Corona-Sea Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On December 4, 2013, a significant fire broke out on the 'Corona Seaways' while it was navigating near Helsingborg, as determined by the British Commission of Inquiry's investigation. The blaze was traced back to the starter of a truck that had been acquired from a scrap trader in Jutland, en route to Lithuania. This particular truck had been idle for a year, necessitating the installation of a temporary battery to facilitate its boarding onto the vessel. Fire rescue teams from northwest Skåne battled the flames for nearly an entire day at the Skåne terminal in Helsingborg. When the 'Corona Seaways' departed from Fredericia, everything appeared to be standard for its journey to Klaipeda. However, just five hours into the voyage, a fire alert was triggered. The crew valiantly attempted to manage the blaze for four hours until local firefighters arrived in Helsingborg to assist in extinguishing the fire. Complications arose as the ship's internal fire suppression system was not entirely effective due to partially sealed ventilation slots. Moreover, there was a delay of five minutes in activating the system while a fitter was suspected to be onboard in the car deck area. Once located, the suppression system was engaged, which led to an improvement in the situation, but the fire was not completely extinguished. Therefore, the ship diverted to Helsingborg where emergency services were on standby to fully address the fire. In the aftermath of this incident, the ship's owner implemented stricter safety protocols for managing used vehicles that have not undergone inspections before loading. For instance, all battery cables are now disconnected prior to departure. The British Commission of Inquiry remarked that the incident was handled with professionalism by both the crew and the shore-based emergency responders. Damage assessments indicated that the fire primarily affected the area above the incident, necessitating the replacement of approximately 15 square meters of steel, along with additional repairs to steel structures and electrical wiring. Furthermore, three vehicles and six trailers were damaged in the blaze. For a detailed report, complete with photos and videos, visit [Swedish report](http://hd.se/skane/2014/09/25/startmotor-orsakade-fartygsbrand/).

A fire ignited aboard the DFDS ferry Corona Seaways, measuring 25,600 gross tonnes and launched in 2008, due to a malfunctioning truck ignition system, as reported by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). The incident took place on December 4th, while the ferry navigated the waters of the Kattegat, en route from Fredericia to Copenhagen. Crew members swiftly responded to the emergency by mustering, closing ventilation louvres, and implementing boundary cooling measures, while also deploying the ship's fixed CO2 fire-extinguishing system. Although smoke continued to emanate from the louvres, the situation was effectively managed as steady temperatures near the fire indicated that the CO2 system was working as intended. After four hours of firefighting efforts, the ship reached the Swedish port of Helsingborg. The fire caused minor structural damage and affected certain electrical components. While three vehicles and six trailers sustained severe fire damage, additional vehicles endured minor thermal damage. In light of this incident, recommendations were issued to the management company to update onboard protocols in accordance with new procedures for transporting used and unregistered vehicles.

On December 13, the ferry 'Athena Seaways' made its way to Fredericia, Denmark, to temporarily take over operations on the Fredericia - Klaipeda route. This replacement comes as the 'Corona Seaways' is undergoing necessary repairs for fire damage at a shipyard in Landskrona. The 'Athena Seaways,' which was en route from the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea, is set to serve DFDS until December 19, ensuring uninterrupted service for travelers during the repair period.