MS Jan Heweliusz

MS Jan Heweliusz was a Polish ferry named after astronomer Johannes Hevelius (Polish: Jan Heweliusz) that served on the route Ystad-Świnoujście. It was built in Norway in 1977 and was owned by Polish Ocean Lines and operated by its subsidiary company Euroafrica Shipping Lines. In the early hours of January 14th 1993 it capsized and sank in 27 metres of water off Cape Arcona on the coast of Rügen in the Baltic Sea while sailing toward Ystad with 64 passengers and crew.[1] The accident claimed the lives of 20 crewmen and 35 passengers. 10 bodies were never found. 9 people were rescued. The sinking of Jan Heweliusz is the most deadly peacetime maritime disaster involving a Polish ship.[1]

MS Jan Heweliusz in 1986, damaged after a fire
History
Poland
Name: MS Jan Heweliusz
Owner: Polish Ocean Lines (PLO_
Operator: Euroafrica Shipping Lines
Builder: Trosvik Verksted A/S
Completed: 1977
In service: July 1977
Out of service: 14 January 1993
Identification: IMO number: 7527904 Callsign: SQIK
Fate: Sunk in the Baltic Sea on January 14, 1993.
Status: Sunk
General characteristics M/S Jan Heweliusz
Class and type: RoRo-Ferry
Tonnage: 3015 BRT
Length: 125,66 m
Beam: 17,02 m
Installed power: CODAD 4 x Sulzer 10AL25/30, 7400 PS total
Speed: 16,75 knots
Capacity: 2035 tons (up to 47 trucks)

1986 fire

In September 1986, the ship suffered a serious fire. No one on board was injured, but the ship was heavily damaged. The ship was repaired by coating the damaged areas with 60 tons of concrete, which increased the weight of the ship and dangerously affected its stability; this was apparently an illegal method.[1] [2]

1993 sinking

At 4:10 am on Jan 14 1993, the ship started listing in hurricane-force winds, estimated at 180 km/h. It capsized at 5:12am. The waves were up to 6 metres high and ferries in the nearby port of Sassnitz had been cancelled. Prior to its sinking, Jan Heweliusz had been involved in 28 incidents, including collisions with fishing boats, listing, engine failure, and a fire in 1986. It had ballast problems and had also damaged its hull in Ystad during docking, but this was not reported to the port authorities and only makeshift repairs were made. It sailed two hours late, carrying 10 railway carriages from five European countries.

The Marine Chamber of Appeals in Gdynia blamed the accident on the poor technical condition of the ship, with the captain, who died in the accident, also being blamed for allowing the ship to sail in such an unseaworthy state.

In 2005, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasburg ruled that the official investigation of the sinking was not impartial and granted 4600 euros in damages each to eleven relatives of the victims.[1]

Today, the wreck of the ship is located at the depth of 27 metres and is frequently visited by divers.[1]

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See also
  • ORP Heweliusz
  • List of RORO vessel accidents
  • List of Poland disasters by death toll

References
  1. Rzeczpospolita article from 2008-12-01
  2. Głos Szczeciński. Tajemniczy beton z "Heweliusza". Accessed: 2016-06-21.

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