damage at the quayside that resulted in a substantial intake of water to the engine room and interior, including the crew areas. Vestkajen Maskinværksted carried out a major refit at the time.
Vestfjord has had a chequered history in recent years, with a great deal of investment going into a big refit, followed by a number of setbacks, time lost getting approvals and certificates, and problems with the winches that took time to be fixed.
But despite the setbacks, Óskar Halldórsson is optimistic.
’I’m banking on a rapid comeback,’ he said.
