Dutch sailing ship ran aground off Norway with 14 teenagers on board
A Dutch sailing boat with 26 people, including teenagers, ran aground off a Norwegian coast, a Norwegian broadcaster said. NRK report.
The 46-metre-long ship Noorderlicht was caught in a snowstorm and arrived near Rugholmen, a small island north of Trondheim, at 2:30 am on Thursday.
The rescue party was able to safely disembark everyone, leaving only the captain and his companions. They wait for the ship to be towed, but it may take longer due to worsening weather conditions.
Noorderlicht is a former beacon ship used in the Baltic from 1910 to 1963 and owned by Akkrum’s Swan Expeditions, which organizes educational trips for schools.
The captain blamed the crew for the accident, NRK said. statement Swan Expeditions said on Facebook that the cause is still under investigation.
The company said it hoped that “the atmosphere between passengers and students is good” and that travel to Spitsbergen could resume soon.
This isn’t the first time a trip in Noorderlicht has been interrupted. Last year we had to send it to Lisbon for repairs due to a broken rudder. The teenagers on board continued their lessons on dry land before setting sail for the Caribbean.
https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2023/03/dutch-sailing-ship-stranded-off-norwegian-coast-with-14-teenagers-on-board/ Dutch sailing ship ran aground off Norway with 14 teenagers on board