Moby Dada ferry accidents and incidents

21 September 2017Other Incidents

On September 21, 2017, was announced that MOBY LINES accepted an agreement with the Spanish Ministry of Home Affairs to charter the ferry as a hotel ship in Port Barcelona. The ferry was used for housing of police officers deployed in Barcelona to suppress the Catalans rioting towards independence referendum.

According to online media sources, the ship housed some of the total 16,000 police and security forces. They were deployed in advance of the scheduled for October 1 (2017) referendum - passed by the Parliament of Catalonia but declared illegal by Spain’s highest court. These forces were used to control pro-independence campaigners, as well as for arrests of local officials and raids of Catalonia-government offices prior to the referendum.

In addition to Moby Dada, Spain also chartered two other ferries (GNV Rhapsody and GNV Azzurra) to accommodate the riot police. The vessels were cleared to stay until October 5.

• Moby Dada was berthed at Prince of Spain Dock, accommodating around 1000 people.
• GNV Rhapsody was berthed at Lepant Dock, accommodating around 2000 people.
• GNV Azzurra was berthed at Port de Tarragona, accommodating around 800 people.

On September 22, 2017, Port Barcelona stevedores (dockworkers) voted not to supply the berthed hotel ships accommodating police reinforcements. According to internal sources, the port had no choice and admitted the liners as they were considered State vessels.