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A number of arrivals of migrants off La Restinga and Los Cristianos were reported on the morning of Nov 21. The 'Guardamar Talía' rescued the people aboard one boat and accompaniment two more to La Restinga, with 60 people on the first and 53 and 55 people on the other boatts. The 'Salvamar Acrux' accompanied a cayuco six nautical miles south of La Restinga, which had 53 people on board, and the 'Salvamar Alpheratz' escorted a cayuco to Los Cristianos, which had 97 people on board. The responses were coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1859528389339619548

The 'Saonisos' suffered a mechanical failure on Nov 19 , 2024,while sailing between Lipsos and Leros. A ship of the port authority rushed to the area in order to investigate. Another ship was expected to tow it to a safe harbour. At this time, a port authority ship and a Frodex ship were on site. There are approximately 30 passengers on the ship, which was slowly towed to Kalymnos in the afternoon.

The 'Marsgracht' has been detained twice this year by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Port Alma for the improper stowage of dangerous goods, first on Feb 6, 2024, and then on Nov 14 for contravening the IMO’s International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. It was the fourth detention of Spliethoff vessel since June 2022 for failure to comply with the IMDG code in the stowage of dangerous cargoes, which demonstrate an inability to ensure safe operational practices across the fleet, the AMSA said. Spliethoff has a 12.6% average of detentions over the last two years, well above the global average with multiple ships detained. Noting the seriousness and nature of these breaches, and the apparent lack of effective processes to rectify failings, it was regarded as appropriate that the 'Marsgracht' may not enter or use an Australian port for a period of 180 days.

The HMS 'Albion' and HMS 'Bulwark' will be decommisioned,, alongside the HMS 'Northumberland', as well as several other capabilities, the Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed in Parliament on Nov 20, 2024, as part of a broader push to modernise the UK Armed Forces. The decision comes as part of a series of measures to retire what the Government called outdated military equipment, saving £150 million over the next two years and up to £500 million over five years. The HMS 'Albion' and HMS 'Bulwark' had already been in extended readiness under previous governments, incurring significant maintenance costs without being actively deployed. Both ships were effectively retired by previous ministers but superficially kept on the books at a cost of £9 million a year. The HMS 'Northumberland' has been deemed uneconomical to repair due to structural damage. The decommissioning decisions were made in close consultation with service chiefs and align with the ongoing Strategic Defence Review (SDR).

The HMS 'Northumberland' will be decommissioned in cost-saving measures announced by Defence Secretary John Healey on Nov 20, 2024. The ageing Type 23 frigate was regarded as beyond economic repair, after structural damages were found, and will be decommissioned along with two Wave class tankers. The Army’s Watchkeeper drones, which cost around £5m each and have been in service for a decade but have been beset by problems and are effectively obsolete, will be grounded and the assault ships HMS 'Albion' and HMS 'Bulwark' will be decommissioned too. These decisions were set to save the MoD £150 million over the next two years and up to £500 million over five years.

The municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee has extended the reception of asylum seekers in the outer harbour of Stellendam until FEb 15, 2026. With this extension, the municipality responded to a request from the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA). The request was to continue to help with the reception of asylum seekers, as there was still a great need for reception places in order to relieve the pressure on the registration centre in Ter Apel. At the moment, 118 asylum seekers are accomodated on the 'Bo Elise' which has replaced the 'Esmeralda', which needed maintenance and will not return Stellendam afterwards. The extension of the reception in Stellendam is in line with the regional reception plan for Rotterdam-Rijnmond. This plan was drawn up in the context of the Distribution Act. It was created after extensive consultation between municipalities and other parties involved. The aim is to achieve a balanced distribution of the reception of asylum seekers across the municipalities in the region. The plan stipulates that Goeree-Overflakkee will provide a total of 298 reception places for asylum seekers. With the locations in Middelharnis and Stellendam, the municipality complies with this agreement. On Nov 7, representatives of the municipality and the COA spoke with a s group of stakeholders at the outer harbour of Stellendam. The reception period from jan 1, 2024 to the present was evaluated. The reception was generally going well and quietly. However, members of the group did ask for attention to traffic safety around the reception ship, especially when it is dark. The municipality and COA are addressing this point.

A problem with the aft engine of the 'Red Eagle' has led to the cancellation of at least four sailings on the evening of Nov 20. The cross-Solent operator has been forced to pull the 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. sailings from Southampton, as well as the 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. sailings from East Cowes. The 04:30 a.m. sailing from Southampton and the 06:00 a.m. crossing from East Cowes have both been cancelled on the morning of Nov 21 due to the ongoing technical fault with the engine.

