News

On Nov 20, the pleasure boat "Abis", with two people on board, was unable to return to the port due to adverse weather conditions in Punta Teno and requested assistance. The CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Menkalinan', which took the boat in tow and safely pulled it to Los Gigantes. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1859300580948169209

Following a successful salvage operation, the 'Tog Mor' has been sold to HEBO Maritime Service for repurpose. Purchased by Allseas in 1997, the vessel was converted for pipelay and construction activities between 2001 and 2002. Debuting for Allseas on the Interconnector Scotland-Ireland pipeline job, she went on to safely install more than 400 kilometres of nearshore pipeline worldwide. The robust design, impressive tension holding capacity and lifting power made her indispensable on dozens of projects requiring stability and strength in challenging conditions. Built in 1975 as a heavy-duty floating derrick, the 'Tog Mor' was designed with Stülcken masts for the assembly of large sections and modules for offshore production platforms. Her legacy began with the construction of the North Sea’s Maureen platform, and later, she lifted the historic warship 'Mary Rose' from the Solent seabed. HEBO plans to convert the vessel into an offshore construction barge, which will be named 'HEBO-CB 1', aimed at supporting projects in the civil and energy markets. The vessel will feature a 300-tonne crane, an 8-point mooring system, accommodation for 144 personnel, and 1,300 sq m of deck space. HEBO will start the conversion process shortly.

On Nov 18 at around 8 p.m. UTC the 'Yi Peng 3' has dropped anchor in pos. 56° 25' N 011° 39' E, and the patrol boat "P525", of the Danish Navy, which had been shadowing the freighter for hours, circled in the immediate vicinity. Another Danish Navy ship, the "HDMS Søløven", had set course for the location and reached it shortly after 11 p.m., where it dropped anchor. It is intended to support divers, for example in clearing mines or ammunition. The "P525" then moved away, but returned to the two anchored ships in the morning, whereupon the "HDMS Søløven" set course south. The Danish patrol ship "HDMS Hvidbjørnen" also set course for the location during the night, but eventually switched off its position data. For many hours, various ships of the Danish Navy followed the Chinese freighte through the Great Belt between Funen and Zealand. Now a patrol boat has apparently detained the ship north of Zealand Itis suspected of being responsible for the damage to the internet cables in the alleged sabotage on the Bluesky Internet short message service. The "Yi Peng 3" had crossed the cables at the points in question during the time when the damage to the C-Lion1 and BCS East-West Interlink Internet cables occurred on Nov 17 and Nov 18. In each case, the ship lost speed and made conspicuous course changes. The ship had set off from the Ultramar Terminal in Ust-Luga, Russia, with a cargo of fertilizer, and stated that its destination was Port Said. The German authorities are in contact with Danish, Swedish and Finnish authorities. The German Federal Ministry of Defense assumes sabotage. The Federal Ministry of the Interior referred to the investigations in Finland and Sweden. The Chinese owner Ningbo Yipeng Shipping has only acquired the ship this month.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160710750575036&set=pcb.10163631873583943

70 passengers and crew members of the 'Coral Princess' have fallen ill with norovirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Nov 19, 2024. The ship, was sailing a month-long route between Singapore and Long Beach with over 2,700 passengers and crew members aboard. 55 passengers have reported being ill with norovirus, according to the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program. 15 crew members had the same illness. The first illness was reported on Nov. 9, and the ship docked in California on Nov. 17. There were no delays to its arrival, and it embarked on a 16-day journey to Fort Lauderdale on Nov 10. In response to the outbreak, the 'Coral Princess' crew increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, following their prevention and response plan.

The 'Glen Sannox' has officially received regulatory approval to carry passengers on Nov 19. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Lloyd’s Register have issued final certifications for the vessel, paving the way for its imminent handover to the Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. by the builder Ferguson Marine Shipyard, marking a turning point in a project that has been closely watched by the Scottish public and shipping industry alike. The ferry is the second largest vessel ever built for CalMac and is the first UK-built ferry capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Originally due for delivery in May 2018, the project has been plagued by design struggles and disputes over rising costs. The contract for the 'Glen Sannox' and its sister ship 'Glen Rosa' was awarded in 2015, shortly after Ferguson’s shipyard was rescued from administration. The construction quickly encountered difficulties, with blame being attributed to poorly developed specifications and alleged interference from CMAL, the government-owned company responsible for procuring ships for the CalMac fleet. The original £97 million contract for both ships has increased to over £400 million, with the 'Glen Sannox' arriving more than six years late. Although the formal handover is expected shortly, the operator CalMac will need approximately six more weeks for crew familiarization and operational trials before the vessel enters service. CalMac is currently grappling with maintaining its winter timetable due to the potential long-term unavailability of the 'Caledonian Isles', still under repair in Greenock, and the recent retirement of the 39-year-old ferry 'Hebridean Isles'.

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.

