Ferry strikes pier in Denmark's Ronne Port

Danish news outlets report that a passenger ferry struck a pier shortly after its departure from the Port of Rønne on Denmark's Bornholm Island on Monday, November 25.

Express 5, a 2023-built catamaran Ro-Pax ferry operated by local transport company Bornholmslinjen, was about to depart on a scheduled voyage to the Swedish town of Ystad when its bow struck the Port of Rønne's inner pier shortly after 20:30 local time on Monday.

The impact left multiple dents and scratches just above the waterline, though no serious damage or injuries have been reported. As a precaution, the vessel's scheduled trips over the next few days have been cancelled to permit an inspection of the hull and any repairs to be undertaken.

Representatives from classification society DNV have since arrived in Rønne to inspect the hull. Another Molslinjen ferry will temporarily serve the Rønne-Ystad route while Express 5 is temporarily out of service.

Monday's pier strike is the third accident involving Express 5 since it was handed over in 2023.

On May 27 of that year, less than a month after it sailed on its maiden operational voyage, the ferry suffered slight hull damage during a berthing attempt at Ystad. The individual who was the captain at the time has been charged with negligence for operating the vessel at high speed, thus preventing it from manoeuvring to avoid colliding with a moored barge.

On June 8 of this year, the ferry was at berth in Ystad when a sudden strong gust of wind caused it to break free of its moorings and drift towards and strike a nearby quay. This incident was traced to a failure of the tension winch that kept the vessel tied to the berth.