Louis Jolliet Grinds to a Halt in Quebec

The AML Louis Jolliet struck Pier 22 when docking, causing some damage to the hull above the water line on the front part of the boat, as well as causing minor injuries to some passengers aboard.

Following the inspection of the boat last night, it was confirmed that a mechanical problem was the cause of the incident. The source of the problem was identified in the evening following an investigation carried out by two companies specialized in the field.

It was a piece of the control of the transmission clutch that unfortunately failed. The defective part was sent to the workshop for analysis.

Since the chef engineer used a manual emergency system to bring the ship into reverse before the impact, the ship was travelling only at 3.6 knots, which is equivalent to less than 6 km/h.

There were 77 people aboard the AML Louis Jolliet, plus the crew. This morning the Croisières AML team contacted the passengers injured in the incident, to ascertain their condition, and thankfully they are fine.

Croisières AML reiterates that the AML Louis Jolliet is an extremely safe boat that meets the strict standards of Transport Canada. In 2011, four million dollars were invested to equip the ship with a new propulsion system.

”We chose a German technology because it is the most reliable on the market. The likelihood that an incident such as yesterday would occur, is virtually nil, so that is why the defective part will be analyzed by the manufacturer and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB),” said Yan Hamel, President and CEO of Croisières AML.

The AML Grand Fleuve will replace the AML Louis Jolliet for the duration of the work. The AML Grand Fleuve is the third largest ship of the AML fleet with a capacity of 700 passengers.

[mappress]
May 29, 2014