The 'Open Arms' has bee mobilized to Valencia to help in the search for victims of the storm Dana. The ship left Tarragona on the afternoon of Nov 6, 2024, with a crew of between 15 and 20 people and equipped semi-rigid boats. It could arrive on the Valencian coast between Nov 7 and Nov 8. The aim of the mission was to help in the search for fatalities who could have been dragged by the current to the sea. In recent days, the organization has already sent a team to Valencia to provide support and help on the ground.
News
BARBARA-B
On Nov 7, 2024, the crew of the 'Barbara B', en route from Bremen to Durres, rescued six Maghrebi migrants who were on board a precarious boat, which was located 30 nautical miles south of Almería. The MRCC of Almería coordinated the rescue of the on the whole seven occupants, one of whom was intially reported missing. The Helimer 205 helicopter rescued another person from the water with symptoms of hypothermia and transferred him to the Almería airport.
PATHAGON
On Nov 4, 2024, the transport company TABSA reported problems with the toilets of the 'Pathagon' due to blockages and called for responsible use. The company hired an external company specializing in technical services to carry out a detailed inspection of the sanitary facilities of the ferry and to perform corrective maintenance of the ferry's Wastewater Treatment Plant, motivated by problems recorded on Oct 14, when the passenger bathrooms of the vessel became unusable due to failures in the evacuation of wastewater. The specialists identified an obstruction in the plant's internal suction ducts. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the system was blocked by rags and hygienic protection elements, which had allegedly been introduced intentionally. In light of these events, TABSA has issued a call to all users to make responsible use of the toilets and avoid throwing objects that could cause damage to the sanitary facilities. In addition, the company has implemented new preventive measures to reduce the possibility of incidents of this type recurring.
RHOON C
The "Rhoon C", en route from Stavanger, got in trouble on Oct 25, 2024, at around 3.40 a.m. UTC (Lat. 66.0063 Lng. 9.8380), west of Ytterholmen. The ship requested assistance and was taken in tow to Sandnessjøen by the tug ''Boa Balder' (IMO: 9462342), whch was deployed from Mo I Ranna. The 'Rhoon C' was safely berthed on Oct 26 at 10.40 a.m.
BEN MY CHREE
Modernising the 'Ben my Chree' would cost £18m to and the spend would not be recovered over its remaining lifespan of the ferry, the treasury minister Alex Allinson MHK said in the House of Keys on Nov 5,. The 'Ben-my-Chree' was currently operating with several outdated systems, which affected its efficiency and reliability. He outlined a list of works that would be needed to bring it up to modern standards, including an overhaul of the accommodation. uring the sitting, Chris Thomas MHK questioned the potential costs presented by Allinson and said an independent evaluation of the of the numbers provided should be carried out. Allinson told the members that a complete upgrade of the back-up vessel's propulsion system would cost between £8m and £10m. To align with standards on the ferroes 'Manannan' and 'Manxman' , the passenger accommodation needed to be upgraded at a cost of about £3.5m. The lift was dated, slow and increasingly unreliable, and replacing it would cost approximately £1.5m, and the existing life saving equipment should ideally be replaced, which would cost £2m. A further £1m would be needed to replace the antifoul paint system, and updates to control systems would require £250,000 of spending. Although the upgrades would result in a more reliable and efficient vessel, the cost would exceed the vessel's end value and would not be recoverable over its remaining lifespan.
OCEAN VIKING
The 'Ocean Viking', chartered by SOS Méditerranée, rescued 178 migrants on Nov 6 during two rescue operations. During the first mission, 140 people, who were crammed onto an verloaded wooden boat, which was listing dangerously and threatening to capsize, were rescued. Among the survivors were five women and four children. Many of those rescued suffered from skin burns from fuel and seasickness. During the second operation, 38 people were rescued from a fragile inflatable boat, in the Maltese SAR region. They were taken care of by teams from the Marseille-based NGO and the IFRC (International Federation of the Red Cross and RedCrescent).
RAMON MARGALEF
The 'Ramón Margalef' was mobilised by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU), through the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), to search for victims of the storm Dana off the coast of Valencia, after a previous call at Alicante to embark technical equipment and research personnel, with an ETA as of Nov 9, 2024. The vessel has a multibeam echosounder system,that allows obtaining detailed images of the seabed, generating high-resolution bathymetric maps. It also has on board the Liropus 2000 underwater robot, with articulated arms and high-resolution cameras, which can contribute to search and rescue tasks on the high seas, and is equipped to operate unmanned underwater vehicles (ROV). The 'Ramón Margalef' will be staffed with personnel with experience in emergency operations and specialists in the analysis of the ecological effects of massive runoff events at sea, contributing to the monitoring of water quality and the observation of phenomena such as eutrophication, anoxia and phytoplanktonic blooms, among other environmental impacts caused by the storm.
SALVAMAR SUHAIL
On Nov 7, the frigate Reina Sofia' of the Spanish Navy located a precarious boat with migrants on board about 23 nautical miles southwest of Cádiz. The 'Salvamar Suhail' was mobilized and rescuesd 30 Moroccan migrants at 3:45 a.m. The people were transferred to Puerto América. The response to the emergency was coordinated by the MRCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Cádiz.