A number of arrivals of migrants off La Restinga and Los Cristianos were reported on the morning of Nov 21. The 'Guardamar Talía' rescued the people aboard one boat and accompaniment two more to La Restinga, with 60 people on the first and 53 and 55 people on the other boatts. The 'Salvamar Acrux' accompanied a cayuco six nautical miles south of La Restinga, which had 53 people on board, and the 'Salvamar Alpheratz' escorted a cayuco to Los Cristianos, which had 97 people on board. The responses were coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1859528389339619548

On Nov 20, 2024, at 9.20 p.m. the 'Jean Nicoli' picked up a group of 19 migrants of Maghredb origin, who were on a boat heading towards Mallorca. The dinghy was spotted by the crew of the ferry at around 9:20 p.m. The ship covers the route between Tunis and Marseille and was around 80 nautical miles south of the Cabrera archipelago at that time. The boat people were then taken to Palma de Mallorca, where the ship arrived on Nov 21.

The 'Glen Sannox' has been handed over by the Ferguson shipyard to the Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. on the night of Nov 20, exactly seven years after it was launched by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, being the first new large vessel for the west coast ferry fleet in nearly a decade. The ferry operator CalMac will now conduct several weeks of crew familiarisation trials before the ship carries its first passengers in Jan 2025. The 'Glen Sannox' was originally due for delivery in 2018 but has faced major challenges in design and construction, sparking the longest-running political controversy of the devolution era. Costs have risen from an initial contract price of £97m to more than £400m, including £45m of government loans that were never fully recovered. Report with photos: https://www.inverclydenow.com/port-yard-hand-over-glen-sannox-at-last/

The HMS 'Albion' and HMS 'Bulwark' will be decommisioned,, alongside the HMS 'Northumberland', as well as several other capabilities, the Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed in Parliament on Nov 20, 2024, as part of a broader push to modernise the UK Armed Forces. The decision comes as part of a series of measures to retire what the Government called outdated military equipment, saving £150 million over the next two years and up to £500 million over five years. The HMS 'Albion' and HMS 'Bulwark' had already been in extended readiness under previous governments, incurring significant maintenance costs without being actively deployed. Both ships were effectively retired by previous ministers but superficially kept on the books at a cost of £9 million a year. The HMS 'Northumberland' has been deemed uneconomical to repair due to structural damage. The decommissioning decisions were made in close consultation with service chiefs and align with the ongoing Strategic Defence Review (SDR).

The 'Aita Mari' has docked in the port of Catania on Nov 20 and disembarked the 53 people rescued in the central Mediterranean, among them a group made up mostly of young people and minors. They had been adrift at sea for three days before being located . The disembarkation took place at around 4:00 p.m., giving priority to the medical care of two people in serious condition, who were examined by the Italian authorities to confirm the initial diagnoses made by the medical team of the NGO ship. The rescued people were coming from Eritrea, Ethiopia and South Sudan, countries marked by armed conflicts and prolonged humanitarian crises. According to testimonies collected by the crew of the 'Aita Mari', many of them endured long and dangerous journeys through the Sahara, facing extreme conditions, before being trapped in Libya, where they had been subjected to “torture, beatings and imprisonment” in detention centres run by “militias and corrupt networks”. After years of trying to cross the Mediterranean, some described situations in which they were required to pay large sums of money, under threat of death, to obtain their release. After their arrival in Catania, they have been placed under the guardianship of the Italian authorities, who will be responsible for initiating their asylum application processes. The 'Aita Mari'will remain in port for the next few days due to storm forecasts.

On the morning of Nov 21, 2024, the Port Authority of Agios Efstratios was informed by the master of the'Blue Star Mykonos', which was performing its scheduled route from Kavala to Myrina – Agios Efstratios – Mytilini – Chios – Vathi – Karlovasi – Fourni – Agios Kyrykos – Mykonos – Syros and Piraeus, that its approach to the port was deemed unsafe due to the adverse weather conditions prevailing in the area. The ship continued its route for the port of Mytilene. Four passengers and two trucks were waiting to disembark on the ship.

Beached at Chittagong 19.11.24 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2203250213389995&set=gm.10163642684293943&idorvanity=6884293942

A number of arrivals of migrants off La Restinga and Los Cristianos were reported on the morning of Nov 21. The 'Guardamar Talía' rescued the people aboard one boat and accompaniment two more to La Restinga, with 60 people on the first and 53 and 55 people on the other boatts. The 'Salvamar Acrux' accompanied a cayuco six nautical miles south of La Restinga, which had 53 people on board, and the 'Salvamar Alpheratz' escorted a cayuco to Los Cristianos, which had 97 people on board. The responses were coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1859528389339619548

