Stena Line Ferry in Near Miss with Royal Navy Submarine

A Stena Line ferry recently had a close quarters encounter with a nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine, according to the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

The company’s 30,285 gross ton Stena Superfast VII, which operates between Northern Ireland and Scotland, had a near miss with the submarine operating at periscope depth in the Irish Sea.

Following a preliminary assessment, the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents decided to launch a full investigation into the incident, which occurred at the beginning of November 2018, MAIB said.

Further details related to the event were not made available.

“Stena Line can confirm that on Tuesday 6^th Nov 2018, Stena Superfast VII and a submerged submarine came into close proximity during a scheduled crossing between Cairnryan and Belfast.  At no stage were the vessel, passengers or crew in any danger,” a spokesperson for Stena Line said in a statement to World Maritime News.

“The incident was reported at the time to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) and, following an initial assessment, a full safety investigation is now under way in which we will of course co-operate fully.”