The Viking Sky, 47,800 GT, 930 passengers and ~470 crew, went into service in 2017. The ship is powered by four MAN 32/44CR diesel engines, rated at a total of 23,520 kilowatts (31,540 hp), which can propel the ship at 20 knots km. On Saturday 23 March 2019, she was traveling from Tromsø to Stavanger, Norway with about 1,300 aboard.
A total of 1,373 people were onboard the ship, Viking Cruise officials told BuzzFeed News, including 915 guests and 458 crew. - Viking Ocean Cruises c/o Buzzfeed
At approximately 1400 local time in the area just off the coast of Norway known as Hustadvika just off the coast between Molde and Kristiansund, an area known for storms and an inhospitable rocky coast, the ship lost all motive power. Norway's sea rescue agency said the MV Viking Sky sent out a distress signal amid 6-8 meter high waves and strong winds. Two sea rescue rescue vessels had to abandon their rescue attempt. Sea conditions were too rough to launch the Viking Sky’s lifeboats, and other ships could not approach the ship to assist.
Five helicopters were dispatched to evacuate passengers to Molde, though two had to be diverted to rescue the nine crew members of the freighter
Hagland Captain as it also ran into difficulties.
Viking Sky has managed to restart one (of four) engine and has managed to drop at least one anchor. Passengers continue being evacuated through the night, by winching each passenger one at a time into helicopters and being flown to Molde. Approximately 100 had been evacuated by 1800 local time. Passengers interviewed indicated it was harrowing to be rescued by being lifted into a helicopters in high winds.
Eight passengers are said to have injuries.
I’m “curious” about how a virtually brand new ship, with a propulsion system Viking has bragged about as being among the most modern technology, can all pack it in for hours at a time, with no ability to restart until one engine is started much later? This ship came as close as 2,000 meters from rock shoals and a rocky coast!
I’m seriously curious, because this also happened to us on September 7, 2018, aboard Windstar Cruises in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. Thank goodness, this did not happen while we were in a storm between Greenland and Labrador, because we were unreachable by rescue vessels and out of range of aerial assistance.
According to a statement from Seattle-based Windstar Cruises, the engine systems for the Star Pride ship “experienced a loss of cooling water” at about 3 p.m, which caused an automatic shutdown of the propulsion and auxiliary engines.
Power was restored by 5:30 p.m. and the ship’s propulsion was returned to normal, according to the company. As of 6:40 p.m., it was anchored in calm seas.
Initially, the ship was allowed to intentionally drift in the bay so it would not harm marine life, according to Windstar. -Boston Globe
Several interviews I gave ended up in the media, ranging from the Wall Street Journal to local television stations, as we were within cellular phone range and a relative of mine had contacted the media to determine if we were okay.
HOW CAN A SHIP LOSE ALL ENGINES and be adrift for hours with no control? I asked if there was no alternative source of cooling water that could have been used, but nobody has been able or willing to answer me.
I was happy to learn Windstar will have the elderly Star Pride, Star Breeze and Star Legend re-engined and stretched by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri - until I learned Viking Sky was built by Fincantieri!
