The German passenger/cargo RoRo ‘Saaremaa’ collided with the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Curaçao Pearl on 27 March at the German port of Cuxhaven. The passenger vessel was scheduled to leave Germany for Canada shortly after.
At the time of the incident, the 5,233 gt Saaremaa was on sea trials in Cuxhaven, before leaving for for Canada in order to serve the route Matane in the Gaspé region and Baie-Comeau and Godbout on Quebec’s north shore. The vessel had left Hamburg on March 13th after being docked for several months.
During sea trials, it was caught by currents and hit against the anchored bulk carrier, which had been berthed at Steubenhöft in Cuxhaven since March 21st. Saaremaa sustained damage on its starboard side foreship.
Meanwhile, Canadian media report Quebec’s ferry service seems cursed, as the Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ) needed a ferry to replace the NM Felix-Adrien Gauthier, which has been dry docked since December for repairs to its propeller system.
On 8 January, the STQ brought the C.T.M.A. Vacancier as a temporary replacement for the F.-A. Gauthier. But that ferry had to be returned to service its usual route in the Magdalen islands on 1st February.
Then the government purchased the NM Apollo, which crashed into dock in Godbout, shortly after beginning service in January.
As such, members of STQ traveled to Germany to inspect the Saaremaa, according to Radio Canada.
