Norwegian owner Ostensjo Rederi has told how it sent the first tug to the scene of the stranded cruiseship Viking Sky in a storm off Norway on Saturday.
The 48,000-gt Viking Ocean Cruises vessel (built 2017) was carrying more than 1,300 passengers when it got into difficulty off the west coast.
Ostensjo said its 500-gt tug Vivax (built 2008) was in port at Nautneset following a tanker call at the gas terminal at Nyhamna.
It quickly started up its engines and headed to the scene.
The journey took 90 minutes with a crew of four.
Vivax tried to connect to Viking Sky, but failed due to the extreme weather conditions.
"The cruiseship had its anchor out, and one engine running when agreeing with the master pilot to stand down and just stay in the area as a safety [precaution] until the weather calmed," Ostensjo said.
"They stayed all night. Sunday morning, the weather had calmed, and Vivax was able to connect to the vessel’s stern.
"Eventually, the cruiseship managed to start all engines and Vivax, along with the emergency response vessel Ocean Response, started on the voyage towards Molde."
The vessel reached Molde on Sunday afternoon, more than a day after issuing a mayday call.
"We are proud to have been a vital part of the rescue operation. Our crew and vessel performed excellently. We are glad no lives were lost in the incident," said Ostensjo's fleet manager of towage, Sveinung Zahl.
"It is a special sight, with the little blue tug boat in the frigid waters next to the enormous cruiseship. But we have an experienced crew and well-equipped vessels – they are made for conditions like this. However, we never compromise on safety."
