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The 56 year old Galician captain of the "Loitador", who had been detained in Lisbon on Feb 1 upon returning from Cape Verde, has been provisionally released, and the ship left the port again en route to Montevideo. It will be the National Court that decides whether he should be extradited to Argentina on charges of "labour exploitation". The case, was opened by the Caleta Olivia Prosecutor's Office (province of Santa Cruz, Argentina) against the captain after complaint came from the doctor who treated a Senegalese sailor in June 2017, who arrived in a coma after his evacuation and recounted torturous treatment - working 22 hours a day, from Monday to Monday. Argentina has assumed that it has jurisdiction because the trawler made two stops in the Malvinas during the four months in which these alleged abuses against crew members continued. Sources from the legal representation of the shipowner, Profesionales Pesqueros, did not specify details regarding the intervention by police officers. The captain was now with his family, awaiting the holding of a court hearing, which will determine whether or not he should be extradited to Argentina to give a statement there. The hearing will be held at the National Court, under the provisions of article 12 of the Passive Extradition Law. On Nov 13, 2024, the captain's arrest was ordered by the Federal Court of Caleta Olivia, which had issued the red notice through Interpol. The red notice is a request addressed to law enforcement agencies around the world to locate and provisionally detain a person pending extradition or surrender. The arrest was concretized by the Spanish police on Dec 18; the captain gave a statement for three hours and was provisionally released. He is accused of a «crime of human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation», taking advantage of the vulnerable situation of the evacuated sailor, E. Thiam, aged 35 at the time.

The Moselle lock in Müden was back in operation on Feb 1, with the first ship being the "Mainz", a ship used by the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA), which successfully passed through the lock on the morning. Representatives of the state and the Directorate General for Waterways and Shipping came to the reopening of the lock along with Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing and representatives from Luxembourg and France were also present. According to the WSA Rhein-Mosel-Saar, the repair of the lock has been fully completed. The last test locks were still running until the afternoon of Jan 31. The gate movements were checked again and finer details were adjusted. The experts paid attention to the hydraulics and whether the speed of the 40-ton gate wings was programmed correctly. The work was carried out at record speed. The 'Regina K' remained in Haren as of Feb 4. Report with photo and video: https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/rheinlandpfalz/moselschleuse-wieder-frei-100.html

After the Elbe in Dresden was blocked for shipping for five months after the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge, the 'Dick' along with the barge 'Dick 1' was the first ship which has been allowed to pass again on Feb 3, 2025, transporting a 221-ton generator and up to 500 tons of fertilizer to Antwerp. The months-long closure has caused the shipping companies considerable losses. Legal action against the city of Dresden was therefore being considered. In the coming weeks, up to 40 ships are expected to pass the route, but the future of shipping remains uncertain. Currently, only ships with special permits are allowed to use it, while private boats are still prohibited. Reports with video: https://www.sachsen-fernsehen.de/mediathek/video/dresden-nach-fuenf-monaten-erstes-frachtschiff-passiert-wieder-die-carolabruecke/ https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/sachsen/carolabruecke-containerschiff-passiert-100.html

On the night of Feb 3, 2025, the 'Salvamar Alphard' was mobilized by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. The two sailing yachts 'Alborán Albariño' and 'Agi' had been left adrift near the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma. Both boats were taken in tow and safely pulled to the port of Santa Cruz de la Palma. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1886700187210469670

The "Heikendorf" has been sold to the Sylt based shipping company Adler Schiffe on Feb 3, 2025, after 42 years of service for the SFK Kiel, along with the 'Schwentine'. With the "Heikendorf", the last ferry of the "Friedrichsort" class is leaving the SFK fleet. The "Heikendorf", built in 1983 at the Lindenau shipyard in Friedrichsort, is the longest-serving ferry in the SFK fleet. The sister ships "Friedrichsort", "Laboe" and "Strande" were retired earlier. The handover trip on the Kiel Fjord started shortly before 11 a.m.. An hour later, the "Schwentine" followed. The ship, built in Hamburg in 2008, was also sold after a test run. Numerous spare parts, from propellers to couplings, were also sold with the ships.

On Jan 23, 2025, the 'Lider Haluk' was detained in Chioggia with 14 deficiencies as the result of a port state inspection, seven of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Fire safety - Fire fighting equipment and Appliances Not as required 2) Fire safety - Fire doors/openings in fireresisting division Not as required 3) Fire safety - Fire detection and alarm systems Not as required 4) Fire safety - Means of escape Unsafe 5) Fire safety - Division - decks, bulkheads and penetrations Not as required 6) Safety of navigation - Charts Not updated 7) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Feb 1 and has remained stationary in Chioggia since and as of Feb 4. The inspection, howeverm, led to a refusal of access to Paris-MOU ports for three months. The last detention was on July 5, 2024, also in Chioggia, with 22 deficiencies for 12 days. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

On Feb 3, 2025, the scheduled 7 a.m. departure of the 'Coastal Inspiration' from Tsawwassen and the sailing at 9 a.m. from Swartz Bay had to be cancelled due to mechanical issues. Other sailings on the route wer eexpected to run as scheduled, starting with the 7 a.m. departure from Swartz Bay and the 9 a.m. sailing out of Tsawwassen. The first run to Vancouver Island was cancelled because of a mechanical difficulty with the drive motor. An engineering team investigatedthe issue on board.

