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The NTSB has issued an investigation report into the allision between the fishing vessel 'Papa Rod' and the 'Appaloosa'. On May 2, 2024, about 09.30 a.m. LT, the 'Papa Rod' was underway 25 miles south of Venice, Louisiana, when it collided with the bulk carrier, which was anchored east of the entrance to Southwest Pass. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. The damage to the vessels was estimated to be about $223,000. While the fishing vessel was near Southwest Pass, it was on autopilot. The deckhand on watch (deckhand 2) stated that he fell asleep at the helm. The toxicology results for deckhand 2 indicated that he had used the stimulant drug methamphetamine and a psychoactive cannabis product. The high levels of methamphetamine and its metabolite amphetamine in his urine (over 10,000 nanograms per milliliter) generally increase the likelihood that methamphetamine had been abused. However, this is not definitive, and urine toxicology results generally cannot be used to determine the precise timing of last drug use or the details of associated impairment. Therefore, whether deckhand 2 was impaired by the effects of his methamphetamine or cannabis use at the time of the allision could not be determined. Effects from methamphetamine abuse follow a typical pattern, dominated by central nervous system stimulation in the early phase, with features of central nervous system depression emerging later as initial drug effects wear off. Such features of central nervous system depression may include sleepiness, which can be intense. Additionally, methamphetamine and amphetamine use may also interfere with proper sleep, causing sleep loss, which can lead to fatigue. Similarly, cannabis use can contribute to drowsiness in some individuals, either through acute drug effects or interference with restful sleep. The investigators could not determine the amount of sleep deckhand 2 received before joining the 'Papa Rod'. Although deckhand 2 reported getting seven hours of rest/sleep before taking watch, he stated that deckhand 1 had to “holler” at him two or three times before he awakened, indicating he had difficulty waking up. Given deckhand 2’s urine results, his difficulty awakening and drowsiness could have been an effect of his drug use or a related sleep debt. However, whether deckhand 2’s drug use increased his drowsiness at the time of the allision could not be determined. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the allision was the on-watch deckhand falling asleep while operating the Papa Rod. Possibly contributing to his drowsiness were effects of his drug use or a related sleep debt. Full report: https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NTSB-Collision-between-Fishing-Vessel-Papa-Rod-and-Anchored-Bulk-Carrier-Appaloosa-2025_04.pdf

On the morning of April 11, 2025, the Estonian Navy detained the 'Kiwala', a tanker from Russia's "shadow fleet" that exports Russian crude oil and oil products to third countries, en route from Sikka to the Russian port Ust-Luga. Estonia began preparing for the operation on the evening of April 10, and the operation itself began on April 11 at 3 a.m. At 4:19 a.m., the tanker entered Estonian waters. The vessel is now east of Aegna Island, with two warships alongside it. The vessel was under sanctions in connection with its previous activities in the European Union and was heading to Ust-Luga. The tanker had no flag, and such vessels are not allowed to move. During the detention, the technical condition of the vessel and the crew's documents were checked. A helicopter was involved in the operation. There were 24 people on board the tanker. The captain of the vessel is a Chinese national, who is cooperating with the investigation. Recently, the vessel has been flying the flag of Djibouti. The tanker was anchored in pos. 59° 35' N 024° 49' E. Report with photos: https://censor.net/en/photonews/3546274/russian-shadow-fleet-tanker-kiwala-detained-in-estonia

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The Kerala government is set to hand over the provisional completion certificate for Vizhinjam Port, marking the beginning of its commercial operations. Kerala government will issue the provisional completion certificate for the Vizhinjam international seaport on Wednesday - 04/12/2024. The Directorate of Customs has assigned a new port code, "INTRV01," for Vizhinjam International Seaport. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has also officially recognized "INTRV01" as the designated port code for Adani Vizhinjam Port. This development reflects the growing prominence of Vizhinjam International Seaport as a strategic hub for maritime trade in South Asia. The recognition by UNECE ensures compliance with international standards, reinforcing the seaport's status as a key player in global shipping networks. Vizhinjam International Port has made waves in the shipping industry by achieving a historic milestone—handling 300,000 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) of cargo in just six months of its trial run! This phenomenal growth cements Vizhinjam’s status as a world-class transshipment hub, attracting some of the biggest players in global shipping. MSC Brings Shipping Titans To Vizhinjam! The world’s leading shipping giant, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), is making a bold move by introducing Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCV) to Vizhinjam by the end of this month. As part of MSC’s elite Jade (Premium) Service, which bridges Asia and Europe, a massive cargo ship will now dock at Vizhinjam every week—which will be a game-changer for international trade.

The Seoul authorities have sanctioned the 'Sunrise 1' for illegal trade of North Korean goods. They said that the unflagged ‘Sunrise 1’ had transported 5,020 tons of North Korean iron ore in violation of UN sanctions. South Korea has designated a Hong Kong-based shipping company, its operators, the “Sunrise 1” and its Russian consignor, under unilateral sanctions for their involvement in trading prohibited North Korean goods, the government announced on April 10, 2025. According to Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the 'Sunrise 1' is owned by the Xiangrui (Xiang Rui) Shipping Co Ltd,, a shipping company based in Hong Kong. The sanctions were related to an incident that happened in June 2024, when South Korean authorities detained the 'Sunrise 1' in their territorial waters. Upon inspection, they found that it was carrying 5,020 tons of iron ore. According to South Korea, the ship had recently departed from North Korea's Chongjin port. UN Security Council resolutions ban such trade with Pyongyang. Russian company Consul DV was listed as the sender of the cargo. South Korean authorities conducted an investigation into the matter. As a result of the sanctions, South Korean companies must now receive permission from the authorities of the Republic of Korea to do business with the individuals and legal entities named. The 'Sunrise 1' must also gain permission to enter a South Korean port.

