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With two blasts of its horn, the 'Hebridean Isles' left the quay at Stornoway for a final time on Nov 17, bound for Glasgow before it goes to the breakers. The decision was a tough one for the operator CalMac as the company is struggling to maintain services with an ageing fleet while awaiting the delivery of new vessels. But with its five-year survey due and certificates expiring, the cost and time required to keep the ship sailing was not considered feasible. The ship is one of many vessels in the CalMac fleet being so old it is impossible to source spare parts, which would have to be manufactured specially. Any useful parts from the 'Hebridean Isles' will end up in a large CalMac warehouse in Gourock that is used to keep the fleet going. Report with photos: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98ejdjpq96o

The 'Green Cooler', en route from Harlingen to Mostaganem, requested the medical evacuation of immobilized crew member to the CCS of Salvamento MArítimo in Vigo on Nov 17, 2024. The 'Salvamar Mirach' was mobilized and disembarked the seafarer, who was then taken to the port, where medical personnel and an ambulance were already waiting. Report with photos: https://www.msn.com/es-es/noticias/internacional/evac%C3%BAan-al-puerto-de-vigo-a-un-tripulante-del-buque-green-cooler/ar-AA1ufqx3

The 'Nazan', en route from Novorossyisk to Maltepe in loaden condition, suffered a rudder failure in the Kandilli area of ​​the Istanbul Strait on the night of Nov 17, 2024. The tugs' Kurtarma 7' (IMO: 9598608) and 'Kurtarma 9' (IMO: 9598581) were immediately sent to assist. The 'Kurtarma 9' took the ship in tow. The tanker, assisted by a pilot, was safely anchored at the Ahırkapı Anchorage in pos. 40° 60' N 028° 58' E under the coordination of the Istanbul Ship Traffic Services Center. Reports with photos: https://x.com/kiyiemniyet/status/1858219559167177061 https://x.com/kiyiemniyet/status/1858254315971830125

Beached at Alang 15.11.24 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160700172980036&set=gm.10163620181063943&idorvanity=6884293942

On Nov 12, 2024, the 'Gloria Figueira' was intercepted with drugs by agents of the National Police and the Spanish Navy. The National Police and the Spanish Navy intercepted the vessel, which was loaded with 4,500 kilos of cocaine, 900 kilometers northwest of the Canary Islands. The drug shipment was presumably going to be unloaded in the region of Galicia The ship had previously been sanctioned by the Panamanian flag state authorities for committing serious infractions and had had its fishing license revoked. In addition, the fishing vessel was monitored by a group of Spanish police officers in the port of Vigo, since its activities were classified as suspicious. The ship berthed in Las Palmas on Nov 15. Report with photos: https://reportedelaeconomia.com/espana/cuatro-toneladas-de-cocaina-en-barco-bandera-panamena-cerca-de-canarias-criticas-respuesta-panama/

The 'Amilcar', which had been subjected to a PSC in July 2024, as part of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (PMoU), which highlighted shortcomings that led to the development of a corrective action plan, with a specific timetable to remedy them. In accordance with the established schedule, the final inspection took place on Nov 13 upon the ship’s arrival in Livorno. The Italian authorities carried out a thorough check to ensure that all identified deficiencies had been corrected. After carrying out all the checks on board, including a fire drill, the Italian Coastguard personnel noted 23 violations, 10 of which were regarded as serious and being in violation of international regulations on navigation safety. The main deficiencies concerned both maintenance, the living conditions of workers on board and the necessary certifications. On Nov 15, the ship was authorized to leave the port after a satisfactory final inspection.

