After six Somali pirates were apprehended by soldiers of the European force engaged in operation ATALANTE, they will be judged by Seychellois justice. Five were placed in pre-trial detention on the evening of May 15. The sixth, aged 20, was transported by helicopter to the hospital center. All were arrested on May 10 while trying to board the 'Chrystal Arctic.'. Their goal was to hijack the ship to demand a ransom. Report with photo: https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/reunion/seychelles-six-pirates-interpelles-par-les-forces-de-l-ue-de-lors-de-l-attaque-d-un-petrolier-1488620.html
News
ABDULLAH
The 23 crew members of the 'Abdullah' met their families on the afternoon of May 14 as the vessel reached the Chattogram Port. The crew members received a warm welcome when the vessel 'Jahan Moni-3', carrying them from Kutubdia in Cox's Bazar, reached New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT)-1. The crew members will go to their respective homes. Care was taken to send them to their destinations safely. New crew members took charge of the 'Abdullah' on May 14 and sailed for the United Arab Emirates. Report with photos: https://www.voanews.com/a/crew-members-reunited-with-families-at-chattogram-after-pirate-captivity/7613312.html
PILGRIM
Beached as Dead Vessel at Aliaga as Dunay 09.05.24 towed by Tug Horoz https://www.instagram.com/p/C7BBemRtdbX/?img_index=1
ROYAL ROMANCE
The 'Royal Romance' belonging to the oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, has been granted a certificate of the right to fly the state flag of Ukraine on May 15, 2024, and the corresponding changes have already been registered with the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This statement was made by the Ukrainian Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA). Through joint efforts of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency and the Shipping Administration, the seizedluxury yacht Royal has been granted the status of a Ukrainian vessel, which means that the vessel is under Ukrainian jurisdiction. According to Shipping Administration Head Yevhen Ihnatenko, the corresponding changes were registered with the IMO. This will facilitate the further sale of the seized yacht and the transfer of the proceeds to the state budget of Ukraine. The Dutch auction house, Troostwijk Auctions, won the ARMA’s tender to auction the seized yacht, but refused to sign a further agreement to organize the auction. The yacht, worth an estimated 200 million Euros, was seized by Croatian authorities in March 2022 in relation to EU sanctions imposed on Medvedchuk.
SAMARIA I
On MAy 15, 2024, at noon , the Port Authority of Paleochora was informed that during the mooring manoever of the 'Samaria I', there was an impact on the pier of Skala Paleochora, Chania, due to a sudden gust of wind and high waves. The ferry suffered a breach approximately ten centimeters in diameter and approximately fifty centimeters long in the bow bulkhead approximately half a meterabove the waterline. The ship safely disembarked the passengers and vehicles, and no injuries were reported and no marine pollution was observed. The Paleochora Port Station, which conducted the preliminary investigation, banned the ship from sailing until a certificate of seaworthiness has been presented by themonitoring classification society.
DALI
The Fort McHEnry limited access channel has opened on May 15 for commercial vessel traffic to an available depth of 45 feet, seven weeks after the Francis Key Bridge was struck by the 'Dali'. The Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel will be open daily from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. The channel has a 350-foot horizontal clearance and a vertical clearance of 214 feet because of BGE powerlines. The available depth may increase based on future survey analysis operations as salvage operations continued. Deep draft vessels will require a Maryland POilot and a two tug escprt. All transits must be at the slowest safe speed but not to exceed five knots until the 'Dali' has been removed, then 10 knots will be possible. The three other temporary channels currently in use, 20, 14 and 11 foot deep, remained ipen and should be uitilized by vessels that do not requier the deeper channel.
MARGARITAVILLE A.S.P
The 'Margaritaville at Sea Paradise' fell short during an unexpected health inspection from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 1, 2024. The examination was conducted by Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) officials. The incident report, available on the CDC's website, showed the ship was given a failing score of 83. An 86 is needed to pass. One of the complaints listed was the ship's whirlpools, designed to hold a maximum of four people, had six bathers. The report also highlighted some sanitation concerns involving food and drink on the cruise. An investigator was also concerned about whether a crew member had washed his hands while working with food. The gloves worn by the crew member handling the ice making components of the ice machines were stored with tools. It was unclear if the crew member washed his hands before putting on gloves. There were glove boxes for food handlers on the bulkhead next to the ice machines that could be used instead. Water bottles were also found stored on soiled pallets, while food preparation areas were also found to be soiled and/or poorly lit. Another crew member was unable to demonstrate competency about chemicals to clean lettuce. The crew member washing lettuce heads and immersing them in an antimicrobial solution for fruits and vegetables could not demonstrate competency in verifying the concentration of the chemical used. He could not use a test strip correctly to verify the concentration of the solution and did not know what an acceptable test result would be. The CDC also noted that a freezer, several refrigerators and multiple deep fryers were all out of service. Following internal policies, immediate corrective actions have been taken to address the issues identified in the inspection. Many of these issues have already been resolved, and the operator will be working with USPH [United States Public Health] for a re-inspection as soon as possible.
