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.
News
COSTA DIADEMA
On Nov 14, the 'Costa Diadema' requested the medical evacuation of a passenger. The ship was sailing south of Motril with winds of more than 30 knots. The SAR boat 'Salvarmar Spica' was tasked to take the patient off. The ships rendezvoused near Roquetas, where the boat went alingside on the port side, in the lee of the cruise ship. The passenger was disembarked along with a doctor and a nurse, and they were transferred to Almería.
SALVAMAR ALPHERATZ
On Nov 15 the ferry 'Volcan de Teno' reported a cayuco with 33 people on board. The 'Salvamar Alpheratz' was mobilized by Salvamento Marítimo to assist and located it six nautical miles northwest of Los Cristianos (Tenerife). The boat was escorted to the port of Los Cristianos. Photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1857436296970391907
STOKER
The ADV 'Stoker', using advanced robotic and autonomous systems, normally used for hydrographic survey capabilities, has located the USS 'Edsall' on the sea-bed south of Christmas Island. where the destroyer was sunk on March 1, 1942 with 185 sailors and 31 U.S. Army Air Force pilots aboard at the time. The announcement of its discovery was made on Nov. 11, 2024, celebrated as Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in Australia. "Captain Joshua Nix and his crew fought valiantly, evading 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers before being attacked by 26 carrier dive bombers, taking only one fatal hit. There were no survivors," said Caroline Kennedy, U.S. ambassador to Australia, in a joint statement recorded with Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, head of the Australian Navy. Commissioned in 1919, on March 1, 1942, the USS 'Edsall' was steaming alone south of Java, having spent the past several months escorting convoys between Australia and Indonesia. Overtaken by a force of much faster and more heavily armed Japanese battleships and cruisers, the Edsall nevertheless spent almost two hours performing evasive maneuvers, laying smoke screens, and avoiding more than 1,000 enemy shells. Eventually, more than two dozen Japanese aircraft were launched to bomb the destroyer, finally leaving it dead in the water. Japanese observers reportedly described the destroyer as performing like a "dancing mouse", referring to a popular Japanese pet at the time known for its erratic movement. Almost all of the ship's crew were lost in the sinking, although war crimes trials convened after the war revealed that a handful of survivors had been picked up by the Japanese fleet, only to later be executed. The Australian Navy initially encountered the wreck in 2023, and researchers had worked since then to confirm that it was, in fact, the 'Edsall'.
YANTAR
The 'Yantar' has been sighted in British waters near the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. British services are closely watching the vessel, which is suspected of monitoring underwater infrastructure. A P-8A aircraft is observing the ship. Earlier, the vessel sailed through the English Channel. The Royal Navy has confirmed the presence of the Russian ship and is tracking its movements. Before entering British waters, the 'Yantar' was sailing off the coast of Norway, near Andøya Space Port. During this time, the US and Norwegian armed forces conducted exercises involving USS Harry S Truman personnel.