A British couple on board the GNV Tenacia ferry on board which a fire broke out during a crossing from Valencia to Mallorca in the early hours of Monday morning finally got their car back on Friday evening and it was not, as feared, seriously damaged. Simon and his wife, who live in Valencia, were bringing over a cheap car they had bought for their in-laws who live in Algaida.
“It’s cheaper to buy a second hand car on the mainland than hire one in Mallorca,” he told the Bulletin.
“To be honest, the whole situation was pretty calm at first. We were awake when the fire broke out at around 2am and then the shouting started to abandon ship. But to be honest, it is what it is, these things happen and things were pretty calm to begin with until some of the adults started kicking off at the crew and that upset the kids and then things turned and got a bit chaotic.
“But we were transferred to a cargo ship which which came to our rescue. The first life raft flipped over and ended upside down in the sea as soon as it was launched. That was scary and people started screaming, but some 80 of us got across in the second boat, although it did creak and clump quite a bit. It didn’t feel too safe to be honest, which freaked people out and boarding the rescue vessel was not easy. But once on board the Filipino crew were great, brilliant, and looked after us well until we got back to port in Valencia at 2am on Tuesday morning.
“What was annoying was that GNV would only give us 15 minutes of free wifi and we were all trying to contact friends and family who had obviously seen what was happening on the news to let them know we were ok. But GNV charged us for extra time, I thought that was a bit much. But like I said, it is what it is.
“From what I could see, the thick black smoke was coming out of the rear, out of the exhausts. Since I’ve heard the fire was in the hold, there’s not a lot of clear information. Apparently the hold has been flooded so I have no idea what condition my car is in. It was due to have been returned to me around 5pm today (Tuesday), but that’s been delayed. I keep getting messages from the shipping company so I guess things will become clearer and more concrete as the hours pass. The last I heard they were having problems getting the damaged ferry into port.
“What I don’t understand, however, is considering we were 30 kilometres off Ibiza and 50 from Mallorca - our destination. Why we weren’t towed or taken to Mallorca I don’t know, but there you go. No great drama at the end of the day, just rather inconvenient. Put it down to experience,” he said.
“What was amusing was one of the guys from GNV who was placing people in hotels lived in the next village to us and gave us a a lift home,” he added. On Thursday morning Simon was still without a car.
“My wife has since flown to Mallorca to be with her parents, needless to say without the car we were taking over, and I’m receiving all sorts of messages from the shipping line in Spanish and none of it really makes any sense. So I’ve put the matter in the hands of my solicitor because the situation doesn’t bode well. I want compensation, my money back and my car. I know it was a bit of an old banger, but that’s not the point.
“We still have not been told what the real cause of the fire was or where it broke out. We’ve seen on the news and heard that the hold was flooded so I’m expecting to eventually retrieve a vehicle not fit for purpose. Today (Thursday) I’m still getting messages from GNV but nothing to go on to be honest, and we live out in the country and need a car. Lots of misinformation and it’s very frustrating now,” he said.
“The last I’ve heard is that they had problems getting the stricken ferry into port and accessing the vessel, I haven’t got a clue. I’ll keep you posted. What I do know is that they are offering us new tickets to Mallorca, but it’s taken a while and, like I said, my wife needed to get there and took a flight,” he said. “Latest from GNV. It’s funny that they say you can continue your journey. How the hell is that possible without a car?
‘Dear passenger,
We inform you that the safety activities carried out jointly with the competent authorities of the Tenacia ship continue without interruption. It is expected that in the next few hours the ship will be transferred to another dock, where, as soon as all safety conditions are met, the vehicles can be disembarked. At the moment, we cannot yet say when this may take place. We will follow up promptly to keep you informed. In the meantime, we are organizing an additional night in a hotel at the company’s expense, but we remind you that you can continue to your destinations at any time if you wish. We sincerely thank you for your understanding and patience.
Sincerely
The GNV team”
Then on Friday he received a message stating that he could head to the docks and collect his car.
He said “Car is ok, as it was sealed on lower deck, possible water damage to engine, black smoke from exhaust and a squeak, but that may pass!”