The 'Erdek', en route from Ceuta, has arrived In the Douarnenez Bay on the evening of Feb 2, 2025, and dropped anchor in pos. 48° 12' N 004° 29' W in order to to repair a damage. The maritime prefecture has taken the report into account. A complaint from a sailor on board was received by an IFT/CGT inspector. The crew member mentioned a shortage of provisions on board and the crew being subjected to excessive working hours as well as the structural integrity of the ship is seriously compromised, a situation which worried the Mor Glaz association, The ship remained stationary at its mooring as of Feb 4.

Fearing an earthquake, more and more residents and tourists want to leave the island of Santorini, which is why existing ferry connections are fully booked. The company Blue Star Ferries announced that it supports the local communities with consistency and responsibility. As a result, the "Kissamos" coming from Crete and the ferry "Bluestar Patmos" from Rhodes were diverted on the night of Feb 3, 2025, with an additional stop in Santorini. Video: https://twitter.com/i/status/1886275740888694936

The 'Vezhen' has finally left its anchorage on Feb 3 at around 2 p.m. UTC. The ship, carrying a load of sulfur, will make a stopover in Denmark for repairs and will continue its route to Uruguay and Argentina then. After the prosecutor, leading the preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage of a cable in the Baltic Sea, had lifted the seizure of the bulk carrier, also the Swedish Coast Guard had ended its work on and around the vessel. After having contributed to the preliminary investigation from day one, by assisting the Swedish Security Service, the Coast Guard's vessels and crews that were at the anchorage south of Aspö outside Karlskrona, have returned to regular operations. Since the seizure, the Coast Guard had carried out a number of different investigative measures on board the vessel and in the investigation, working closely with the prosecutor and the Swedish Security Service. Together with the Police Authority and the Armed Forces, they have been able to deliver information and analyses that have been crucial to the investigation. The preliminary investigation continued, and the Coast Guard was assisting based on the prosecutor's directive.

The 'Hav Nordic', en route from Stavanger with seven crew members on board, ran aground at Eggesbøneset near Mjølstadneset in Fosnavåg on Feb 4, 2025, at 5.40 a.m. UTC (Lat. 62.3186 Long. 5.6951). The vessel lost its rudder, took on water in its ballast tanks and was listing to port side. The lifeboat "Idar Ulstein" (MMSI: 257393000) was called to assist. Another vessel went on standby at the scene until the "Idar Ulstein" arrived on scene. The lifeboat managed to refloat the vessel, which was then towed to the dock at Mjølstadneset, where it was safely berthed at 7.30 a.m. UTC. Report with photo: https://x.com/NSSR/status/1886700651310145715

The "Heikendorf" has been sold to the Sylt based shipping company Adler Schiffe on Feb 3, 2025, after 42 years of service for the SFK Kiel, along with the 'Schwentine'. With the "Heikendorf", the last ferry of the "Friedrichsort" class is leaving the SFK fleet. The "Heikendorf", built in 1983 at the Lindenau shipyard in Friedrichsort, is the longest-serving ferry in the SFK fleet. The sister ships "Friedrichsort", "Laboe" and "Strande" were retired earlier. The handover trip on the Kiel Fjord started shortly before 11 a.m.. An hour later, the "Schwentine" followed. The ship, built in Hamburg in 2008, was also sold after a test run. Numerous spare parts, from propellers to couplings, were also sold with the ships.

On Jan 19, 2025, the Runner' was detained in Ahus with 34 deficiencies, five of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Fire safety - Fire doors openings in fire resisting division Not as required 2) Fire safety - Vnetilation Not as required 3) Radio communications - MF Radio Installation Inoperative 4) Life saving Appliances - Embarkation arrangement survival craft Not properly maintained 5) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Jan 30 and left the port en route to Klintehamn, where it arrived on Feb 3. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

On the evening of Feb 1, 2025, a fire broke out aboard the 'Agorreta' and damaged the wheelhouse and the fish hold, while the ship was berthed at the Burela pier. The fire also caused a lot of smoke. Workers in the area had immediately tried to contain the fire, which had to be finally extinguished by the Barreiros firefighters, with the support of those from Viveiro. The smoke and the narrowness of the place complicated the extinguishing work. The firefighters needed about 2,5 hours. Report with video: https://www.g24.gal/-/un-incendio-calcina-o-parque-de-pesca-e-a-ponte-dun-barco-cando-estaba-amarrado-ao-peirao-de-burela

