MERCANDIA IV

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

ForSea’s MERCANDIA IV to become freight-only vessel

In response to decreased car and passenger volumes, ForSea has announced that its 1989-built Superflex Class double-ender MERCANDIA IV will become a dedicated freight ferry as of 1 September.

Second investigation in ferry accident launched

While the repairs of the "Mercandia IV" were going ahead in Landskrona, it was found out that strong winds and the strong current caused the allision of the ferry with the pier in Helsingborg. Though the ship had slow speed, the impact was so hard that a crew member flew straight into a wall and injured his back. Also a female passenger was injured. Now the police required that the accident is being investigated further. Previously, already the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board had determined that the accident was caused by the winds and the water current and then completed the investigation because the consequences of the accident were small. But now police in Skåne chosen to launch another investigation as there was a notification of bodily harm.

Ferry sent to Landskrona for repairs

After the allision of the "Mercandia IV" with the quay at Helsingborg, the cause of the accident was still unknown, though a strong current may have contributed to it. In addition to the two injured persons, damage to the ship and the pier also a vehicle was damaged. The two people who were injured left the Helsingborg Hospital in the evening of Sep 21. On Sep 23 at 5.30 a.m. the ferry left the port bound to Landskrona in order to be repaired. It docked in port at 7 a.m. Traffic across the Sound could be maintained on schedule because the shipping company had some excess capacity on the ferries and inserted the "Mercandia VIII". The police launched two offenses, reckless traffic and a workplace accident. On Sep 22, police carried out a forensic examination, breathalyzer tests and questioning of the crew. All tests were negative, the investigation was continued. The damage to the northern jetty was not so serious. A preliminary inspection found some damage to the concrete, the fenders and the lighting on the building. The damage did not affect ship traffic. Danish and Swedish reports with photos and video: http://www.maritimedanmark.dk/?Id=24054 http://hd.se/skane/2014/09/22/inga-besked-kring-olycksorsaken/ http://hd.se/skane/2014/09/22/piren-klarade-sig-utan-skador/