The North Sea voyage of a cruise ship encounters navigational challenges.
A voyage ship with hundreds of travelers aboard experiences an unexpected blackout while sailing within the North Sea, causing it to lose control and drift. As per news reports, the issue can be traced back to a power malfunction on the vessel, referred to as the "Funny Girl." This ship was en route from Helgoland, Germany's only offshore island, towards Büsum when the blackout occurred.
Two tugboats are reportedly in transit to offer assistance in towing the "Funny Girl" to a port. The precise location of where the vessel will be docked remains unclear. When contacted, the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) responded that they had not been summoned for aid.
All's well aboard?
A representative from the Elbe-North Sea Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) later stated that the cruise company had engaged private tugboats to pull the "Funny Girl" to safety. No official tugboats are involved, according to the information made available. In accordance with Marinetraffic's data, tugboats have already reached the excursion vessel.
According to "Bild," the stranded ship is situated about ten nautical miles east of Helgoland in German waters. The "Funny Girl" encountered difficulties due to failure of the on-board electric generators. "Hamburger Abendblatt" suggests that a switchboard malfunction in the engine room's electricity distribution caused the failure of both main generators and the subsequent cooling system, thereby affecting the engines themselves. Unfortunately, the emergency generator was unable to supply energy to the network, according to the report.
Regardless of the predicament, the newspaper "Bild" reported that there posed no threat to the passengers or crew members. In the afternoon, the captain of the "Funny Girl" declared that spirits aboard remained high.
The European Union's maritime safety agencies were not required to intervene in the incident involving the "Funny Girl," as stated by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS). The stranded vessel, which is currently drifting within German waters, is being assisted by private tugboats hired by the cruise company.
Despite the ship's predicament, the European Union's environmental agencies might be concerned about potential environmental impact due to the vessel's unconscious drift within the North Sea.