Sweden has released the 'Vezhen', after the investigation has shown that this case was not a case of sabotage, according to the public prosecutor. The ship therefore allowed to leave Karlskrona and continue its journey. The cause of the cable damage between Latvia and Sweden is now considered to be a combination of weather conditions and deficiencies in equipment and seamanship, according to senior public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist. At the same time, however, it was said that they were convinced that the "Vezhen" was responsible for the damage on the night of Jan 26. The affected submarine cable is used by the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC), and the damage occurred in Sweden's exclusive economic zone. Latvia sent naval divers to the site of the damage shortly afterwards. As of Feb 3, the 'Vezhen' remained statioary in pos. 56° 04' N 015° 32' E. Reports with photos: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/0Vq3O0/haver-beslag-av-fartyg-inget-sabotage https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/aklagaren-haver-beslut-om-beslagtaget-fartyg

Fearing an earthquake, more and more residents and tourists want to leave the island of Santorini, which is why existing ferry connections are fully booked. The company Blue Star Ferries announced that it supports the local communities with consistency and responsibility. As a result, the "Kissamos" coming from Crete and the ferry "Bluestar Patmos" from Rhodes were diverted on the night of Feb 3, 2025, with an additional stop in Santorini. Video: https://twitter.com/i/status/1886275740888694936

The sailing yacht 'Flying Black Pearl', with one crew member on board, issued a distress call 23 nautical miles southeast of Roses on Feb 3, 2025. The ship was disabled without rudder and with other damages. The CCS Barcelona of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Lyra' to assist, which took the boat in tow and safely pulled it to Roses. The 'LS Barcelona' of the Creu Roja assists during the docking manoever. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1886463694705471651

The ' Joseph Napier' rescued five boaters, four men and one woman, from the 18-foot recreational vessel 'Michelle Marie II', which got disabled in eight-foot seas and started taking on water 13 nautical miles off Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on the afternoon of Feb 1. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a call from a 911 emergency operator and a VHF-Channel 16 radio communication, reporting that the vessel and pumps onboard were disabled, and that the crew was exhausted from manually bailing out water. The watchstanders issued an UMIB to advise nearby vessel traffic of the ongoing distress, they alerted the Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action, directed the launch of a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter and diverted the 'Joseph Napier' to the scene. The cutter crew spotted two signal flares that had been launched from the boat and deployed its Over-the-Horizon small boat which came alongside the 'Michelle Marie II'. The crew safely embarked the five boaters. The cutter crew utilized a P-6 pump to help dewater the 'Michelle Marie II'. Afterwards, the salvage vessel 'Kraken' arrived on-scene, embarked the survivors and transported them along with the boat in tow to Combate Beach in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4051549/coast-guard-rescues-5-boaters-from-vessel-taking-on-water-off-cabo-rojo-puerto/

The 'Atoll', en route from Duisburg to Ghent, ran aground on the Main in pos. 49° 57' N 009° 46' E on Jan 31, 2025, at 3 p.m. and became wedged between the two banks at the port of the Karlstadt Schwenk cement works. Probably the helmsman had underestimated the current on the river. The ship was refloated on Feb 1 at around 9 a.m. UTC with the help of the icebreaking tugs 'Grassmann' (MMSI: 211661130) and 'Angermünde' (MMSI 211660870) and moved into the port basin of the Laudenbach industrial area. Reports with photos: https://www.mainpost.de/regional/main-spessart/vermutlich-wieder-die-stroemung-unterschaetzt-im-schwenk-hafen-hat-sich-das-naechste-schiff-auf-dem-main-verkeilt-art-11703608 https://www.tvmainfranken.de/gueterschiff-steckt-wieder-fest-bereits-zweite-havarie-an-selber-stelle-376223/ https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/eisbrecher-bergen-querstehendes-gueterschiff-auf-dem-main,UbYKV3G

Nearly five months after a previous sale of the 'Elwha' was canceled, Washington State Ferries (WSF) has found a new buyer for the ferry, which was purchased by the Everett Ship Repair for $100,000 on Jan 23, 2025. A tug was scheduled to arrive at the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal at 9 a.m. to begin to move the vessel. Everett Ship Repair plans to convert the ferry into a floating office and warehouse space at its shipyard after some modifications. In Aug 2024, Nelson Armas attempted to tow the 'Elwha' and 'Klahowya' to Ecuador after purchasing both from WSF. He hired four sailors to tow the ferries, but the towing equipment malfunctioned. The sale was cancelled and WSF returned the ferries to the Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility on Bainbridge Island. The men alleged to the Seattle Seafarers Center that Armas left them with inadequate supplies, saying they did not have enough food or water and hadn't been paid. Eventually, the crew was deported by Customs and Border Patrol because their work permits were no longer valid. Armas denies the allegations of mistreatment.