Jan Heweliusz (ship)
Encyclopedia
The M/S Jan Heweliusz, owned by PLO (Polish Oceanliners) and operated by its daughter company PLO EuroAfrica, was a Polish
ferry
named after astronomer Johannes Hevelius
.
Built in Norway
in 1977, the ferry served on the route Ystad
-Świnoujście
. In the early hours of 14 January 1993, while sailing with 64 passengers and crew from Świnoujście to Ystad , it capsize
d and sank in 27 metres of water off Cape Arcona on the coast of Rügen
in the Baltic Sea
. The accident claimed the lives of 20 crewmen and 35 passengers. 9 people were rescued. 10 bodies were never found. To date the sinking of Jan Heweliusz is the most deadly peacetime maritime disaster involving a Polish ship.
The Marine Chamber of Appeals in Gdynia blamed the accident on the poor technical shape of the ship and the captain who died in the accident was blamed for allowing the ship to sail in 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 euro in damages each to eleven relatives of the victims.
Today the wreck of the ship is located at the depth of 27 m and is frequently visited by divers.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
named after astronomer Johannes Hevelius
Johannes Hevelius
Johannes Hevelius Some sources refer to Hevelius as Polish:Some sources refer to Hevelius as German:*Encyplopedia Britannica * of the Royal Society was a councilor and mayor of Danzig , Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
.
Built in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1977, the ferry served on the route Ystad
Ystad
Ystad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
-Świnoujście
Swinoujscie
Świnoujście is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. It is situated mainly on the islands of Uznam and Wolin, but also occupies smaller islands, of which the largest is Karsibór island, once part of Usedom, now separated by a Piast...
. In the early hours of 14 January 1993, while sailing with 64 passengers and crew from Świnoujście to Ystad , it capsize
Capsize
Capsizing is an act of tipping over a boat or ship to disable it. The act of reversing a capsized vessel is called righting.If a capsized vessel has sufficient flotation to prevent sinking, it may recover on its own if the stability is such that it is not stable inverted...
d and sank in 27 metres of water off Cape Arcona on the coast of Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. The accident claimed the lives of 20 crewmen and 35 passengers. 9 people were rescued. 10 bodies were never found. To date the sinking of Jan Heweliusz is the most deadly peacetime maritime disaster involving a Polish ship.
1986 fire
In September 1986 the ship suffered a serious fire. No one on board was injured but the ship was heavily damaged. The repairs were carried out in an illegal way by coating the damaged areas with concrete which increased the weight of the ship and dangerously affected its stability.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 5:12. The waves were up to 6 meters high and ferries in the nearby port of Sassnitz had been cancelled. Prior to its sinking the 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 5 European countries.The Marine Chamber of Appeals in Gdynia blamed the accident on the poor technical shape of the ship and the captain who died in the accident was blamed for allowing the ship to sail in an unseaworthy state.
In 2005 the European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
in Strasburg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
ruled that the official investigation of the sinking was not impartial and granted 4600 euro in damages each to eleven relatives of the victims.
Today the wreck of the ship is located at the depth of 27 m and is frequently visited by divers.
See also
- ORP HeweliuszORP HeweliuszORP Heweliusz is a survey ship of the Polish Navy of the Projekt 874 class, known as modified Finik class in NATO code. She was launched on 11 September 1981 and commissioned on 27 November 1982....
- List of RORO vessel accidents
- List of Poland disasters by death toll