SOL SINGAPORE

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Ship required tug assistance due to engine damage

The fourth cylinder of the main engine of the 'BF Timaru', en route from St. Petersburg to New Orleans with 9.000 metric tonnes of aluminium products was out of order on Nov 24, 2021. The ship was drifting in position 49 41 24 N, 007 56 24 W at 3.40 p.m, about 70 nautical miles west of the Isles of Scilly and required tug assistance. The MRCC Falmouth contacted the Tamlyn shipping agent. The tug 'Mercia' was deployed to the scene but had to turn back due to weather conditions. Instead, the Dutch tug 'ALP Defender' (IMO: 9737242) was heading to the position in order to tow the ship to Falmouth. On Nov 26 at 1.45 p.m. the 'BF Timaru' was inside the French SRR, and the coordination has been passed to CROSS Corsen. The convoy was now destined to a French port.

Southern lock in Kiel Holtenau damaged again

Only two weeks after a reserve gate had been inserted into the southern lock of the Kiel Canal in Kiel-Holtenau after the allision of the "Akacia", the "BF Timaru“ could not stop in time when entering the lock after the eastbound canal transit and slammed into the gate with its bow on Apr 20, 2018, at 7 a.m. The gate was dented above the water line, but as the vessel had a draught of eight meters, also the submerged part had to be surveyed for possible damage. At 9 a.m. a ROV was deployed to investigate which ended its work at 9.30 a.m. without having found damage under water. The "BF Timaru" was allowed to continue the voyage from Las Palmas to Gdansk after investigations at 10 a.m., arriving there on Apr 23 at 11.30 a.m., left the port again on Apr 28 at 4.45 p.m., next being bound to Antwerp, ETA Apr 30 at 6 p.m. German report with photos and live blog: http://www.kn-online.de/Lokales/Nord-Ostsee-Kanal/Liveblog-Suedschleuse-in-Kiel-Holtenau-nach-Havarie-wieder-gesperrt

Team Bremen underway with dismasted VOR-yacht

Puma Ocean Racing successfully loaded the "Mar Mostro" onto a container ship "Team Bremen" at Tristan da Cunha on Dec 2, 2011. The container ship lifted the yacht on board in the evening without incident, before heading back towards South Africa, with an ETA of December 6. Puma will be the sixth of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet to arrive in Cape Town, after having been dismasted 750 miles north of Tristan da Cunha, and having to effect mid-ocean fuel transfer before proceeding to the remote island and await the arrival of a ship capable of hoisting the yacht on board. The lifting of the "Mar Mostro" aboard the ship had to be carried out in deep water off the island’s coast and Read’s biggest concern had been that Atlantic swells could hamper the operation or worse still cause further damage to the boat. The target is now the second in-port race in Cape Town on December 10, 2011, and the start of Leg 2 to Abu Dhabi the following day. It will take between four and five days to get back to the the port, where the other five teams competing in the race are now docked. On the way, the team will work on repairing the boat to gain time. Their best hope is to arrive in Cape Town on December 6, which would give them a fighting chance of stepping the replacement mast and taking part in the in-port race. The mast also was on its way to Cape Town from Johannesburg after being flown in from the United States. It was expected to arrive at the team's shore base by road at 9 a.m. on Dec 3. Report with photos: http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Volvo-Ocean-Race:-Puma-on-board-and-en-route-to-Cape-Town/91400