MS Maud

MS Maud (formerly MS Midnatsol) is a Hurtigruten AS vessel built by Bruces Verkstad in Sweden and Fosen mekaniske verksteder in Rissa, Norway in 2001. It is the fourth ship to sail for Hurtigruten to bear this name. She has a sister ship, MS Trollfjord, which also sails for Hurtigruten. MS Midnatsol was renamed MS Maud in 2021.

History
At 4:00am on the night of 14 December 2003, the ship was on a southbound course between Ålesund and Måløy when the main power supply failed and Midnatsol lost all engine power. The ship was approaching a reef and the anchors were set out in an attempt to stop the drift, but the attempt failed. All 102 passengers were ordered to the lifeboats after an attempt to connect a towing hawser from another vessel also failed. The situation was very critical and Midnatsol sent a Mayday message. The ship was only 150 m from shore when one of the anchors finally caught. Not long after, the crew managed to restart the main engines and the ship went on to Florø. The cause of the engine stoppage was an overgrown inlet to the engine's coolant systems.

In August 2004, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation filmed aboard MS Midnatsol for the series Hurtigruten 365. The recordings took place in one year, and the result was 20 episodes that were shown on television.

On 6 June 2015 the vessel caught fire off Vardo in Southern Norway. The fire started in one of the service rooms. The crew reacted immediately, extinguishing the fire in less than an hour. No injuries or damages were reported.

In a notable incident in December 2023, the ship was caught in a severe storm in the North Sea, resulting in damage from a rogue wave. The wave broke the bridge windows, flooded the bridge, and caused a temporary loss of power, leaving the ship without navigational systems and radar, necessitating manual steering from the engine room. The crew and the 266 passengers aboard were safe, and a towage vessel assisted MS Maud in maintaining stability.

The MS Maud was approximately 200 miles east of the UK and 120 miles west of Denmark at the time of the incident, heading for the port of Tilbury after departing from Norway. Despite the severe conditions, including hurricane-force winds, the Danish authorities confirmed that the situation was stable and the ship was in no immediate danger. The incident highlighted the risks of sailing in turbulent waters like the North Sea, although it is generally considered safe for maritime navigation.