The navy and the Maritime and Port Bureau are investigating an incident late on Saturday in which two Republic of China Navy frigates docked in Keelung Port were damaged by a passenger ferry as Typhoon Nesat swept over the nation.
The navy said in a news release that a cable securing the stern of the Natchan Rera ferry to the East-3 wharf snapped during strong gusts and at 11:41pm the 10,841 tonne ferry collided with the frigate Lan-Yang (蘭陽), which was docked in front of it.
One minute later the ferry struck the frigate Huai-Yang (淮陽), which was docked parallel to the Lan-Yang.
Sailors aboard the Lan-Yang found a 1m crack on the left side of the ship’s stern that led to the ship taking on water, said Rear Admiral Kuo Chih-kuo (郭治國), commander of Navy Flotilla 131.
The crack was mended within 30 minutes, thanks to the crew’s quick response, Kuo said.
A big dent was found on the stern of the Huai-Yang, as well as five broken railings on the port side of the main deck.
It will take about two weeks to fully repair the two frigates, Kuo said, adding that the navy would assess repair costs before seeking compensation.
The two frigates are part of Navy Flotilla 168, which is based in Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳), but take shelter in Keelung Port when a typhoon sea warning has been issued, Kuo said.
The aluminum alloy-hulled Natchan Rera suffered more severe damage as a result of the collisions, with holes punched into its hull, said Ho Wen-chih (何文智), an official with the bureau’s North Maritime Affairs Center.
The Keelung-registered ferry travels between Suao and Hualien County, and between Taipei Port in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里) and Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province.
The bureau said it would take steps to prevent a similar incident.
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