The 'Susan Rose' was raised off Point Pleasant Beach on Nov 19, 2024, by the crance barge 'RMG 400'. The Resolve Marine and Northstar Marine were carrying out the work. The U.S. Coast Guard, state Department of Environmental Protection, state and local police and the Ocean County Sherriff's Department were monitoring the salvage. Once the wreck was above the water marine batteries and the remaining oil were removed from. The trawler grounded on the beach on Nov. 17, 2023, ,when it was approaching the Manasquan Inlet but missed the entrance. The Town Dock then hired a salvage company to tow the vessel to a shipyard in Staten Island a few days later, but the vessel took on water and sank 3,000 feet off the beach in 50 feet of water. while 6,000 gallons of fuel were removed from the vessel after the grounding, 100 gallons of oil products still remained. The wreck, well-preserved but covered in sea grass and other marine life, was then towed to a commercial fishing dock along Inlet Drive in Point Pleasant Beach where it remained as of Nov 20. Its future will see a return to the bottom for a new life helping anglers reel in their catch. Reports with photos and video: https://eu.app.com/story/news/local/brick-point-pleasant/point-pleasant-beach/2024/11/20/sunken-boat-susan-rose-salvaged-point-pleasant-beach-ocean/76434370007/ https://maritime-executive.com/article/video-resolve-marine-raises-wreck-of-the-susan-rose https://lavallette-seaside.shorebeat.com/2024/11/fishing-boat-raised-from-the-deep-and-docked-in-point-pleasant-but-will-be-re-sunk/

The Spanish government confirmed on Nov 20 that it will not allow the 'Maersk Denver' and another ship to dock in Spanish ports. The Danish company Maersk had announced that its container ship was prevented from entering the port of Algeciras. The company claimed that the cargo did not contain weapons or military ammunition. The company said in an official statement: “The goods to be transported through the port do not contain weapons or military ammunition.” This decision comes in the context of the Spanish government's hard-line approach to dealing with weapons destined for Israel since the recognition of the State of Palestine last May. Spain has halted arms sales to Israel and prevented ships carrying military cargo from docking in its ports. According to Maersk, the cargo was not physically inspected and the ship's crew was forced to divert to the port of Tangier. Maersk expressed its surprise at the decision, stating that it had contacted the Spanish authorities to understand the reasons for denying entry to the ship: “We understand that Spain has changed its criteria on a discretionary basis, and now refuses to receive ships to or from Israel if they are carrying any military-related cargo, even if the cargo is legal.”

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has admitted that 300 tonnes of the 20,000 tonne load of the Ruby' had become contaminated by seawater, leading to it being dumped out to sea. During the transhipment of the cargo at Great Yarmouth, the seawater and a small amount of hydrocarbons were found to have entered the forward-most hold of the vessel, which was likely to have resulted from the grounding incident. Before the arrival in Great Yarmouth on Oct 28, the ship had been anchored about 11 miles off the coast of Margate in Kent while awaiting repairs to her hull and propeller, which were damaged in bad weather. All non-essential port operations were halted to ensure the vessel complied with strict regulations. The MCA insisted that the contaminated ammonium nitrate was not a risk to the people of Norfolk. The port had previously announced in a statement that it adhered to all of the UK's safety regulations as well as international maritime standards: "The MCA, Norfolk Resilience Forum, HSE and the Port worked together to mitigate any risk to local residents, including providing support and guidance on ammonium nitrate, halting all non-essential port operations and regular site checks to ensure compliance. The MCA and its partners have worked together to continually monitor the situation with the MV Ruby, including working to understand changing risks." Report with photos: https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/24737127.mv-ruby-cargo-vessel-dumped-300-tonnes-ammonium-nitrate/

Turkey on Nov 20 denounced the missile attack targeting the 'Anadolu S' in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi terrorists. "We condemn the Houthi missile attacks on the Panamanian-flagged dry cargo ship Anadolu S, owned by a Turkish company, sailing off the coast of Yemen," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry did not specify whether the ship had suffered any damage and only said that "the necessary initiatives were being taken to prevent a similar incident from happening again." The Houthis, who claimed responsibility for the attack on Nov 19, said it hit the ship “precisely and directly” and was carried out because it had failed to respond “to warnings from naval forces.” The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), run by a multinational naval coalition that includes the United States and European countries and based in Bahrain, said it had investigated the incident and had established “an indirect link of the targeted ship to Israel.”

On the morning of Nov 21, the Port Authority of Milos was informed by the master of the passenger f'Kydon Palace',which was performing its scheduled route from the port of Heraklion to the ports of Milos and Piraeus, that its approach to the port was considered unsafe due to the adverse weather conditions prevailing. The ship continued its route to the port of Piraeus. At the port of Milos, 44 passengers were waiting to board, four vehicles, a truck and two two-wheelers, while one passenger was about to disembark. The passengers were forwarded to their destination by the care of the ship-owning company.