The captain of Mein Schiff 4, operated by TUI Cruises, is under investigation for allegedly navigating through a restricted area in the Fehmarn Belt, a waterway that separates Fehmarn Island from the Danish Lolland Island.
This incident could lead to serious repercussions, including criminal charges of negligence against the captain and the ship’s first officer. Although guests were unaware of the incident, the risks were significant as Mein Schiff 4 sailed close to an operational dredging ship. On September 5, at around 10 PM local time, the 99,526 gross tons German cruise ship was en route from Kiel, Germany, to Gdynia, Poland when it entered a restricted zone.
As per the reports from the local police, the ship navigated through an area that was designated for the dredging vessel Manta. The Manta vessel is presently engaged in the construction of a Baltic Sea tunnel connecting Germany and Denmark. The vessel came perilously near to the crew that was dredging, getting as close as about 150 meters. The dredging vessel has a safety radius of 926 meters surrounding it.
Avoided the worst
The consequences of this incident could have been much worse. Not only is it dangerous to sail too close to a dredging vessel due to its submerged equipment, but the crew of the dredger had to release their anchor chains to avoid a direct collision. A police spokesperson stated that the crew “released their anchor chains, allowing the cruise ship to pass safely” after recognizing the danger.
The captain and first officer are facing criminal charges for allegedly negligently endangering maritime traffic, which could result in a fine and up to two years in prison. Investigators are focusing on reconstructing the ship’s route to determine if there was any deviation from the planned course.
Buoys emitting signals typically mark restricted areas such as construction zones for the Denmark-Germany tunnel, and captains receive real-time updates to avoid them.