Beached at Aliaga 11/2024 https://www.instagram.com/p/DCnrx-7oDd3/

In connection with the damage to two submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, also the "Fortune Express" was searched for two and a half hours on t Nov 19, 2024, in the Kiel lock to the Kiel Canal, en route from St. Petersburg, Russia, to La Rochelle. The ship entered the lock at 4.40 p.m. UTC. The officials allowed it to continue after the search at around 7.10 p.m. .Apparently this ship had also ben carrying out suspicious maneuvers in the affected sea area at the time in question.

After damaging two submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, the "Yi Peng 3" stopped its voyage through the Baltic Sea and anchored in the sea area between Denmark and Sweden. A Danish pilot boarded the ship on Nov 19 at 07.53 a.m. UTC. The vessel is also being monitored by the Navy's patrol ship 'P535'. The Danish Navy's diving vessel HDMS 'Søløven' was close to the Chinese ship overnight before being relieved by the patrol vessel. However, the diving vessel is still in the area. The German federal police also sent a ship on the afternoon of Nov 20 to support the investigation into the damaged cables. The two submarine data cables affected are the C-Lion 1 data cable, which connects Finland with Germany and lands in Rostock, and the BCS-East-West Interlink data cable, which connects Lithuania with the Swedish island of Gotland. The ship movement data showed that the "Yi Peng 3" was apparently in the immediate vicinity of the places where the cables were destroyed. The ship passed the C-Lion cable on Nov 18 at 3:02 a.m. Two minutes later, at 3:04 a.m., the cable operator company Cinia noticed a defect, and a short time later a total failure. The "Yi Peng 3" was previously sailing near the destroyed East-West Interlink data cable. The AIS data show that the ship passed the cable east of Gotland on Nov 17 at around 9 a.m. A short time later, data traffic also failed here. No AIS data was transmitted by the Chinese ship between the two events between Nov 17 at 6.30 p.m. and Nov 18 at 1 a.m. over a sailing distance of 48.5 miles, so the ship apparently did not reveal its location. The ship also stood out due to unusual movement patterns during this period. On the one hand, it was traveling noticeably slowly in the area of ​​the underwater cables, and on the other hand, later that same day, it came to a complete standstill south of the Swedish city of Karlskrona (Lat. 55.6908 Lng. 15.8000). It only continued its voyage after about an hour. During the period in question, several other ships passed the data cables, including a Russian freighter. They are also currently being monitored by European security authorities. The German government assumes that the two data cables were deliberately damaged. On Nov 18, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had already stated in a press release with several EU foreign ministers that they were "deeply concerned" about the incident. Europe's security is also threatened by hybrid warfare by malicious actors. The German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had stated in a joint press statement with his Finnish counterpart that no one assumed that "these cables were accidentally severed." As of November 20, 2024, neither the vessel nor the ISM manager Win Enterprises Ship Management as commercial manager, and the registered ownerNingbo Yipeng Shipping Co. Ltd. appeared on published sanction lists. However, historical trade data showed that the ship has transported Russian thermal coal and coal from Murmansk and Nakhodka on at least seven occasions. In 2022, it experienced two AIS signal gaps in China, each lasting over 20 hours.

arrived Bhavnagar Anchorage 20.11.24

The New Zealand Navy is confident a robust plan is in place to handle any leaks as the operation to remove fuel from the HMNZS' Manawanui' begins. The ship has nearly 1000 tonnes of automotive gas oil that has diesel-like qualities on board. Officials estimated up to 200,000 litres of fuel from the ship have leaked into the sea. The fuel and other pollutants, such as oils and greases, were set to be removed in the next phase. Both contracted salvage companies and the Navy would be able to respond quickly if any leaks occurred. The on-site equipment would be able to contain any spillage. The Navy would also have personnel and equipment on standby in New Zealand if needed. The main fuel tanks remained intact, and the vessel was being checked daily by divers. The Navy was monitoring the coastline and the vessel with drones and also walk the coastline on a regular basis for any changes or pollution. The Samoan authorities have been conducting scientific testing of the water. The interim Court of Inquiry report on the sinking had been received by the Chief of Navy. It had been handed over to a Kings Counsel for an independent legal review and then some of the key information would be released publicly.

The captain of the 'Izmit Express' alerted the authorities in Vigo that some packages had been located abiard the ship, later confirming that it could be cocaine, although the amount found was not yet known. The Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service (SVA) have searched the ship after docked in the port of Vigo on the morning of Nov 19, 2024, at the Guixar container terminal, after leaving Cartagena on Nov 8. The ship left the port again on Nov 20 en route to Malaga.

