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The New Zealand Navy is confident a robust plan is in place to handle any leaks as the operation to remove fuel from the HMNZS' Manawanui' begins. The ship has nearly 1000 tonnes of automotive gas oil that has diesel-like qualities on board. Officials estimated up to 200,000 litres of fuel from the ship have leaked into the sea. The fuel and other pollutants, such as oils and greases, were set to be removed in the next phase. Both contracted salvage companies and the Navy would be able to respond quickly if any leaks occurred. The on-site equipment would be able to contain any spillage. The Navy would also have personnel and equipment on standby in New Zealand if needed. The main fuel tanks remained intact, and the vessel was being checked daily by divers. The Navy was monitoring the coastline and the vessel with drones and also walk the coastline on a regular basis for any changes or pollution. The Samoan authorities have been conducting scientific testing of the water. The interim Court of Inquiry report on the sinking had been received by the Chief of Navy. It had been handed over to a Kings Counsel for an independent legal review and then some of the key information would be released publicly.

The captain of the 'Izmit Express' alerted the authorities in Vigo that some packages had been located abiard the ship, later confirming that it could be cocaine, although the amount found was not yet known. The Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service (SVA) have searched the ship after docked in the port of Vigo on the morning of Nov 19, 2024, at the Guixar container terminal, after leaving Cartagena on Nov 8. The ship left the port again on Nov 20 en route to Malaga.

At the last weekend, the port of Kiel reached the mark of one million cruise passengers in one season for the first time. On Sep 16, 2023,, the MSC EURIBIA, AIDANOVA and EXCELLENCE CORAL called at the PORT OF KIEL, and on Sep 17 the AIDABELLA and AIDALUNA visited the Ostsee Quay. Kiel had already seen a positive trend in the cruise business in recent years, which had been put on hold by the slump during the Corona pandemic. In addition to the strong presence of the major European cruise lines AIDA, Costa, MSC and TUI, in recent years North American shipping companies, such as Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line, have increasingly chosen Kiel as a cruise destination in the Baltic Sea region for their fleets. As recently as 2022, Kiel's seaport recorded its busiest season ever with 243 calls and 835,000 passengers. For the current season 2023, 222 cruise calls have been announced.

Having seen its first ever LNG fuelling in May, the Port of Kiel has announced that, for the first time, two cruise vessels have bunkered LNG on the same day. The bunker operations took place on June 10, 2023, and involved the 'AIDAnova' – which became the first vessel to bunker LNG at the port in May – and MSC Cruises’ latest ship, the 'MSC Euribia'. The bunkering of the AIDA Cruises vessel by Titan capped its third fuelling at the Port of Kiel while LNG for the 'MSC Euribia' was supplied by Nordic energy company Gasum. MSC Cruises and Gasum have inked a long-term agreement for LNG supply to the 'MSC Euribia'. The companies have also signed a letter of intent (LOI) which aims to secure liquefied synthetic gas (e-LNG).

The legal firm Carter Capner Law is considering a lawsuit that alleges P&O incentivised guests to gamble regardless of their capacity to repay their debts and plied them with free alcohol following the death of a man who jumped overboard the 'Pacifi cAdventure' off Sydney Heads. The firm was investigating a possible suit over “unethical practises” preying on vulnerable passengers in ship casinos in the wake of the incident on May 6, 2024, at 4 a.m. The father-of-three Shane Dixon, 45, fell to his death after amassing a $9,000 casino debt. His body was retrieved by NSW Police Marine Area Command about 10.30 a.m. The man had reportedly lost thousands of dollars over two nights in the ship’s casino. P&O was now accused of incentivising guests to gamble by offering credit regardless of their bank balance and capacity to repay their debts. Despite modifications following the death and subsequent publicity, more still needed to be done. P&O Cruises said they had “Responsible Conduct of Gaming Policies in place on all P&O ships and take those policies seriously”. Carter Capner Law was on the verge of launching a class action against P&O owner Carnival Cruises for the both the recovery of financial losses incurred by former passengers and for “damages for unlawful imprisonment”. The firm alleged that upon arrival back in Sydney the man was held on-board for three hours over his casino debt before threatening to jump overboard and swim to shore, while his partner and three young children waited outside for him. In another alleged case cited by Carter Capner Law, a man claimed he was offered a free cruise with unlimited drinks and a credit limit of $5000 per day despite Carnival Cruises being aware of his previous problems gambling and unpaid debts.

