Pictures by Mr. Örn Stefansson, Akureyri Iceland.


In the evening of the 18th of February, the Eimskip Coastal Feeder Vessel M/V Manafoss grounded
in the entrance to the port of Heimaey, the larges Island of the The Westman Islands.
The vessel suffered damage to the propeller and the “Becker Type” rudder as well as bents and dents
to her bottom plates.  She was towed to Reykjavik where her cargo was discharged and then to Akureyri
in the North of Iceland where she is now high and dry in a floating dock by one of the Icelandic Govt.
Coastal Patrol vessel M/V Tyr.

A little more on the vessels: 
Manafoss ex. Ossian – built Qingshan Shipyard, China 2/1999 and has been on bareboat charter to Eimskip Ltd.
since 12/1999.  TDWT 5.454,  Intake 505 Teus, Cell Fitted , 84 Reefer Plugs 2x40 Tn Liebherr Cranes. 
Main Engine MAN B/W 9L 32/40 3.960 KW – Top Speed 16,1 Knots. 

Tyr – Built Aarhus Flydedok & Maskinfabrik 3-1975 for the Icelandic Government and has been used since for
Fishery Patrol and other Coast Guard related work such as Rescue Operations and etc.  The vessel played a
big role in the latest months of the “ Cod War “ and has proved reliable.  The vessel could be classified as a
Corvette when comparing her to other warships, well warship is maybe not the right word as she is fitted with
a 40 or a 44 Millimeter Bofors Gun from the 2nd World War and most probably some hand guns but that was it.
She has a close sister, the M/V Aegir but she is a little older dating from 1968 and came from the famous Aalborg
Yard.   Both are sharing those particulars: 927 Grt, 70 Meters Long and 10 Meters Wide and are powered by a pair
of MAN diesels of 3115 KW each, each driving a controllable pitch propeller, 2 rudders and do about 20 Knots when
one “puts the pedal to the metal”.   They both have a helicopter deck and a small hangar but the bigger helicopter
run by the ICG, an AS332 Super Puma, is too big while the smaller, an SA365 Dauphin 2, can land.

There are talks of renewing them and the M/V Odinn of 1959 with vessels similar
to the Danish Navy´s “ Thetis Class” Vessels.