The Baldur ferry from Breiðafjörður has been drifting outside Stykkishólmur Harbor since yesterday afternoon after its engine failed halfway between Flatey and Stykkishólmur, according to Skessuhorn. About 20 passengers, a crew of eight, six cars and several trucks with 80 tons of salmon were stuck on board overnight in strong winds and high waves. The ferry has been towed towards the port of Stykkishólmur and as soon as the weather improves, the tugboat Fönix will bring the ferry back to the port.
The ferry’s engine failed yesterday at half past two in the afternoon. An anchor was dropped to prevent drifting. The Icelandic coastguard vessel Þór and the research vessel Árni Friðriksson were directed to the site of the accident. Shortly after six, Baldur was connected to Árni Friðriksson by ropes and was ready to be towed to Stykkishólmur. The weather conditions were difficult, the wind was blowing at a speed of 18 m / s. Both Þór and Árni Friðriksson are too big to tow the ferry to the port.
Passengers stayed on board the ferry through the night. One of them, Einar Sveinn Ólafsson, told RÚV that the night was a nightmare. “Everything was flying around, people were seasick and terrified. Things got better after the shuttle turned over. “ According to Einar, the crew coped well with the situation and looked after the passengers.
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The tugboat Fönix will tow the ferry to the port as soon as the weather permits.
In addition, the road through Klettsháls has been closed due to weather. A ferry crash with a road closed is particularly unfortunate as it hinders transportation to and from the Westfjords. It affects both deliveries to grocery stores in the area and the shipment of salmon from fish farms. The engine appears to have suffered the same failure as last summer, when Baldur was out of service for several weeks. The municipality of Tálknafjörður has issued a statement criticizing the state of transport to the Westfjords, road conditions, as well as the age and condition of the ferry serving this route.
Source: Yle
