Freight Ferry Catches Fire, Goes to Anchor off Isle of Wight
On Monday evening, a fire broke out aboard a DFDS ferry off the coast of the Isle of Wight, the large island opposite Portsmouth at the entrance to the Solent.
The 400-foot freight ferry Caesarea Trader operates between Portsmouth and the isle of Jersey, just off the coast of France. AIS data provided by Pole Star Global shows that at about 1600 hours GMT, the vessel was inbound for Portsmouth when she slowed and dropped anchor off Wight in about 16 meters of water.
An engine room fire was reported by the crew about 15 minutes later, according to HM Coastguard. The RNLI lifeboat out of Bembridge was dispatched to the scene.
DFDS has confirmed that a fire occurred aboard the vessel, and reported that all crewmembers (and one passenger aboard) are safe. The fire is under control, the operator said, and the ship remains safely at anchor. While the response to the casualty continues, DFDS is taking steps to replace the Caesarea Trader's capacity on the Portsmouth-Jersey route.
Both the RNLI lifeboat and a response tug have stood down and departed the scene.
Caesarea Trader is a 5,000 dwt ro/ro freighter built in 1996. She was previously named Commodore Goodwill and was operated by Condor Ferries.
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In 2022, the Commodore Goodwill collided with a French fishing boat, the L'Ecume II, killing three people. The two crewmembers on watch aboard the ferry were charged, tried and acquitted of manslaughter charges, but the second mate - who had the conn - was convicted of a lesser charge of endangering ships, structures or individuals. Commodore Goodwill was sold to DFDS and renamed a few months before the trial.
Top photo by John K. Thorne -- CC0 1.0