Ferry cancellations have led Daniel to give up on the small island: *"Too risky and expensive."*

Ferry cancellations have driven Daniel to give up his life on a small island: *"Too risky and expensive"*

Commuters to the island of Fanø are concerned that recent ferry cancellations are scaring people away from the small island in Southwest Jutland. But the ferry company urges calm.

Fanølinjen, the only ferry route to Fanø, has faced cancellations and irregular sailings in the past month. (Photo: © Katrine Eisemann De Almeida, DR)

By Henriette Kampp Sørensen ([email protected]) – 55 minutes ago

It’s only about nine kilometers from Esbjerg to Fanø when you set your GPS to the small island in Southwest Jutland. But even though it’s just a few kilometers away, traveling back and forth between the mainland and the island can be challenging.

> *"It’s a very rare occurrence and one of the choices you make when deciding to settle on the island."*

> **Jesper Maack, PR and communications manager at Molslinjen**

The only way to reach Fanø is by ferry with Fanølinjen, operated by Molslinjen.

And that route has been hit by cancellations and delayed departures in the past month. According to Molslinjen, this is due to an unusual weather phenomenon with strong easterly winds causing several days of such low water levels that ferries cannot sail. This frustrates some of the island’s commuters, as reported by the *Fanø Ferry Users Association*.

Among them is Daniel Davidson, an Englishman who has lived on the island for two weeks a month. He works in England, but his son lives with his mother in Esbjerg, so Daniel Davidson spends two weeks a month in Denmark.

At least, that was the case until now. He has just canceled the lease on the house he rented on Fanø.

- *"I chose to live here. It’s peaceful. The house has a garden close to the beach. It’s a lovely place to stay, but we’ve had problems with the ferry, and that’s made me change my mind. The ferries are too unreliable. It’s too risky and expensive."*

Daniel Davidson, an Englishman, finds it too difficult to travel to and from Fanø with his son due to the ferry route. (Photo: © Private, DR)

He explains that several times he has been unable to drop his son off at daycare because the ferry was canceled, forcing him to miss important business meetings.

At Molslinjen, PR and communications manager Jesper Maack acknowledges that Fanølinjen has faced cancellations in the past month. But he urges patience and says this is due to strong easterly winds causing low water levels, and that the ferry line is otherwise rarely affected by cancellations.

- *"It’s a very rare occurrence and one of the choices you make when deciding to settle on the island. The ferry sails very steadily on Fanø. During peak times, we have three ferries running in rotation."*

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Association worried about settlement

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Some days, there have been cancellations up to twice a day due to low water levels, the PR manager reports. Additionally, the ferry ramp in Nordby collapsed this week, meaning the ferry operated irregularly for most of Tuesday without cars or bicycles.

Commuters on the island have noticed this, says Pernille Brunbjerg, chair of the *Fanø Ferry Users Association*.

- *"There have been many people standing by the ferry and waiting for a long time."*

While Molslinjen says the cancellations are due to a rare weather phenomenon and not the norm, Pernille Brunbjerg is still concerned.

- *"The island only functions if there’s a regular ferry service. It really affects people when they have to wake up and worry about whether they can get to work and back home again. We’re worried that in the long run, this will impact settlement on the island."*

Isn’t it just a condition of living on an island?

- *"Yes, you could say that. But after a month like this, where it’s been a bit continuous, it starts to get annoying to have to call your boss."*

Jesper Maack, PR and communications manager at Molslinjen, understands the concern but says there’s nothing they can do about it.

- *"I understand the concern, but they’ll have to take it up with the weather gods if they have a direct line to them. We can manage ferry operations, but we simply can’t control either the tides or the surrounding weather."*

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*"Annoying, but no reason to worry"*

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Around 3,200 people live on Fanø, and the municipality has a goal of increasing the island’s population.

> *"It really affects people when they have to wake up and worry about whether they can get to work and back home again."*

> **Pernille Brunbjerg, chair of the Fanø Ferry Users Association**

But even though Daniel Davidson, the Englishman, has now chosen to move off the island, the mayor, Frank Jensen from the *Radical Left Party*, does not share the association’s concerns.

- *"It’s certainly annoying, but it’s not something to worry about. It’s rare that this happens. I think the Fanø ferry is much less affected than, for example, Tønder."*

At the *Fanø Ferry Users Association*, Pernille Brunbjerg would like to see a smaller passenger vessel that could be deployed when the three regular ferries are canceled or sailing irregularly.

But that wouldn’t have made a difference last month, says Jesper Maack from Molslinjen.

- *"When the weather removes almost all the water from the route, there’s no one who can sail there. I’ve spoken with those on Fanølinjen, and the ferry we previously had for low water levels made no difference."*

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