23-Hour Ordeal on Brit Ferry

MORE than 700 passengers on a British car ferry had to ride out a storm for 23 hours when the vessel was unable to dock because of mountainous seas and high winds.

P&O Ferries’ Pride of Bilbao was supposed to arrive in Bilbao, Spain, at 8am on Wednesday but was hit by the severe storm with winds up to 90mph.

The ship left Portsmouth last Monday for the three-day journey across the infamous Bay of Biscay.

Fearing the 37,000-tonne ship would break its berth if it attempted to dock, the captain turned the vessel into the wind and 25ft waves and rode it out.

The passengers finally made it ashore at 11am on Thursday but many could not find anywhere to stay because of a local festival and were put up in a football stadium.

“The captain was concerned the ferry would break its berth so he had no choice but to remain at sea,” a P&O Ferries spokesman said.

“We do tell passengers that travel to Bilbao there may be weather problems, especially at this time of year, but this is unusual.”

(c) 2007 Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.