“From this view we see the ramp from the inside. The ramp was locked with six devices, and four of them were hydraulic pins that engaged into mating boxes welded to the side of the ramp. The four mating boxes are shown here. It is a fact that the JAIC in their Report (see Chapter 8.6.5) state that the mating boxes (1) were ‘ripped open’. They also found that the lower port side mating box was undamaged, as the locking pin for this mating box had not been fully extended.

The conclusion regarding the ‘ripped open’ mating boxes should be seen in the light of the statement in chapter 3.3.6 where the Commission states (2) that … ‘Minor routine welding repairs had been carried out on the mating boxes for the ramp locking bolts whilst the ship was in service in the Gulf of Bothnia.’ From this statement it must be concluded that there used to be problems with the mating boxes that resulted in routine repairs. It is therefore uncertain in what condition the mating boxes were when MV Estonia left Tallinn the last evening, and there is no evidence that the mating boxes really were undamaged upon departure.