Hurtigruten's MS Maud strikes trouble in the North Sea

#expeditioncruising . 

MS Maud (file image)

Expedition Cruising is not without its risks and Hurtigruten's MS Maud, (formerly MS Midnatsol) struck trouble on a recent voyage when it struck a fierce North Sea storm approximately 200 miles east of the UK and 120 miles west of Denmark

As reported in Maritime Executive, the 16,151 gross ton MS Maud (IMO 9247728) initially lost power when waves broke the bridge windows allowing seawater to wash through the bridge causing the failure of various electrical equipment.

Passengers were mustered to emergency stations and instructed to put on survival suits. One passenger says they were kept in survival suits and life jackets for nearly four hours. One motor was apparently restarted but the ship's navigational systems and radar were rendered inoperative.

After considerable effort and skill on the part of both the Hurtigruten crew and Danish rescue authorities, a towline was eventually established with the rescue vessels from ESVAGT, a private Danish firm providing emergency rescue and response vessels.

Despite the excitement, passengers praised the actions of the crew but also reported extensive damage to the ship.

The 20-year-old ship was built for Hurtigruten’s Norwegian coastal service, refurbished in 2021 and converted to expedition cruise operation, today known as HX. The company confirmed a planned December 23 cruise from the UK for 13 nights to Norway was cancelled.