GRANDE NAPOLI
The 'Grande Napoli' suffered an engine failure on Oct 29, 2024, about 28 nautical miles west of Viana do Castelo, en route from Portbury (Bristol) to Setúbal. The tug "Ría de Vigo" (IMO: 8311417) was deployed to the ship in the night- On the morning of Oct 30, the ships were in pos. 41° 36' N 009° 12' W with status restricted movement. The ship was finally towed into the port of Vigo at 7 p.m.
NOORDAM
A 71 year old, Australian passenger of the 'Noordam' has drowned while swimming near Boracay Island on Nov 6, 2024, at 10.30 a.m. He was pulled from the water unresponsive after calling for help as he struggled to stay afloat in the water. The man had been swimming with several people near the Cagban Jetty Port, about 10 meters from the shore. Emergency services rushed the man to Ciriaco S. Tirol Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
TROTAMAR III
The NGO ship 'Sea Eye 5' has rescued 110 people from distress in a series of missions between Nov 5 and 6t off the island of Lampedusa. The missions were characterized by challenges and a long struggle to coordinate the rescue measures with the Maltese and Italian authorities. The organization Alarmphone reported an emergency in the Maltese rescue zone on the morning of Nov 5. A boat with 54 people was discovered t at 10:56 a.m. The 'Sea Eye 5' was in close contact with the Maltese authorities. Despite difficult negotiations and a steady deterioration of the situation, the ship had to intervene after around five hours and evacuated the people because the boat was no longer seaworthy and water was entering. During the course of the day, further reports of maritime emergencies were received, prompting the'Sea Eye 5' to continue its search operations. The 'Trotamar III' discovered another boat with 93 people on board, and stabilized the situation for the time being. The Italian Coast Guard then requested the 'Sea Eye 5Ä to provide assistance. On the way to the scene, the crew found another unseaworthy boat and rescued the 25 people on board. On the early morning of Nov 6, the 'Sea Eye 5' reached the 'Trotamar III' and embarked 31 more survivors ,after the 'Trotamar III' had reached its capacity limit. The Italian Coast Guard finally instructed the 'sea Eye 5' to hand over the 31 survivors from the last rescue to a Coastguard ship off Lampedusa and to take the remaining rescued people to the port of Ortona. However, the 'Sea Eye 5' could not reach this port for technical reasons. Operations manager Gorden Isler of Sea-Eye e.V. appealed to the authorities to assign a closer port, as the ship is not suitable for sea voyages lasting several days. Both ships were still heading for Lampedusa in order to enable the survivors to receive care as soon as possible. They urgently needed medical examinations.
SALVAMAR DRACO
On Nov 7, the 'Salvamar Draco' rescued 20 migrants about 30 ki,ometers south of Cartagena, who were sailing in a small boat. Once the migrants arrived at the port of Cartagena, they were attended to by Red Cross volunteers before being placed at the disposal of the National Police officers.
GUARDAMAR TALIA
On Nov 7 the crew of the sailing yacht 'Cap´tain Kirk' remarked a cayuco heading north, abut 43 nautical miles south of La Restinga. It finally lost sight of it and a search was carried out. The 'Guardamar Talía' was mobilized by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo and finally re-located it. It transfers 47 people, among them eight women were rescued and taken to La Restinga (El Hierro). Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1854521812706615732
SOUNION
An operation to transfer approximately 150,000 tons of crude oil from the 'Sounion' to the 'Delta Blue'', using portable equipment, started at a safe anchorage point in the port of Suez on Nov 7. It is being conducted by a salvage crew aboard the tug 'Aigaion Pelagos'. The process is expected to take three to four weeks. The 20 separate fires caused by explosions triggered by the Houthis have been successfully extinguished by the crew of the 'Aigaion Pelagos'. The primary goal is to secure the ship and ensure its stability, as it lacks operational mechanical systems and its hull plates have been weakened by deck fires and subsequent explosions after being struck in a drone attack on Aug 21.
MARAN HERMES
The ‘Libra’ has arrived in the port of Shengjin on the morning of Nov 7. The ship had left Lampedusa with just eight asylum seekers on board, after judges in Catania and Rome rejected the Meloni government’s “safe countries” decree on Nov 4. As the conflict between the Italian judiciary and the government over migrants continued, the eight asylum seekers were sent to Albania on ‘Libra’ on the morning of Nov 6. The migrants will be transferred to the Gjader repatriation centre. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Nov 6 that the decision to transfer the small number of people was taken according to very strict operational procedures. The Catania court did not validate the detention of three Egyptian citizens and two Bangladeshi citizens who arrived in Pozzallo. The president of the Catania court, Massimo Escher, said that the list of safe countries drawn up by the government on Oct 21 did not prevent the judiciary from fulfilling its obligation to verify the consistency of such an approach with European law, given the accelerated nature of the procedure for processing asylum applications. The Court of Justice of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Oct 4 that many of the countries listed by Italy could not be considered completely safe. He stressed that Egypt cannot be considered safe given that serious human rights violations take place in the North African country, such as the death penalty, systematic torture by the police, as well as violence and discrimination against women and minors.