On Nov 9, 2024, the abandoned Class 40 yacht 'Acrobatica', owned by the Italian sailor Alberto Riva, was spotted by a cargo ship some 350 nautical miles west of the Azores. The boat was abandoned on July 8 after a collision with a cargo ship approximately 300 miles from the Azores. Riva and his crew, Tommy Stella and Jean Marre, were forced to abandon the yacht which was thought to have sunk, but has nevertheless remained afloat in the Atlantic Ocean. After the report, the posotopm was passed on to the MRCC, which reported the find to Alberto Riva. The Italian skipper’s team is now planning a possible salvage operation for the damaged boat. Alberto Riva’s team was now trying to determine exactly where the 'Acrobatica' is located in order to assess the feasibility of a salvage operation. A possible salvage could provide crucial evidence. Report with photo: https://www.clubracer.be/verloren-gewaande-class-40-acrobatica-gespot-nabij-de-azoren-team-riva-overweegt-berging/48538/

The 'Andreas Kalvos', serving the route Patras, Sami, Ithaca, Sami, with 157 passengers and 33 crew members. and loaded with 32 cars, three trucks and three buses, allided with the quay, en route from Patras, in the port of Sami in Kefalonia during the mooring process on Nov 17, 2024. The ship was damaged at the starboard side stern. The passengers disembarked safely. No injuries were reported, and no marine pollution was observed. The Sami Port Department of the Kefallinian Port Authority banned the ship from sailing until the damage was repaired and a certificate of seaworthiness was presented by the monitoring classification society. The 36 passengers destined for Ithaca wee forwarded to their destination by the care of the owner company.

On Nov 17, the Sasemar 103 aircraft located a migrant boat 280 nautical miles south of the Maspalomas Lighthouse. The 'Guardamar Talía' was mobilized to the scene and rescued 249 people from a cayuco . They were transferred to Los Cristianos, where they arrived after midnight On the morning of Nov 17, the 'Salvamar Alpheratz' rescued 34 migrants of sub-Saharan origin eight nautical miles southwest of Punta Rasca. The castaways were also transferred to Los Cristianos. The operation was coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1858430658349068681

The 'Glen Xannox' is expected to be completed by the Ferguson Marine shipyard this week, though 6,5f years late, on Nov 18 at the earliest, and one month after the latest of a long series of handover deadlines in mid-October passed. After the ferry leaves the shipyard, it will still have to undergo 6,5 weeks of crew familiarisation trials by CalMac and 16 days of MoT-like annual maintenance before it can enter service. It may enter the service between Troon and Brodick in mid-January 2025 at the earliest. Actually the ship is docked at Inchgreen in Greenock because there is not enough space at the Port Glasgow yard where the sister vessel 'Glen Rosa' is berthed and is due to be completed next September. The 'Glen Sannox' will officially be handed over to the Scottish Government ferry-owning firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd., which ordered the two ships in 2015 for delivery of both in 2018.

The service of the 'Floating Bridge 6 between Cowes and East Cowes across the River Medina will have to be suspended in order to undergo maintenance work on Nov 20, 2024, due to necessary repairs. The ferry will be out of action between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The captain of the 'BBG Journey' was stabbed on Nov 15, 2024, about 400 nautical miles off the coast of the Maldonado department. In response to this, the ship requested assistance from the Uruguayan Navy to treat the injured man. The Navy ordered the Uruguayan ship 'ROU04' to head towards the position of the vessel to provide assistance together with a doctor. The ships made contact on the morning of Nov 16. The adverse weather conditions made it difficult for the doctor to be transferred onto the ship, so it was decided that both ships would proceed towards the coast of Maldonado and that when they reached the range of action of a helicopter, the Navy would medevac the man and take him to a health centre in Uruguay. It was reported that the captain was in serious condition, but stable.

Beached at Alang 15.11.24

On Nov 15, the crew of the 'Voyager of the Seas' rescued a family of two adults, two minors, and a dog from distress at sea. At the time of the rescue, the cruise ship was on its second day at sea en route from Cartagena to Las Palmas on Gran Canaria. A few nautical miles off the coast of Africa, it assisted their yacht, which had suffered an engine failure that resulted in a loss of power. Making matters worse, the vessel had also lost its masts, effectively stranding those onboard. A tender boat was launched to help the people. An attempt to fix the problems failed, so the people were brought onto the 'Voyager of the Seas', which then continued its voyage, and the castaways were disembarked in port on Nov 16. The associated formalities were being arranged with the local authorities. Reports with photo and video: https://www.schiffe-und-kreuzfahrten.de/news/voyager-of-the-seas-rettet-eine-familie-vor-der-afrikanischen-kueste-aus-seenot/330539/ https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-ship-rescues-family-during-transatlantic-cruise/151183

