C8/2001M Passenger Vessel ms MARINA, Grounding at Bengtskär Lighthouse on 12.8.2001
Small passenger vessel MARINA which carries out passenger traffic in summertime from Hanko harbour to Bengtskär lighthouse had problems when trying to land in the destination on August 12th 2001. The ship carried 67 passengers and a crew of two. When landing the wind speed was 10 m/s and the waves were growing fast.
When the deck hand was about to throw the mooring rope in the narrow landing place the bow of MARINA started to drift away. The master interrupted the mooring and started to back to open water. Immediately two light and one heavy impacts were felt. The rudder jammed in hardover position to starboard. The master succeeded in getting the ship out of the narrow sound.
Due to the rudder damage MARINA had only limited manoeuvrability and she started drifting with the wind. Another passenger vessel succeeded in getting the MARINA to tow and she was towed to the lee of a nearby island. Part of the passengers were later evacuated to a SAR cruiser which also towed MARINA to a jetty in the archipelago.