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 the afternoon of Nov 20, on the sidelines of a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustam Umerow, the Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen commented on the possible sabotage incidents on submarine cables in the Baltic Sea. He said that the Danish government was taking the threat to critical infrastructure "very, very seriously and are investigating it carefully". He was coordinating closely with the other Nordic states on how to proceed. He confirmed that the Danish Navy had tracked the suspicious "Yi Peng 3" on its way through the Baltic Sea, but he did not want to comment on possible measures against the ship, which was stopped by Danish authorities on the evening of Nov 19 and remained anchored in the Kattegat. It is therefore still unclear what will happen next with the "Yi Peng 3", which is moored just inside Danish territorial waters off the East Jutland coast near Grenå, guarded by Danish military ships since the evening of Nov 20, including the patrol ships "Søløven" and "PNK 225", which had previously shadowed the "Yi Peng 3" on its way through the Baltic Sea together with other patrol ships and a Danish frigate. The damage to the two affected fiber optic cables occurred within less than 24 hours:. The Swedish-Lithuanian data cable was damaged around 50 kilometers from the Baltic Sea island of Gotland on Nov 18 at around 9 a.m., and the Finnish-German cable was damaged east of the island of Öland on Nov 18 at around 3 a.m., according to the operator Cinia. While the cause remained unclear, the operator and German defense minister assumed external influence. Sweden was investigating possible sabotage. Units of the Swedish Coast Guard and Navy have been on site at the damage points south of the island of Öland since Nvo 19. The submarine rescue ship "Belos", equipped with underwater technology, and the mine hunter "Ulvön" with underwater drones were on site. The Swedish Coast Guard patrol ship "Amfitrite" was currently coordinating the measures on site. Meanwhile, according to the Swedish authorities, the Finnish criminal police also began investigating the damage to the cables on Nov 20, concentrating on the damage to the C-Lion1 submarine cable, which runs between Helsinki and Rostock. The German federal police's ship "Bamberg" left its berth in Rostock on the afternoon of Nov 20 and set course for the eastern Baltic Sea. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Nvo 20 that the situation surrounding the freighter was not known. China has always fulfilled its duties as a flag state and requires Chinese ships to strictly adhere to the relevant laws, stressed spokesman Lin Jian in Beijing.

On Nov 20 a precarious boat was located eight nautical miles from Arrecife. The RCC of Salvamento Marítimo on Las Palmas mobilized the 'Salvamar Al Nair', which rescues te 47 sub-Saharan Africans on board. Among them were 42 men, four women and one minor at 7.43 a.m. The migrants were disembarked in Arrecife at 8.20 a.m.

Sold to Chittagong Breakers

The 'Floating Bridge 6', which crosses the River Medina between Cowes and East Cowes, had to halt crossings on Nov 20, while it has some parts replaced. The operator, Isle of Wight Council, said the ferry needed three new guide wheels and a prow ram cylinder. The ferry was expected to be out of action from 09:00 a.m. - 6 p.m., with a launch service running for pedestrians and cyclists.

The legal firm Carter Capner Law is considering a lawsuit that alleges P&O incentivised guests to gamble regardless of their capacity to repay their debts and plied them with free alcohol following the death of a man who jumped overboard the 'Pacifi cAdventure' off Sydney Heads. The firm was investigating a possible suit over “unethical practises” preying on vulnerable passengers in ship casinos in the wake of the incident on May 6, 2024, at 4 a.m. The father-of-three Shane Dixon, 45, fell to his death after amassing a $9,000 casino debt. His body was retrieved by NSW Police Marine Area Command about 10.30 a.m. The man had reportedly lost thousands of dollars over two nights in the ship’s casino. P&O was now accused of incentivising guests to gamble by offering credit regardless of their bank balance and capacity to repay their debts. Despite modifications following the death and subsequent publicity, more still needed to be done. P&O Cruises said they had “Responsible Conduct of Gaming Policies in place on all P&O ships and take those policies seriously”. Carter Capner Law was on the verge of launching a class action against P&O owner Carnival Cruises for the both the recovery of financial losses incurred by former passengers and for “damages for unlawful imprisonment”. The firm alleged that upon arrival back in Sydney the man was held on-board for three hours over his casino debt before threatening to jump overboard and swim to shore, while his partner and three young children waited outside for him. In another alleged case cited by Carter Capner Law, a man claimed he was offered a free cruise with unlimited drinks and a credit limit of $5000 per day despite Carnival Cruises being aware of his previous problems gambling and unpaid debts.

On Nov 19, the 'Salvamar Acrux' assisted a cayuco with 58 people, among them four women, on board, off the coast of El Hierro. The cayuco, which was spotted 15 nauticalmiles from the coast, had initially been located by the 'Salvamar Adhara', which was on a rescue mission for another cayuco 60 miles south of El Hierro. After reporting the location, the 'Salvamar Acrux 'was sent to carry out the rescue. The migrants were taken to the port of La Restinga, where the 'Salvamar Acrux'arrived at 1:20 p.m. One of the migrants was taken to the Virgen de los Reyes Insular Hospital to receive urgent medical attention by an emergency team that included the Red Cross' Immediate Emergency Response Team (ERIE), the Canary Islands Emergency Service, port surveillance, the Civil Guard and the National Police, before being transferred to the Temporary Assistance Center for Foreigners (CATE) in the town of San Andrés, where they will be cared for by the NGO "Orange Heart - Ebrima Sonko" and will remain under police custody until their transfer to other resources outside the island. According to the migrants' testimonies, the crossing from Nouadhibou had lasted four days. The migrants were comnig from several countries, including Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Ivory Coast, Syria and Somalia.