PESCADORE
Wanting for a fishing license for eight years, Samuel Deshayes, captain of the “Pescadore”, chose to block the gates of the port of Granville on May 15, 2024. With the fear of “losing everything” in the days to come, he decided to take a striking action. Since 6 a.m. the skipper was proclaiming his dismay under the watchful eye of the maritime gendarmerie, while apologizing to his colleagues for the inconvenience caused.
US GOV VESSEL 87
The USS 'Mason' intercepted an inbound Houthi anti-ship missile over the Red Sea on May 13, 2024, after Yemen's Houthis said on May 15 that they had targeted the warship. The US forces also destroyed two drones. The Houthis said they had also targeted a vessel called 'Destiny' in the Red Sea. There was, however, no evidence of an attack on the 'Destiny' in recent days. The vessel and crew were safe, with no issues. The Houthis said they targeted the 'Destiny' because it had been en route for the Israeli port of Eilat on April 20.
MISS SALLY DANE
On May 15, 2024, the 'Miss Sally Dane' was deployed to remove the oil barge 'MMLP 321', carrying 30,000 barrels of vacuum gas oil, which had broken lose from a tug and allided with the Pelican Island Causeway, causing it to partially collapse, at 9.48 a.m. The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the response along with local, state, and federal agencies. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Station Galveston boat crew to respond. 3,000 feet of containment boom were deployed in the vicinity of the allision. The intercoastal waterway has been closed from Pelican Cut (mile marker 351.5) to the Galveston Causeway (mile marker 357.3) and a 5.8-mile safety zone has been issued for the surrounding waters. Mariners were urged to avoid the area. No injuries have been reported. The barge had slammed into a bridge pillar, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to Pelican Island, that is home to a university. One person on the barge was knocked into the water and quickly rescued. The barge had gone adrift from a tug which was backing out of the Texas International Terminals, a fuel storage operator next to the bridge, after losing control of two barges it was pushing. The current was very bad, and the tide was high. Fire trucks drove over the bridge as workers and law enforcement officials looked at the remnants of the collapsed rail line. A large piece of broken concrete and debris from the railroad was hanging off the side of the bridge and laying on the barge. The rail line only serves as protection for the structure and has never been used. Engineers from the Texas Department of Transportation were en route to inspect the roadway and determine if there was damage. The bridge remained closed until it is deemed safe to use. Involved with the response were: - U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston; - U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Texas City; - U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston; - U.S. Coast Guard Station Galveston; - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; - Texas Department of Transportation; - Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; - Texas Parks and Wildlife; - Texas General Land Office; - Texas A&M; - Galveston County Office of Emergency Management; - Galveston County Police Department; - Galveston Fire Department. Reports with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3776804/coast-guard-partner-agencies-responding-to-pelican-island-causeway-allision-in/ https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/barge-hit-bridge-galveston-texas-oil-spill/3541844/
BORKUM
The 'Borkum', that will dock in Cartagena in the next few hours and that according to the Solidarity Network Against the Occupation of Palestine (Rescop) is carrying weapons to Israel is actually destined for Slovenia, according to the information handled by the President of the Government of Murcia, Fernando López Miras. He has asked that his statements be understood “with caution” because it is not a matter for the Community of Murcia. "but an exclusive competence of Ports (of the State) and the Government of Spain." López Miras has explained that as far as he knows the vesseö S destination is Slovenia and, therefore, Israel is not the disembarkation point. He has also clarified that the port of Cartagena also does not have the necessary facilities to unload the material and containers transported by the vessel, although he has referred to the official information that State Ports can offer. Rescop alerted on May 14, 2024 of the arrival on May 16 of the ship at the port of Cartagena, where it would make a stopover, since its destination would be the port of Ashdod. According to this organization, the ship contains 20 tons of rocket motors, 12.5 tons of rockets with explosive charge, 1,500 kg of explosive substances and 740 kg of cannon propellant charges, although the Navy has neither confirmed nor denied its arrival at the port of Cartagena.
LEON THEVENIN
The 'Léon Thévenin' departed Cape Town Harbour on May 14, 2024, at 3.45 p.m. UTC for the site of the faults on the Eastern Africa Submarine System (EASSy) and Seacom cables, which occurred on May 12. The faults were reported on the EASSy and Seacom cables off the East Coast of Africa, knocking out all subsea capacity between East Africa and South Africa. The cable faults were impacting Internet connectivity to Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Traffic drops of between 30% and 75% in impacted countries were observed. Following these cable faults, South African users complained about poor Netflix performance and issues connecting to other online services. However, the East coast submarine cables may have only been part of the problem. Several terrestrial cable failures also occurred, reducing capacity between Johannesburg and Cape Town. The vessel was expected to arrive at the cable grounds on May 18 at around 05:00 a.m. The 'Léon Thévenin' is equipped with various cable work tools such as grapnels, buoys, ropes, and dead weights and a ROV that can be used to detect, cut, recover, join, and test undersea fibre cables. The vessel had docked in Cape Town Harbour on April 25 after returning from Abidjan, where it had attended to a fault on the SAT-3 cable.
