English language newspaper for Ibiza, published and online every week.

Front Page News

ON THE ROCKS
Last Wednesday the Maverick Dos ferry, operated by Baleària, ran aground on the rocks at sa Torreta, close to the larger island of s’Espalmador. On board were 21 passengers and a crew of six, although the ferry is licensed to carry 356. After the collision, which took place at just after 7.30 p.m., the vessel was left literally ‘on the rocks’. Two search and rescue boats and a helicopter were sent to the scene; one of the rescue vessels lowered a Zodiac in to the water, and the passengers and crew were painstakingly transferred to the larger craft. They left the ferry via a step ladder and had to walk across the rough terrain before boarding the Zodiac, with the water up to their waists. The helicopter remained hovering near the scene of the incident in case anyone required urgent medical attention, but fortunately was not needed. Almost four hours later the shipwrecked travellers were taken to the port of la Savina in Formentera, although the captain and his first officer remained on board. In the end only one young woman needed hospital treatment for whiplash, cuts and bruises. The President of the Formentera Consell, Jaume Ferrer, and Councillor Silvia Tur were at the dockside to receive first hand information about the incident and check on the welfare of the travellers. Baleària later announced it would be launching an inquiry into the causes of the accident.
The following morning a few slicks of fuel could be seen floating near the shipwrecked catamaran, but later inspection showed there was no danger of a large amount of fuel leaking into the sea in this heavily protected natural area, which is part of the Es Freus Natural Park. The Maverick Dos has two fuel tanks containing 4,200 litres each, which meant there could potentially be up to 8,400 litres of fuel which could contaminate the environment. The ferry measures almost 40 metres in length and is 9.5 metres wide.
The Harbour Master’s office ordered Baleària to remove any liquids which could cause contamination, not just the fuel, before any attempt is made to refloat her. They also explained that ships’ captains are issued with a strict route (like a highway in the sea) which must be adhered to, and that the Maverick Dos should not have been so close to the small island. An extensive investigation will determine whether the accident was due to mechanical failure or human error.
The following day Baleària kept to its scheduled timetable, using the Nixe and Maverick Uno, an identical craft to the one which suffered the accident. The Nixe was due to be overhauled in the near future but this will be postponed until a later date.
Baleària issued a press release at the end of the week, stating that it had been in contact with various different salvage companies as to the best method of refloating the stricken vessel. The Harbour Master’s office has given them until Friday, the 24th, to present a viable plan, although the ferry company indicated that it hoped to be able to present one in the next few days. The task of removing all possible contaminants continued over the weekend with Baleària confirming it had already submitted all the necessary documentation to the Harbour Master’s office.