Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Johan-Hjort

On January 14, 2026, a smoke incident was reported aboard the 'Johan Fjort' while docked in Tromsø-Breivika, positioned at 69° 41' N 018° 60' E. All 16 crew members were safely taken off the vessel without sustaining any injuries. The local fire department responded promptly at 5:40 p.m., deploying four smoke divers alongside two crew members to investigate the source of the smoke, which appeared to originate from the ship's electrical system. Fortunately, no open flames were detected. Following a report of rising temperatures, authorities from the police department, in collaboration with the Port of Tromsø, promptly cut power to the ship to prevent further escalation. Fire crews spent significant time searching for the root cause of the smoke, ultimately ruling out the battery room as the source, identifying instead an adjacent space. By 6:20 p.m., responders had brought the situation under control, and a fire watch was established to ensure temperatures remained stable, according to Hanssen. For further details and photos, visit: https://www.nordlys.no/roykutvikling-pa-bat-i-breivika/s/5-34-2273639

In a dramatic turn of events on October 28, 2011, at 4:24 a.m., the Rescue Coordination Centre in Southern Norway was alerted to a perilous situation involving the research vessel ‘Johan Hjort.’ With 25 crew members on board, the ship encountered a complete power failure, jeopardizing its safety off the Alden Island, located near Askvoll. At one point, the vessel drifted perilously close to the shoreline, just 250 meters away, before the crew managed to deploy the anchor to stabilize the situation. In a stroke of luck, two Norwegian Navy frigates, the ‘Thor Heyerdahl’ and ‘Helge Ingstad,’ were on their way to Håkonsvern and were a mere half-hour from the distressed ship. Quickly responding to the emergency, the frigates set course for the ‘Johan Hjort’ to offer assistance. As dawn broke, the ‘Thor Heyerdahl’ took over towing duties, steering the beleaguered vessel towards safety in Bergen. For further details and visuals of the rescue operation, you can check out the Norwegian news report: http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_sogn_og_fjordane/1.7852914.