FINNWAVE © Jukka Houtari

Fire onboard FINNWAVE in English Channel

Ro-roOn the morning of 12 November, Finnlines’ FINNWAVE experienced a fire in its engine room while transiting the English Channel, approximately 11 nautical miles southeast of Eastbourne, England. The vessel, which was en route from Rosslare to Zeebrugge, lost engine power following the incident.

The crew successfully extinguished the fire and issued a distress call. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) from Eastbourne responded in moderate seas and force five winds, standing by as FINNWAVE’s crew deployed the ship’s anchor—a process that took over an hour due to challenging conditions.

No injuries were reported among the crew, and evacuation was not required. The Solent Coastguard stated that the vessel would be monitored while repairs were carried out.

Nov 13 2025