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The "KM Putri Papua" sank on the morning of Feb 4, 2025, 12 miles off the coast of Sorong, West Papua, after an engine failure, which occurred at 5.47 a.m. WIT in pos. 1° 35.934’ S – 130° 55.506’ E. The Indonesian Navy deployed the KRI ''Mata Bongsang (MBS)-873', which sighted smoke at 7.46 a.m. in pos. 1° 35.666’ S – 131° 00.440’ E in a distance of four nautical miles and received a radio transmission from the KM 'Putri Papua', but the signal was then lost. It then moved closer to carry out the evacuation. At 08.00 a.m. a lifeboat was launched, at which time the safari ship was already sinking. At 8.05 a.m. 17 people, consisting of: eight Indonesian crew members and nine Passengers (consisting of threre Indonesian citizens and six foreign nationals were rescued. Two crew members suffered minor injuries and received medical treatment. The ship then sailed towards Lantamal XIV Sorong, which was approximately 55 nautical miles away, to drop off the castaways. The sinking of the KM 'Putri Papua', a traditional wooden phinisi boat, could pose an obstacle to shipping due to its position. The cause of the engine failure and the exact circumstances of the sinking are currently being investigated. Report with photo: https://koreri.com/2025/02/04/tni-al-evakuasi-korban-km-putri-papua-yang-tenggelam-di-perairan-sorong-begini-kronoligisnya/

An investigation into the sinking of the 'Angel' laid the blame mainly on a failure to properly maintain its hull, while the Palauan shipping authority knew that the vessel was not seaworthy, but failed to notify the Taiwanese government in advance. The ship with 19 Azerbaijani crew members on board had arrived at the Port of Kaohsiung on July 20, 2023, and sank on July 21. The accident occurred because the hull had not been properly maintained for five years, and the cargo hold floor structure was damaged, the investigation found. After the ship had sailed from Colombo, the bottom plate of the 3rd cargo hold on the starboard side cracked, causing the ballast water in the right side of the third ballast tank to seep into the third cargo hold, it found. After the cargo was loaded at the port of Dalian, the severely corroded floor cracked due to the weight of the containers, causing the water in the ballast water tanks to seep into the 4th and fifth cargo holds. After the ship sailed from Dalian, crew members were unable to enter the hold to deal with the water accumulation and seepage because it was full. On the day of the sinking, oil sludge and residue in the ship’s fuel pipeline blocked the fuel filter, causing the generator to stop running and resulting in a loss of power to the entire ship. Meanwhile, the ballast water pump stopped operating. After the ship tilted 45 degrees to port side,a large amount of seawater surged in. It entered the stern cargo hold and engine room, causing the ship to sink. The investigation showed there were several risks involved leading to the sinking. The crew lacked the ability to address the water seepage problem in the cargo hold after the ship was fully loaded. Aside from the lack of maintenance, the board also found that the ship’s owner and management firm Zulu Shipping failed to follow the International Register of Shipping’s rules requiring underwater hull inspections and additional international safety management audits to be carried out at the first convenient port or anchorage. They also did not complete the 17 improvement suggestions and four improvement suggestion memorandums proposed by the International Register of Shipping within the deadline. The Palau shipping authority knew ten days before the shipwreck that the 'Angel' was not seaworthy, but it did not notify Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau, leaving it with no time to offer emergency assistance before the accident. The S5 Asia (Hong Kong) Ltd. Taiwan Branch as the ship’s agent failed to inform the bureau and Taiwan International Port Corp about the water accumulation problem four days before the shipwreck, while Zulu failed to implement handover training for new and old crew members, and provide timely resources to solve the problem of water accumulation. Crew members had been replaced before the wreck, and the chief officer, who faced a threat to his life, sent an emergency e-mail to the International Transport Workers’ Federation and Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority. When the incident occurred, the Post of Kaohsiung Vessel Traffic Service System did not require the ship’s owner to provide liability insurance information when the ship was anchored in the port.

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 "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

The underwater work carried out by Tenerife Shipyards on the bow bulb of the “Marie Curie” has allowed the Maritime Authority of Tenerife to authorise the departure of the ship, four days after the mishap that occurred during the docking manoeuvre on its arrival from Huelva, when a generator failure left the ship without propulsion, so it hit the dock and suffered a leak. The resolution of the problem by Tenerife Shipyards has prevented it from having to enter ASTICAN, a possibility that had initially been considered.On FEb 3 at 3:30 p.m., the ship left its berth in the East dock, in the plot assigned to Tenerife Shipyards, and made a large part of the journey to the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria at a speed of 21 knots, where it has rejoined the Huelva line.

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 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 Feb 1, 2025, at 8.15 p.m. when a Norwegian cargo ship, transiting the Kiel Canal eastbound, and passed a moored push convoy with the tug 'Helmut' and a barge, the lines securing them to the dolphins broke due to the small distance between the cargo ship and the convoy, which was used in the area of ​​a canal construction site. The tug was driven into the adjacent embankment in pos. 53° 54' N 009° 09' E as a result. The cargo ship was sailing at the maximum speed permitted for the Kiel Canal. The pontoon loaded with a construction site crane remained undamaged. Only thanks to the intervention of the crane operator did a construction site ferry and an office container remain undamaged by the swinging crane boom. The suction and waves from the cargo ship threatened to break the line connection to the construction site ferry. Using the main engine prevented the lines from breaking and thus prevented further damage. The Brunsbüttel water police initiated criminal proceedings against the captain of the cargo ship for endangering ship traffic.

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 ' 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