Star Clipper 1980

Star Clipper struck Sweden’s Almö Bridge in the early hours of January 18, 1980, ripping down a 278-meter section of roadway into the sea.

The vessel’s cranes smashed into two arches of the bridge, and falling debris even hit the ship’s command bridge. Though the crew escaped unharmed, seven cars drove straight off the broken roadway into the darkness below. Eight people were killed in the 40-meter plunge.

With the ship’s power gone, its crew tried launching a lifeboat and firing flares, but neither effort worked in the icy fog. A truck driver from the western side stopped just in time at the edge and blocked further traffic, preventing an even greater tragedy.

The Maritime Safety Commission later concluded that ice clogging on Star Clipper’s starboard side, combined with current, poor visibility, and night conditions, made the vessel unmanageable. The report criticized the decision not to wait for daylight or tug assistance.

For years, passing sailors would point to the giant concrete stumps left on the Almö inlet banks and recall the disaster.

The pilot on duty, Kai Åderman, rarely spoke of it, only admitting in one late interview that silence spared him endless speculation.

The old bridge was replaced by the new Tjörn Bridge, designed with a different structure to withstand such risks and ensure that Sweden never again faced a disaster of this kind.

Source: Naval Nostalgia