An interim Report on the alliision of the 'Solong' and the 'Stena Immaculate' has been Issued by the MAIB: Following the accident, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch began a formal inquiry and this week issued an interim report that traces the 'Solong'’s course leading up to the collision, creates a timeline for the watchkeeping schedule aboard the ship and shows plainly that the 'Solong' was at fault. The MAIB’s ongoing investigation will focus on several critical aspects. It will encompass the navigation and watchkeeping practices on board both vessels; manning and fatigue management; the condition and maintenance of the vessels involved; the use of the offshore area as an anchorage for vessels waiting to enter the Humber Estuary; and the environmental conditions at the time. The 'Stena Immaculate' has mwanwhile begun its journey to the port of Great Yarmouth, being towed by the tugs 'Brage Viking' (IMO: 9475791) and 'Ormesby Cross' (IMO: 9206944) with an ETA as of April 11. The Coastguard said on April 10 that the 'Stena Immaculate' had been successfully unloaded.

Onb Feb 18, 2025, a fire broke out in HJHansen's scrapyard at the port of Kolding. 50 firefighters fought the flames throughout the day, which they brought under control on the evening. It was a complicated extinguishing operation, as pouring water on the burning scrap heap did not have much effect, as the water ran away on the surface of the items in the pile. With the assistane of two cranes, the emergency services were able to separate the pile into smaller fractions. The firefighters contnued working on extinguishing the fire during the night, and they have finished only on Feb 19. Packubgup their equipment, took another couple of hours. Six people were injured in the fire when they were hit by flying fragments. Three of these were taken to the hospital for a check-up, and it was found that no one was seriously injured. Report with photo: https://www.soefart.dk/article/view/1147088/skrotbrand_i_kolding_er_slukket_seks_kom_til_skade

The Stena Line, which owns the Port of Holyhead, has issued a major update on the work to repair a ferry berth damaged during Storm Darragh. The damagehad caused major disruption on the oute between North Wales and Dublin Port, which led to temporary routes connecting Fishguard, Pembroke, and on the existing freight-only Birkenhead (Liverpool) link being opened up for motorists. In January, the ferry port in Wales partially reopened after Terminal 5 was restored to operational activity and saw ferry operations resume. Stena Line has announced a provisional date after the required repairs are completed at Terminal 3, from where Irish Ferries had used. Access to the Terminal 5 ferry berth was successfully restored on an adjusted timetable, allowing ferry operations at Holyhead Port to resume as of Jan 16. Planning is now underway for the necessary repairs and restoration of the Terminal 3 ferry berth, with the current estimate for reopening set for July 1. Work was progressing to ensure that the berth will be returned to full operational capabilities as safely and efficiently as possible.

Total loss since 26.05.23

An interim Report on the alliision of the 'Solong' and the 'Stena Immaculate' has been Issued by the MAIB: Following the accident, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch began a formal inquiry and this week issued an interim report that traces the 'Solong'’s course leading up to the collision, creates a timeline for the watchkeeping schedule aboard the ship and shows plainly that the 'Solong' was at fault. The MAIB’s ongoing investigation will focus on several critical aspects. It will encompass the navigation and watchkeeping practices on board both vessels; manning and fatigue management; the condition and maintenance of the vessels involved; the use of the offshore area as an anchorage for vessels waiting to enter the Humber Estuary; and the environmental conditions at the time. The 'Stena Immaculate' has mwanwhile begun its journey to the port of Great Yarmouth, being towed by the ttugs 'Brage Viking' (IMO: 9475791) and 'Ormesby Cross' (IMO: 9206944) with an ETA as of April 11. The Coastguard said on April 10 that the 'Stena Immaculate' had been successfully unloaded.

Demolition work on the collapsed Carola bridge in the city of Dresden was suspended on Feb 18, 2025, after new fractures were discovered in the structure, with shipping traffic on the Elbe river also halted again. An installed acoustic emission monitoring system had detected steel fractures in two sections of the bridge that were not directly affected by its partial collapse on Sep 11, 2024,due to stress corrosion cracks caused by moisture in a section of the structure, leading to inland shipping traffic on the affected section of the Elbe being suspended for five months. The authoritieshad only reopened the passage under the bridge in central Dresden for inland commercial shipping three weeks ago, with free passage in a one-way system planned from Feb 18. However, the passage has been completely closed again since that morning after the measuring system installed to permanently monitor the collapsed bridge signalled movement. The authorities were now waiting for an engineering firm to assess whether the bridge will hold and whether ship traffic may be allowed to pass under it. The dredger 'Domarin' was meanwhile working on the fairway. Reports with photos: https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen/dresden/dresden-radebeul/carolabruecke-durchfahrt-schiffe-elbe-sperrung-100.html https://www.dnn.de/lokales/dresden/carolabruecke-dresden-noch-mehr-schaeden-entdeckt-L2PS2IHRPBDKLPP5JWNNUUHEH4.html https://www.projectcargojournal.com/transport-installation/2025/02/19/first-project-cargo-moves-on-the-elbe-following-carola-bridge-collapse/

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