ANVIL POINT
On May 15, 2024, the Indian Coast Guard medevaced a 62-year-old critically ill crew member from the 'Anvil Point', en route from Dubai to Muara, off Kochi. Following the rescue operation, the patient was shifted to Renai Hospital in Ernakulam. The Coast Guard deployed the patrol ship 'C-410' for the operation. Report with photos and video: https://news.abplive.com/kerala/indian-coast-guard-evacuates-ill-crew-member-from-merchant-vessel-off-kochi-1687918
USAV JAMES LOUX
A combined effort between Cyprus, the UN, the United States and the United Kingdom is underway to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Departing from Larnaka port on May 15, 2024, the USAV 'James Loux'of the US Army, was en route to Gaza with a fresh shipment of aid for the population. Included on the aid ship is the first British humanitarian aid package for Gaza, which includes nearly 100 tonnes of materials, including 8,400 shelter coverage kits, as part of a £2 million aid package. The aid will be distributed within Gaza as soon as feasible. The pier built by the US Navy and Army will serve as a crucial entry point for aid, facilitating the delivery of international aid into Gaza. Report with photos: https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/humanitarian-aid-ship-en-route-to-gaza-expected-arrival-in-18-hours
DALI
Seven weeks after the allision with the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltomore, the crew of the 'Dali' is still trapped on the ship. Since the accident, the crew, comprising of 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan national, has been unable to disembark due to visa restrictions, lack of land passes and investigations by the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The living conditions are harsh on board. While meals and packages are brought to them, but morale declines. During the first weeks of the investigation, the FBI confiscated their cell phones, leaving them virtually without communication with the outside world. They were then given SIM cards and temporary mobile phones without data. In a statement on May 11, two seafarers' unions called for their phones to be promptly returned, stressing that the loss of communication with family members causes considerable hardship for crew members. According to the Synergy Marine, the 'Dali's management company based in Singapore, the crew was resisting well. “All their needs were met to the best of their ability. For example, shipments of Indian meals were delivered on board to relieve the pressure on the cooks. Hindu priests also visited them. Once the ship has been docked, it was estimated that the sailors will only be able to set foot on land in small groups, with heavy restrictions on their movements. The 'Dali' experienced two blackouts while moored in the Port of Baltimore a day before its allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and efforts to resolve those blackouts may have impacted the ship’s operations, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said in a congressional hearing on May 15. After the two in-port blackouts on March 25, the ship’s crew switched to a different transformer and set of breakers from those that had been in use for several months, according to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. That may have impacted the ship’s operations when it left the port a day later. Switching breakers is not unusual but may have affected operations the very next day. The comments, which add further context to the focus of the NTSB investigation, came during a hearing for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure reviewing and analyzing the federal response to the accident. On May 14, the NTSB had released a 24-page preliminary report detailing investigators’ early factual findings. The report found the 'Dali' was just three ships’ lengths from the bridge when it suffered a pair of electrical failures, which caused several pumps required for the ship’s propeller and rudder to stop working. The emergency generator activated but was not configured to power the ship. The NTSB report found that the Dali had experienced two blackouts a day earlier while still moored in the port. The NTSB is still investigating the electrical configuration following the first in-port blackout and potential impacts on the events during the accident voyage. The NTSB has been working closely with Hyundai, which manufactures the ship equipment, to try to replicate some of the electrical problems of that day and understand better what happened.
AR MILINO
on May 14 at 2:01 p.m., due to lack of new information, the SAR operation for the missing crew member of the 'Ar Milino' was suspended. At 1:01 a.m., the master of the ship had alerted the CROSS Corsen after the 40-year-old man was swept away during the casting of the fishing net. The CROSS Corsen immediately broadcasted a Mayday relay and deployed the H160 helicopter of the French Navy base in Lanvéoc, the lifeboats 'SNS 098' and 'SNS 088' of the SNSM station of Ploumanac’h and the island of Batz; the customs launch 'DF46' and a fishing boat, the “Kraken”, which immediately responded to the Mayday Relay. At 1:44 a.m., the “Ar Milino” reported having pulled up its net with no sign of the missing person. At 2:49 a.m., the Civil Security Dragon 29 helicopter took over from the H160 helicopter. At daybreak, numerous fishing boats joined the search. At 08:00 a.m., the SNSM boas 'SNS 218' from Trebeurden, 'SNS 295 from Roscoff and 'SNS 718 from Tregastel reached the search area. At the same time, the H160 and Dragon 29 helicopters took turns until mid-morning.