Working Conditions Aboard the Lovund

On October 4, 2015, at approximately 7:15 PM, the ferry 'Lovund', which operates on the Stokkvågen-Lovund route, encountered a critical rudder failure while navigating through Eikstokk Sound. The vessel subsequently ran aground in North-Solvær, carrying a total of 26 individuals, including 10 crew members. To assist in the emergency, the express boat 'Helgeland', which was docked nearby, promptly approached and successfully pulled the 'Lovund' off the grounding site. By 8:05 PM, the ferry was able to navigate back to the ferry pier at Sleneset using its own thrusters, where 16 passengers disembarked safely. The 'Lovund' remained at the pier until it could undergo inspection by a diver or be towed to a shipyard for further evaluation. In response to the incident, a Sea King rescue helicopter was dispatched from Bodø, while the lifeboat 'Uni Helgeland' from Brønnøysund was deployed but later stood down once the situation was stabilized. To replace the 'Lovund', Boreal Transport Nord introduced the ferry 'Lurøy' (IMO: 9221047) either late on the evening of October 5 or early on October 6. For comprehensive coverage with photos and videos, refer to the following Norwegian news reports: http://www.an.no/passasjerene-evakuert/s/5-4-187089, http://www.hblad.no/lovund-tok-seg-til-land-etter-grunnstoting/s/5-23-17246, and http://www.ranablad.no/nyheter/ferge/luroy/grunnstott-ferge-greide-a-ta-seg-inn-til-fergeleie-for-egen-maskin/s/5-42-107029.

The ferry 'Lovund' has officially resumed its operational duties, embarking on its first journey to Lurøybassenget from Stokkvågen at 7:30 p.m. on April 15. This comes after an extensive repair process following its grounding incident on March 20. The repair work was expertly completed at Westcon Helgeland, located in Langsetvågen, Nesna. With the 'Lovund' back in service, the interim ferry 'Storvågan' has now been returned to Boreal Transport Nord. For more details and photos, visit the Norwegian report: http://www.ranablad.no/nyheter/article7299176.ece.

On the evening of March 20, 2014, at approximately 8:45 p.m., the ferry "Lovund" encountered treacherous weather while navigating from Onøy to Stokkvågen and ran aground in Stig Sound. Fortunately, the vessel did not sustain water ingress, though it did incur damage to its bow thruster. At the time of the incident, there were no passengers aboard, only a dedicated crew of nine, all of whom escaped unscathed. The emergency response was swift, with a distress call triggering support from multiple vessels. Among those that assisted were the ferry "Lurøy," the Norwegian Coastguard patrol boat "Heimdal," and the tugboat "Nautilus." Thanks to their combined efforts, the situation was effectively managed. Following the incident, the "Lovund" was towed to Sandnessjøen for thorough inspections and assessments. Meanwhile, Boreal, the operator, deployed the ferry "Lurøy" to continue servicing the crucial route from Onøy to Stokkvågen.