Campaigners are set to board the 'Glen Sannox' to host a protest at Troon Harbour in a bid to save the historic route between Ardrossan and Brodick. Supporters were being urged to gather at Brodick pier on April 12 at 1 p.m. The ferry will arrive at Troon at 2.15 p.m. ,where participants will get off for a short demonstration at the harbour, before the 'Glen Sannox' makes her way back to Brodick at 3.10 p.m. The ferry is only able to sail between Brodick and Troon at present because it is too big to berth at Ardrossan Harbour. The Ardrossan Harbour Project – to develop the port and make it suitable for the new vessels – was given the go-ahead way back in 2018, but the project was paused in 2023, and a fresh business case has never emerged. The situation has been made even worse since January with the 'Caledonian Isles' having extensive repairs made to it, meaning there have not been any ferries coming in and out of Ardrossan for three months. It was expected that the 'Caledonian Isles' would return to service by the end of April but CalMac has now said it will be before the end of May. Talks with the harbour owner Peel Ports regarding a possible buyout by the Scottish Government are now underway after years of stalling, but residents have become concerned about the apparent silence since that announcement nearly two months ago. Wyllie Hume, chair of the Arran for the Ardrossan Harbour campaign, wants to get as many people onto the 'Glen Sannox' as possible to drive home the argument Ardrossan Harbour must be redeveloped to ensure the historic route is not abandoned. The 'Glen Sannox' is currently alternating with the 'Alfred' for sailings to and from Troon, which takes about 20 minutes longer than the journey to and from Ardrossan, so there are fewer return sailings from there than there were from Ardrossan. When foot passengers get to Troon, the train station is a good 20 to 25 minute walk from the ferry port so, combined with fewer sailings, it is practically impossible for them to take a day trip to Glasgow. People on Arran are also having difficulties getting to medical appointments at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, which is easily reachable by bus from Ardrossan but much more challenging to get to from Troon.
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CARNIVAL LUMINOSA
A passenger of the 'Carnival Luminosa', a man in his 70s, had to be urgently airlifted by a helicopter and was rushed to the Bundaberg Hospital. He had suffered health problems which required medical care on a higher level, while the cruise ship was sailing off the Queensland coast on April 2, 2025, at around 1 p.m. The vessel was on the final day of the cruise into the Port of Brisbane.
OZANNO
The shadow tanker 'Andaman Skies' (IMO: 9288693), which is loaded with Russian oil and was barred by Indian authorities, is transferring its cargo to the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker 'Ozanno'. The port authorities had barred the more than 20-year-old tanker from entering the port of Vadinar, as its seaworthiness certificate was not issued by an Indian-approved classification agency. Indian port entry rules require tankers that are more than 20 years old to hold seaworthiness certification by a member of the International Association of Classification Societies, or an entity authorised by India's maritime administration. The vessel, carrying about 100,000 metric tons (800,000 barrels) of Varandey Russian oil sold by Lukoil from the port of Murmansk, was stationary off the port of Mumbai. The 'Ozanno', which had left Sikka on March 29, 2025, is expected to deliver the cargo to Indian Oil Corporation at Vadinar next week and was stationary in pos. 18° 58' N 072° 24' E as of April 4. While the 'Andaman Skies' and 'Ozanno' are both subject to UK and European Union sanctions, they are not under sanctions by the United States or the United Nations. India adheres to United Nations sanctions.
INNOVATIE
The World War II aerial bomb found during dredging work in the Rhine at the construction site of the news Pfaffendorf Bridge in Koblenz is to be defused aboard the 'Innovatie' on April 4. The area has been evacuated. According to the Rhineland-Palatinate Bomb Disposal Service, both detonators of the 500-kilogram bomb are still intact. The defusing will take place this morning in the area of the Gülser Mosel bend. For this purpose, the area within a 1,000-meter radius of the ship had to be evacuated. The evacuation of the affected area has been in effect since 8:30 a.m. No one other than emergency personnel is allowed to remain there. Access to the area has been blocked. Emergency personnel are currently monitoring the evacuation area to ensure that no one is actually left there. At 10 a.m., the bomb disposal team received approval to defuse the bomb. The evacuation zone also affects part of Koblenz-Lay. Among other things, the elementary school and the daycare center are affected there. On the other side of the Moselle, the campsite and the Güls sports harbor had to be evacuated. According to the city, the children from the daycare center and the Lay elementary school who cannot be cared for privately were accommodated in the Lay Schützenhalle (shooting hall). There, they are cared for by staff from the school, daycare center, and youth welfare office. Those affected by the evacuation and who cannot find alternative accommodation can stay in the Legia hall since 8 a.m. The city pointed out that pets were not allowed. Furthermore, there is no food available there. 46 people gathered at the Legiahalle and accepted the offer. The federal highway B416 on the left bank of the Moselle and the railway line along the Moselle has been closed during the bomb disposal operation. The Federal highway B327 (Hunsrückhöhen St.) and the Layer Bergweg remained unaffected. Ship traffic on the Moselle must wait until the bomb disposal operation is complete. A citizens' hotline has been set up at the Koblenz Fire Department for questions from the public: +49 261 40404-8000. Approximately 180 personnel from the public order office, fire department, police, bomb disposal service, disaster control units of the Malteser and German Red Cross, as well as the emergency services and other agencies are involved in the bomb disposal operation. The bomb was successfully defused at 10:47 a.m. Report with photo: https://www.stern.de/gesellschaft/regional/rheinland-pfalz-saarland/notfaelle--bombe-auf-schiff-in-koblenz-erfolgreich-entschaerft-35611678.html
ANDAMAN SKIES
The 'Andaman Skies', which is loaded with Russian oil and was barred by Indian authorities, is transferring its cargo to the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker 'Ozanno' (IMO: 9394935). The port authorities had barred the more than 20-year-old tanker from entering the port of Vadinar, as its seaworthiness certificate was not issued by an Indian-approved classification agency. Indian port entry rules require tankers that are more than 20 years old to hold seaworthiness certification by a member of the International Association of Classification Societies, or an entity authorised by India's maritime administration. The vessel, carrying about 100,000 metric tons (800,000 barrels) of Varandey Russian oil sold by Lukoil from the port of Murmansk, was stationary off the port of Mumbai. The 'Ozanno', which had left Sikka on March 29, 2025, is expected to deliver the cargo to Indian Oil Corporation at Vadinar next week and was stationary in pos. 18° 58' N 072° 24' E as of April 4. While the 'Andaman Skies' and 'Ozanno' are both subject to UK and European Union sanctions, they are not under sanctions by the United States or the United Nations. India adheres to United Nations sanctions.