At 19:55 on 15th February 2012, Baleária's fast jet ferry Maverick DOS ran aground spectacularly on the small island of Sa Torreta, off Espalmador, whilst crossing from Ibiza to Formentera in darkness. She was beached completely clear of the water by the time she stopped. Nobody was badly hurt.

Captain Luis Gascón stayed on the ferry until all 21 passengers and 6 crew had been safely evacuated. The coastguard led rescue operation started at 22:00, with passengers leaving the ferry via small stepladders lashed to the port propulsion unit, then wading to a waiting Zodiac craft which transferred them to the rescue vessel Salvamar Markab. They finally arrived at Formentera's port, La Savina, at around 23:30. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5fdn5voPLc

Following the incident the President of the Balearic Islands, José Ramón Bauzá said, “...this is an incident which must not be allowed to happen again.”

Built in 1990, Maverick Dos is one of 4 Fjellstrand 38.8m fast jet ferries that regularly operate the Ibiza-Formentera route - they are considered by many regular travellers as the reliable workhorses of the route - and would normally be travelling at around 30 knots at this point in the crossing. Two Trasmapi Fjellstrands 38.8m's have been operating this route since 2000, having previously operated in the Carribean and then across the Straits of Gibraltar.

Following a split with Trasmapi, Baleária acquired Maverick and Maverick Dos during the summer of 2011 from the Italian ferry operator SNAV Aliscafi. Maverick Dos was previously named SNAV Alfa, and operated between Naples, Sorrento and Capri. She was first named Loberen by her original Stockholm based owners. Intoduced in 1990, she operated between Stockholm, Malmo and Helsingborg until she was acquired by SNAV in 2001. Her sister ferry Maverick was originally russian operated - called Solovki, then named Ornen when she joined Loberen in 1993, and renamed SNAV Auriga in 2003.
After the grounding, the Maverick Dos was initially replaced by Trasmapi's Ibiza Jet.


Visitors to Espalmador who have walked from Platja de s’Alga across the Island to the north-west corner will recognise the little Island of Sa Torreta, which sits just offshore from the little bay of Cala de Bocs.

On 11th April Baleária submitted a salvage plan for "Maverick Dos", still hard aground on the rocks off Espalmador. The ferry would be lifted by a huge crane onto a barge and then taken to the port of Dénia.

Maverick Dos was still hard aground on the morning of 19th May 2012. Thanks to passing yachtmaster Michael Sisley for this information and 'Formentera Parking' photos.

With approval from the Ibiza Port Authorities, Maverick Dos was finally lifted off the rocks on 23rd May by specialist lifting company Usabiaga, and taken to the port Moll de la Pansa in Denia, where on 24th May the crane lifted her from the barge onto hard standing. The crane and ferry travelled to Denia on separate barges. A film of the recovery can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgj54ludJ8w

NOTE: Pictures of Maverick Dos following the incident in this album are not mine. The majority were copied from news reports found using Google Images. Two were provided by Yachtmaster Michael Sisley.
My own pictures of Maverick Dos, photographed in happier times, are at the end of the gallery.

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