On Nov 11, 2024, one of the large windows in the wheelhouse of the 'Suroît ', serving the Saint-Pierre, Miquelon and Fortune route, suddenly cracked. The window, which is nearly four meters long and weighs more than 500 kilos, will have to be replaced custom-made by the Dutch manufacturer Damen. As a consequence, the ferry will have to remain docked in Saint-Pierre for several weeks. The SPM Ferries company was waiting for an expert, equiopped with a 3D scanner allowing him to check structural deformations, to arrive on Nov 18 to get a clearer picture. The only explanation for the moment is the accumulation of salt that is forcing on the edge of the tile, by pressure, movement or deformation. The 'Suroît' will therefore not set sail before the start of Jan 2026 at the earliest. Report with photo: https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/saintpierremiquelon/le-ferry-le-suroit-immobilise-pour-plusieurs-semaines-a-cause-d-une-vitre-endommagee-a-la-timonerie-1537252.html

On Nov 17, the Sasemar 103 aircraft located a migrant boat 280 nautical miles south of the Maspalomas Lighthouse. The 'Guardamar Talía' was mobilized to the scene and rescued 249 people from a cayuco . They were transferred to Los Cristianos, where they arrived after midnight On the morning of Nov 17, the 'Salvamar Alpheratz' rescued 34 migrants of sub-Saharan origin eight nautical miles southwest of Punta Rasca. The castaways were also transferred to Los Cristianos. The operation was coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1858430658349068681

Scrapped at Liepaja 11/2024 https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3781625?page=2&navList=homePhotoFooter&list=latest×tamp=1731837600

Te 'Yantar' was seen operating drones in an area containing subsea energy and internet infrastructure and has been escorted out of the Irish Sea after it entered Irish-controlled waters and patrolled an area containing critical energy and internet submarine pipelines and cables.´It was spotted on Nov 14 east of Dublin and southwest of the Isle of Man, but Norwegian, US, French and British Navy and air defence services initially observed it accompanying the Russian warship 'Admiral Golovko' through the English Channel last weekend. The patrol vessel 'LÉ James Joyce' escorted the spy ship out of the Irish exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Nov 15 at about 3 a.m. with the air corps continuing to monitor its movements as it headed south. Its presence has raised fresh concerns about the security of the interconnector cables that run between Ireland and the UK carrying global internet traffic from huge datacentres operated by tech companies including Google and Microsoft, which have their EU headquarters sited in Ireland. The sighting of the Russian intelligence ship came as British defence forces monitored other Russian vessels near its eastern coastal waters. On Nov 14, British jets were also scrambled to monitor a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying close to UK airspace- The ship was also spotted on Nov 11 and 12 west of Cork, where there are another set of connectors between Ireland and France, some offering transatlantic interconnection. At one point it was positioned just inside the Irish EEZ, 3.1 to 4.3 miles north of the cables connecting Ireland and the UK.

The captain of the 'Da Jin Man 88' which had been arrested by the Chinese Coastguard off the island of Kinmen, accused of bottom trawling in a prohibited area, and was transferred to the port of Weitou, was released after paying a fine with an equivalent of 27,500 Euros. Two Penghu politicians helped arrange the payment. The Taiwanese Coastguard escorted the ship on Friday, Nov 15, after the fine was paid, to the Penghu archipelago where it is registered. Attempted rescue The 'Da Jin Man 88' had five crew members on board at the time it was seized: two Taiwanese and three Indonesians. Four sailors were released in August. But the captain and the ship were still being held.

The "Bjørnson" has been repaired by the Selfa Arctic AS after a fire in the galley at the end of September 2024, and suffered extensive damage due to the fire, smoke and damage due to the extinguishing work. The insurance Nordlys Forsikring contracted Selfa to carry out the repair. The structure had to be rebuilt in the damaged area, a major job involving carpentry, plumbing, painting/drawing and electrical work. https://www.kystogfjord.no/nyheter/i/gwJX2L/ms-bjoernson-tilbakelevert-etter-brannskade