On Nov 19, the 'Salvamar Acrux' assisted a cayuco with 58 people, among them four women, on board, off the coast of El Hierro. The cayuco, which was spotted 15 nauticalmiles from the coast, had initially been located by the 'Salvamar Adhara', which was on a rescue mission for another cayuco 60 miles south of El Hierro. After reporting the location, the 'Salvamar Acrux 'was sent to carry out the rescue. The migrants were taken to the port of La Restinga, where the 'Salvamar Acrux'arrived at 1:20 p.m. One of the migrants was taken to the Virgen de los Reyes Insular Hospital to receive urgent medical attention by an emergency team that included the Red Cross' Immediate Emergency Response Team (ERIE), the Canary Islands Emergency Service, port surveillance, the Civil Guard and the National Police, before being transferred to the Temporary Assistance Center for Foreigners (CATE) in the town of San Andrés, where they will be cared for by the NGO "Orange Heart - Ebrima Sonko" and will remain under police custody until their transfer to other resources outside the island. According to the migrants' testimonies, the crossing from Nouadhibou had lasted four days. The migrants were comnig from several countries, including Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Ivory Coast, Syria and Somalia.

Ukrainian forces struck the Russian naval base in Sevastopol, in Russian-occupied Crimea 150 miles south of the Ukraine front line on Sep 13, 2023. Fires were raging across a drydock that exploded in the early morning, which cradled two warships, the Ropucha-class amphibious vessel 'Minsk' and the Kilo-class submarine 'Rostov on Don'. The Black Sea Fleet could lose two more of its roughly 30 large ships—ships it can’t replace until Russia’s wider war on Ukraine ends and Turkey reopens the Bosphorus Strait connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. A nighttime drone-boat attack on the landing ship 'Olenegorsky Gornyak' in Novorossiysk, a port in southern Russia just 70 miles east of Russian-occupied Crimea, brought to four the number of major Black Sea Fleet warships the Ukrainian navy definitely has put out of action. The losses include the landing ship 'Saratov', blasted by a ballistic missile in March 2022; the cruiser 'Moskva', holed by an anti-ship missile the following month; the rescue ship 'Vasily Bekh', another victim of an anti-ship missile; and then the 'Olenegorsky Gornyak', which entered a drydock a few days after the Ukrainian attack—and may be out of the war, for good. The Ukrainians also have sank or badly damaged several Russian patrol boats and landing craft—and also recently ejected Russian forces from a pair of captured Ukrainian oil platforms that the Russians had been using as naval outposts in the western Black Sea. The sinkings and raids are a remarkable feat for a Ukrainian fleet that, after scuttling its sole frigate in the early hours of the Russian invasion in February 2022, apparently has just one large ship left: an aging landing ship that has been hiding out near the mouth of the Dnipro River and occasionally lobbing short-range rockets at Russian forces. The Ukrainian navy now effectively is a shipless navy, but no less dangerous for its lack of large hulls. Between its locally-made Neptune anti-ship missiles and Western-made Harpoon ASMs, as well as its missile-armed TB-2 drones and one-way drone boats, the Ukrainian navy isn’t just holding the Russian Black Sea Fleet at bay, it actively is beating back the fleet. Russian warships staging from Crimea are under constant assault; as of last month, ships in Russia proper are at risk, too. When Russian warships leave port, they do so briefly—usually only long enough to launch a few cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities. The Russian fleet’s security is going to get worse before it gets better. The number and variety of deep-strike weapons with which Ukrainian forces can attack the fleet steadily are growing. The Ukrainian industry is developing a new thousand-mile cruise missile; and the administration of U.S. president Joe Biden reportedly has signaled it will donate to Ukraine Army Tactical Missile System ballistic rockets that range as far as 190 miles. Either prospective new weapon could hit Sevastopol from the Ukrainian side of the front line. And the steady drumbeat of Ukrainian attacks on Russian ships is clear evidence that Ukrainian intelligence has no problem pinpointing the ships’ locations. Reports with photos and videos: https://gagadget.com/en/314212-one-of-the-best-vr-games-on-pc-half-life-shooter-until-19-september-alyx-costs-20-on-steam/ https://www.newsweek.com/photos-russian-landing-ship-submarine-damage-crimea-drydocks-hit-sevastopol-1826581

One of Scotland’s main cruise ports is set to experience its busiest year since records began. Greenock Ocean Terminal has 91 cruise liners booked into the Inverclyde town’s new dedicated pontoon across 2023 – a rise of over 25 per cent on last year. As many as 150,000 passengers and 38,000 crew members are expected to pass through the port over the course of this year. It’s more good news for the terminal in its second full season since Covid effectively closed down the cruise industry. Jim McSporran, Clydeport Port Director at Peel Ports said: “We’re extremely proud to be announcing a record cruise year for Greenock Ocean Terminal. “Welcoming cruise liners to Greenock is a hugely important aspect of our port offering and we’re delighted that we continue to attract and grow cruise numbers to the region. “This increase in tourism will benefit visitor attractions and businesses across Inverclyde and central Scotland, and we look forward to welcoming these visitors across the season.” “In an effort to showcase the port as the cruise gateway to the West Coast of Scotland, this year we are also investing in a promotional campaign to feature at the global cruise industry’s key annual gathering in the U.S.” Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “The cruise sector here in Inverclyde continues to go from strength to strength and I’m delighted that this year is set to be the busiest yet with record numbers of ships and passengers, as well as a substantial number of crew visiting these shores. “It’s timely that with 2023 shaping up to be a bumper year for cruise calls that the finishing touches are being put on our new state-of-the-art Greenock cruise ship visitor centre which will provide our guests from around the world with a first class welcome to Inverclyde and the west coast of Scotland.

