Engine Fire Leaves Finnlines Ro-Ro Adrift in English Channel

A volunteer lifeboat crew with the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) launched early Tuesday morning to assist the 33,000-ton roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel Finnwave after the ship issued a Mayday distress call reporting an engine fire approximately 11 miles south-east of Eastbourne.

The Eastbourne RNLI’s All-Weather Lifeboat Esme Anderson battled moderate seas and force five winds to reach the vessel. By the time the lifeboat crew had arrived, the Finnwave‘s crew had successfully extinguished the fire, though the 217-meter ship had lost all engine power.

The RNLI team confirmed that no crew members required evacuation and were requested to stand by the drifting vessel while its crew worked to deploy the ship’s anchor. The lifeboat remained on scene for over an hour in challenging sea conditions until the anchor was successfully deployed and holding.

The Solent Coastguard eventually confirmed the vessel was safely anchored, and the lifeboat was released and returned to station. The coastguard continues to maintain contact with the Finnwave while repairs are completed.

The Finnwave, operated by Finnlines, is an ice-class 1A ro-ro vessel built in 2012 and refitted in 2018. The vessel has a gross tonnage of 33,816 and measures 217.8 meters in length overall, with a total lane length of 4,192 meters and capacity for 111 reefer units.

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