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On Nov 18, 2024, staff of the Port State Control of the Port Authority in Oristano subjected the 'Halim M' to a PSC after its arrival from Alexandroupol, loaded with grain. The first checks carried out immediately revealed problems regarding the correct functioning of some on-board systems and lifeboats. Subsequently, the inspection continued with the simulation of a serious fire on board, which also led to the identification of problems with the emergency equipment and, in addition, to the observation that the crew members were not sufficiently prepared. The ship was therefore detained in port until the minimum safety conditions were restored and a further inspection with positive results has been carried ou. As a further measure, given the three detentions it has suffered in the last two years, the ship has been automatically banned from European Union ports for the next three months.

The captain of the 'Shtandart' hopes that the ship will be granted an exemption from the Russian sanctions, which will make it welcome in European ports again. The ship has been sailing outside Russia for almost three years. The captain does not want to return, but is not allowed to visit European ports. The wait is now on for the European Court, where an appeal against the sanctions has been filed. Since the sanctions against Russia, the ship is no longer welcome. Captain Vladimir Martoes is half Russian, half Ukrainian and has been living in Europe for 10 years. He previously stated that he is a fierce opponent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He does not want to return to Russia with the ship, for fear that it will be seized and he himself will be arrested for his criticism of the regime. France currently tolerates the ship as long as it is at anchor and not moored in a port. It is currently in a bay near Bordeaux. The ship also sails with paying guests, which provides income. The volunteer crew members are all European and can go ashore with rubber dinghies to stock up on provisions. Bunkering with drinking water is a lot more difficult. This is done in ports where the ship is allowed to call occasionally, such as La Rochelle. The captain hopes for a permanent mooring, so that he can build up a life somewhere. The Zaans Erfgoed Association already approached the municipality of Zaanstad to arrange a permanent mooring for the 'Shtandart' in Zaandam, but was refused. The hope now is that the ship will soon fall under an exception clause: Russian ships with a humanitarian mission are welcome in European ports. The crew already set up a project for medical aid and aid to children in Ukraine, but Brussels did not see this as a humanitarian mission. The captain has objected to this, but no decision has been made yet.. Sailing under a different flag is not an option, because a Russian ship that changes flag at this time will not escape sanctions.

A press report, dated Jul 3, states: The 24-hour strike by seamen on Jul 3, has left Greek ferries and other passenger boats tied up in port, stranding tourists and Greeks heading for vacation and leaving many islands cut off for the day. The PNO seamen?s union called Wednesday?s strike to demand salary increases as part of collective wage agreements. Dozens of inhabited Greek islands don?t have airports and are accessible only by sea. The passenger shipping business association SEEN, with which the seamen?s union had been negotiating, had expressed surprise when the strike was announced in late June, saying it offered a two percent wage increase for 2019 on top of a retroactive two percent increase for 2018. It said the offer, along with staff increases, was ?beyond our actual capabilities during a particularly difficult time? with 50% fuel cost increases.

Twelve vessels at anchor off Dampier, waiting to load iron ore.

The shipping company Maersk has reached a significant milestone in the shipping industry with the "Maersk Halifax" being the first large ship in the world to be successfully converted to a dual-fuel methanol propulsion. The conversion of the ship, which was completed in just 88 days at the Zhoushan Xinya shipyard on Nov 3, 2024, represents an important step in Maersk's efforts to make shipping more environmentally friendly and accelerate the transition to low-emission fuels. In addition to adapting the engine by the German manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions, the conversion also included the installation of new fuel tanks, a fuel processing room and a new fuel supply system. Due to the additional equipment, the hull of the "Maersk Halifax" was extended by 15 meters, increasing its capacity from around 15,000 to 15,690 TEU. With these measures, the ship is now ready to operate with methanol. After succesfully completing the sea trials, the ship has now resumed operations in the transpacific trade. This conversion is an important part of Maersk's long-term strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

On Nov 17, 2024, at 3.50 a.m., the 'Dokos' was subject of a failed boarding attempt by 2-3 perpetrators, about 5.7 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Cula, in pos. 1° 3.5' N 103° 37.1 E . Nothing was reported stolen.

APM Terminals second terminal in Morocco, MedPort Tangier was inaugurated this week. Part of the Tanger Med Port complex, it has an annual capacity of 5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalents). With this new capacity, Morocco is establishing itself as one of the most important transhipment locations in the world. Tanger Med Port is already ranked as the leading African port and is amongst the world’s top 50 container ports due to its prime location along key trade lanes and increasing cargo flows, to and from Africa. The construction of the state-of-the-art APM Terminals MedPort Tangier facility took two years and a total investment of USD 800m. This new transhipment terminal is designed, constructed and operated by APM Terminals, and will join existing hub facilities servicing Maersk and its partners. Built utilizing the latest technology, the terminal is set to be one of the most efficient and safest in the world.

Thirty-eight vessels at anchor off Port Hedland, waiting to load iron ore.

According to the British Coast Guard, the 'Ruby' was ordered to dump a small amount of its contaminated cargo of ammonium nitrate into the sea. The ship spent 30 hours circling an area 20 kilometers from the port of Great Yarmouth,, before returning to the terminal again. The Coast Guard's plan is now for the rest of the ship's cargo to be transferred to the handysize bulk carrier, 'Zimrida' in the coming days.

On Nov 14, 2024, at 3.06 a.m., the 'Saga Fjord' was boarded by 7-8 perpetrators, armed with gun like objects, about 4.3 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Cula, in pos. 1° 28.6' N 103° 38.36 E . The pirates stole engine spares and unsecured items.

Nine vessels at anchor off Port Walcott, waiting to load iron ore

Two identical 37-metre, 459-passenger catamarans have been completed by Wight Shipyard Co (WSC). The Incat Crowther-designed vessels will be transported to Cancun, Mexico, for Ultramar early next month.