Stena-Edda

423 passengers found themselves trapped" on board the 'Stena Edda', which sails between Belfast and Liverpool, and which had docked in Birkenhead on Sep 6, 2022, at around 6.15 a.m. this morning (September 6). They were unable to disembark for more than four hours after a technical fault meant the stern ramp failed to open. The issue lead to some delays throughout the day. Passengers were offered a complimentary breakfast to compensate for the delays. Shortly after 11 a.m. the damage was fixed. A cleat had failed to unlock, so the ramp had been stuck. It was hoped that in the morning of Sep 7 the ship would have made up the time and be back on schedule.

An air ambulance attended a medical emergency of a crew member on board the 'Stena Edda' en route from Belfast to Birkenhead in the night of May 23, 2022. First aid assistance was provided by fellow crew members, but a doctor advised that the patient should be transported to Aintree Hospital. The patient was airlifted to the Aintree Hospital.

Kolapi Utime, 64, of Viridian Square in Aylesbury, the masrer of the 'Scot Leader', has been fined with £6,384 pounds after almost causing a collision with the 'Stena Edda' in Belfast Lough. The Southampton Magistrates' Court heard that during the incident in March 2021 he turned his vessel in front of the 'Stena Edda', which had 503 people on board. It was found that he increased the speed of his vessel, which is operated by Scotline, creating the risk of a collision. Utime communicated with the 'Stena Edda', requesting that it altered its course to port, which the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said was "contrary to good seamanship and collision avoidance". The Stena ferry had already started to turn starboard to avoid a crash. Utime admitted his role but said his attention had been on the ferry 'Stena Superfast VIII' that was approaching. Mark Flavell of the MCA said it was a "dangerous situation" caused by Utime "failing to adhere to the collision avoidance rules. There could have been disastrous consequences. "The MCA will always look to take appropriate and necessary action, prosecuting those seafarers who jeopardise others by showing a complete disregard for the laws of the sea. Such offences are not acceptable and those unwilling to follow rules and regulation and improve standards of safety will face the full weight of the law."