The 'Glen Sannox' has officially received regulatory approval to carry passengers on Nov 19. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Lloyd’s Register have issued final certifications for the vessel, paving the way for its imminent handover to the Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. by the builder Ferguson Marine Shipyard, marking a turning point in a project that has been closely watched by the Scottish public and shipping industry alike. The ferry is the second largest vessel ever built for CalMac and is the first UK-built ferry capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Originally due for delivery in May 2018, the project has been plagued by design struggles and disputes over rising costs. The contract for the 'Glen Sannox' and its sister ship 'Glen Rosa' was awarded in 2015, shortly after Ferguson’s shipyard was rescued from administration. The construction quickly encountered difficulties, with blame being attributed to poorly developed specifications and alleged interference from CMAL, the government-owned company responsible for procuring ships for the CalMac fleet. The original £97 million contract for both ships has increased to over £400 million, with the 'Glen Sannox' arriving more than six years late. Although the formal handover is expected shortly, the operator CalMac will need approximately six more weeks for crew familiarization and operational trials before the vessel enters service. CalMac is currently grappling with maintaining its winter timetable due to the potential long-term unavailability of the 'Caledonian Isles', still under repair in Greenock, and the recent retirement of the 39-year-old ferry 'Hebridean Isles'.

On Nov 18, 2024, staff of the Port State Control of the Port Authority in Oristano subjected the 'Halim M' to a PSC after its arrival from Alexandroupol, loaded with grain. The first checks carried out immediately revealed problems regarding the correct functioning of some on-board systems and lifeboats. Subsequently, the inspection continued with the simulation of a serious fire on board, which also led to the identification of problems with the emergency equipment and, in addition, to the observation that the crew members were not sufficiently prepared. The ship was therefore detained in port until the minimum safety conditions were restored and a further inspection with positive results has been carried ou. As a further measure, given the three detentions it has suffered in the last two years, the ship has been automatically banned from European Union ports for the next three months.

During a Ukrainian attack in the morning of Aug 4, 2023, in Novorossyisk, the Russian landing craft ÄOlenegorski Gornjak-SDK 91' of the Ropucha class was severly damaged by a maritime drone carrying a 450 kg warhead. The explosion of the drone caused a significant water leak, as well as a strong list to port side, which could lead to the total loss of the ship. The military port of Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Krai) was attacked by several Ukrainian maritime drones. It should be noted that the port in question is very far from the Ukrainian front lines with maritime access, and even more from Ukrainian ports. For example, a drone that left Odessa must have traveled at least 700 kilometres, unless a ship of camouflaged commerce in the Eastern Black Sea deployed the drones used in this attack. The LST was towed by a tug towards the port, the latest videos show it on the side of the entrance to the military port. With 3,450 tons, it is the third largest Ukrainian attack against the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, after the loss of the cruiser 'Moskva' and the loss of a Alligator-class tank landing ship and damage to two Ropucha-class tank landing ships after a Ukrainian Tochka missile attack on the port of Berdyansk. The LST had previously made headlines by being used as ferries between Crimea and mainland Russia to help civilian ferries provide the only direct connection after the Crimean road bridge explosion. While this is indeed the first attack by maritime drones in this Russian region, the neighboring port of Tuapse had also been attacked by aerial drones, once again demonstrating the capacity of the Armed Forces Ukrainians to project means, albeit light, at very long distances. Reports with photos and video: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2023/08/northern-fleet-ship-seriously-damaged-drone-attack https://air-cosmos.com/article/attaque-a-novorossiisk-un-navire-de-debarquement-russe-tres-serieusement-endommage-par-un-drone-ukrainien-65581

One person is was and two others were missing after a crane collapsed into the water on an Ashkelon pier latein the night of March 14, 2023. The collapse of the crane was caused by unusual weather and strong winds. The injured person was in moderate condition and is receiving treatment at Barzilai Medical Center. Attempts to contact two people who had been working on the site of the crane have been unsuccessful, leading police to believe that they were missing after falling into the sea. Extensive search and rescue efforts were commenced with the help of police diving units, the elite 669 Search and Rescue unit, the Israeli Navy and others. The body of a man of about 60 years of age was found on Beersheba Beach in Ashdod on March 15. The gas pier at the Rotenberg power plant in Ashkelon was damaged. The Electric Company formed a team to investigate the incident. Reports with photos: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-734237 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-734373