Barska Plovidba, the port agent for Croatian Jadrolinija and Italian Adria Ferries, officially notified the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and relevant authorities about canceling upcoming arrivals of Jadrolinija’s ferry “Dalmacija” and all further arrivals of Adria Ferries’ “AF Mia” at the Port of Bar.
The cancellations are due to the collapse of the operational quay near Berth V in Bar’s port, which serves as the docking point for these ferries. The collapse has made it unsafe to continue ferry operations until repairs are completed and safety guarantees are provided by expert institutions.
“AF Mia,” a 200-meter-long ferry with a draft of 6.8 meters, docked unusually with its stern close to the quay, which caused intense propeller turbulence and erosion beneath the quay structure, leading to the damage.
Inspections revealed large underwater gaps about 15 by 15 meters beneath the quay, threatening the stability of the docking area. Fortunately, the collapse occurred late at night after the ferry had already departed, preventing any injuries.
The Port of Bar confirmed that the damage was caused by the propeller wash undermining the quay’s structural blocks. Current procedures for docking “AF Mia” involve minimal safety distances, but repeated close stern approaches likely intensified the damage over time. The ferry did not use tugboats during docking maneuvers.
The quay and port infrastructure are state-owned, and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Port Authority (UPSUL) are responsible for financing and urgently repairing the damage.
Despite immediate notification, the Ministry, led by Filip Radulović, has yet to respond publicly to the incident, which caused a temporary suspension of the Bar-Bari ferry line and all “AF Mia” arrivals connecting Bar with Ancona (Italy) and Durrës (Albania).
Earlier, Radulović had publicly praised the establishment of four seasonal maritime lines from Montenegrin ports, including the two now disrupted. The Ministry is scheduled for collective annual leave starting August 4, while the Port Authority director has also reportedly begun his vacation.
