SW-INC-0173SeaWise Incidents

Hurumlandet - A cabin cruiser struck a sailing boat from astern in the Oslofjord; the sailor was killed

A 43-foot cabin cruiser hit the stern of a sailing boat off Langøya; the sailing boat sank and its lone sailor, a 75-year-old man, died. The cruiser's skipper was later convicted of negligent homicide.

verified · 2 sourcesN2
Vessel
HurumlandetSailing yacht
When
2024Skagerrak
Crew
1 aboard0 survived · 1 lost
Outcome
Lost
Position
Off Langøya, near Hurumlandet, Oslofjord, Norway
Sea area
Oslofjord · Langøya
Coordinates
59.60°N, 10.50°EApproximate position
Summary

What happened.

On 23 June 2024, a 75-year-old man sailing alone in the Oslofjord, off Langøya near Hurumlandet, was killed when a 43-foot cabin cruiser struck his sailing boat from astern. The sailing boat sank; he was found dead aboard it, while the cruiser was towed ashore. The cruiser's skipper was charged and later convicted of negligent homicide.

On 23 June 2024, Trond Jensen, a 75-year-old man from Gjøvik, was out alone in his sailing boat in the Oslofjord, near Langøya off Hurumlandet, when a 43-foot cabin cruiser ran into the stern of his boat. The sailing boat sank, and Jensen was found dead aboard it; the cabin cruiser was afterwards towed ashore. Norwegian police charged the cruiser's skipper, a man in his 50s, and he was later sentenced to prison for negligent homicide. It is the gravest version of a pattern that recurs across these records: a faster powered boat overrunning a small sailing craft it never saw — and here it cost a life.

Conditions23 June 2024, off Langøya near Hurumlandet in the Oslofjord. A 75-year-old man, Trond Jensen from Gjøvik, was alone aboard his sailing boat when a 43-foot cabin cruiser struck it from astern. The sailing boat sank and Jensen was found dead aboard it; the cabin cruiser was towed ashore. A man in his 50s was charged and later sentenced to prison for negligent homicide. (Survivors=0 refers to the sailing boat; the cruiser's occupants were unharmed.)
SeaWise noteThis is the outcome the near-misses are warning about. A man was killed in his own boat, on a summer fjord, run down from behind by a powerboat — and a court found the other skipper criminally at fault. Nothing the sailing boat could have done substitutes for the powered vessel keeping a watch. If you drive anything fast, the lookout is not a courtesy; on a crowded fjord it is the difference between a near-miss and a death.
Lessons learned

What it teaches.

  • 1
    A powered boat overrunning a sailing craft from astern is a recurring, lethal failure. A cabin cruiser struck this sailing boat's stern and a man died. If you are under power and overtaking, you give way and you keep watch — most of these collisions happen because no one on the faster boat was looking ahead.
    collision on watch
  • 2
    A small boat can sink fast after a heavy impact — be findable and wear a lifejacket. The sailing boat went down and its lone sailor was lost. Sailing alone especially, wear a lifejacket, carry a means to raise the alarm on your body, and consider an AIS transponder so faster traffic and rescuers can see you.
    collision man overboard
Sources

Where this comes from.

News· Scandinavia & Germany sailing newsSeilbåt sank i Oslofjorden – mann omkommetVisit ↗News· NRK20 år siden KNM «Oslo» grunnstøtteVisit ↗

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From SeaWise

Procedures involved.

ProcedurePrimary

Collision

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Record IDSW-INC-0173
Curated bySeaWise editorial
Confidenceverified · 2 sources
Record typeIncident

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