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On the afternoon of April 7, 2025, hydrochloric acid leaked from a T-piece of the port's loading and unloading equipment during the unloading operation of the 'Marina'. The vessel had previously moored at the Ostermoor State Port. At around 4:00 p.m., material fatigue led to the release of up to 700 liters of 30 % hydrochloric acid. A hole approximately one centimeter in diameter had formed in a valve of the port operator's loading and unloading equipment due to material fatigue and corrosion. The industrial park's fire department, together with the hazardous materials fire brigade, combated the leaking hydrochloric acid by adding water. Despite the presence of a containment tray, approximately 300 liters of the leaking acid-water mixture still entered the adjacent port basin. No one was injured, and the exact extent of the damage had yet to be determined. The Brunsbüttel Water Police have started an investigation. The ship remained stationary as of April 10.

The 'Loch Fyne', serving on the route Mallaig -Armadale, requires repairs prior to her return, During routine inspections, it has been discovered that sections of the exhaust system onboard the ship have to be attended. The ship berthed at the Dales Marine Systems in Greenock on April 7. Repair proposals and timeframes are currently being developed by a technical team of the operator CalMac in conjunction with external contractors. The ferry 'Loch Bhrusda' will remain on the route during this time. Due to the 'Loch Bhrusda' having a smaller capacity, some bookings may be affected. Port teams will be in contact with impacted customers.

Grand Bahama Shipyard (GBS) has officially resumed operations and welcomed back its first commercial vessel following Hurricane Dorian. The 57,062-ton crude oil tanker Agathonissos, owned by Greece-based Eletson, returned to the yard to complete repair works that began before the hurricane arrived in the Bahamas earlier this month. The shipyard also said it remains on track for the next planned cruise ship visit, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Ecstasy, scheduled to arrive on October 5.

The American port of Brunswick has reopened on a “case by case” basis after Sunday’s capsizing of a car carrier in a nearby channel. The Golden Ray overturned with 24 crew members inside sparking a dramatic, successful rescue mission over the weekend. Authorities are still assessing how to remove the vessel, which is stuck on St Simons Sound. A half-mile perimeter has been established around the Golden Ray, which sits half in the water with its starboard side pointing skyward. An oil boom has been placed around the ship. Salvage teams are likely to start taking the bunker fuel from the ship this weekend.

Beached at CHittagong 10.04.25

On April 9 at 9 p.m. a coyuco was located about three nautical miles south of La Restinga. The 'Salvamar Adhara' was mobilized by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. It accompanied the boat safely to the port of La Restinga, where its 71 occupants disembarked. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1909930503072870754

The US Coast Guard is continuing efforts on containing an oil spill on the Mississippi River in New Orleans. First assets were deployed on September 11 after a helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans observed a sheen on the water earlier in the day during a routine overflight. Fifteen hundred feet of boom has been deployed to contain the sheen while oil spill response company OMI Environmental Solutions has been contracted to contain and recover the product. The Coast Guard is yet to provide details on the cause or source of the spill. The incident is still under investigation. In addition to US Coast Guard assets, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office has joined the response effort and six oil spill response boats have been on site as of September 13.

Cyprus continues to address every facet of its maritime offering to lure more shipowners to the island. The country’s deputy minister for shipping Natasa Pilides has revealed plans to abolish initial ship registration fees to boost one of Europe’s fastest growing flags. Members of parliament will vote on the issue later this month with a view to making the regulation official in time for Cyprus’s shipping week, which kicks off on October 6. The Cypriot register today is the 11th largest in the world with 24.4m gt on its books.

Despite hopes of bringing the 'Loch Frisa' back to service on April 9 after trials, it turned out that the repairs have been unsuccessful to the main engine. Further investigations were required. As a result, the following sailings are cancelled: Departure Craignure – 6:25 p.m. Depart Oban – 5:05 p.m., 08:00 p.m. On April 10, the following sailings were cancelled: Departure Craignure - 07:10 a,m,, 10;00 a.m. Departure Oban - 08:30 a.m., 11:25 a.m. An update was expected at approximately 12:00 p.m.regarding the 12:50 p.m. sailing from Craignure.

On April 8 the tug 'Bock' (IMO: 8680820) was called from Rostock to Kühlungsborn, being contracted to take the disabled 'Baltica' in tow and assisted in pulling it to the Tamsen Shipyard in Rostock, along with the tug 'Fairplay 56' (IMO: 9036234), on April 9 at 9 a.m., escorted by the diver ship 'Flunder' (MMSI: 211223950), for permanent repairs of the shaft seal and the damaged engine room. After the propeller shaft had become lose, water had entered the aft of the ship through the shaft tunnel. Reports with photo and video: https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/nordmagazin/Havarierte-MS-Baltica-wird-nach-Rostock-geschleppt,nordmagazin128180.html https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/Nach-Havarie-Baltica-wird-von-Kuehlungsborn-nach-Rostock-geschleppt,aktuellmv140.html https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/lokales/rostock/ms-baltica-schlepper-bringt-havariertes-schiff-nach-rostock-WFA5XRNT25EYDHX5EJAZZZRSP4.html https://www.stern.de/gesellschaft/regional/mecklenburg-vorpommern/unglueck-auf-der-ostsee--havariertes-ausflugsschiff--baltica--in-rostock-eingetroffen-35625222.html

Dutch dredging and offshore outfit Royal Boskalis Westminster has been awarded contracts in the United Kingdom and Romania worth a combined €85m ($94m). Portsmouth City Council has contracted Boskalis to construct new sea defenses in Southsea, near Portsmouth, in a joint venture with VolkerStevin. Boskalis will deploy a large trailing suction hopper dredger to replenish the beach and will construct revetments using rock barges. Project execution is expected to start early 2020 and is estimated to take five years.

The port in Northern Ireland has committed GB£254m of investment to deliver new marine and estate infrastructure. Belfast Harbour’s investment is part of a 2019-2023 Strategic Plan to boost Northern Ireland’s economy. The plan focuses on increased collaboration and partnerships with key city stakeholders to drive growth and regeneration in Belfast’s waterfront area and has been unveiled alongside an outlook through to 2035. Belfast Harbour’s chairman, David Dobbin, said: “Over the next five years Belfast Harbour intends to invest £254 million in new Port and estate infrastructure and facilities. This major investment programme is really only possible because of our Trust Port status which allows us to reinvest every penny of our net earnings back into the business.” Belfast Harbour will upgrade its cranes and material handling equipment, install new ramps to accommodate larger vessels and build new storage facilities. Work will also begin on digital ‘Smart Port’ initiatives to provide greater automation and a new unified system to coordinate cargo and shipping communications.