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On Oct 17, 2024, the "Ludwigshafen am Rhein", which has been deployed as part of the UN UNIFIL force off the Lebanese coast, fended off an incoming drone amid growing tensions in the region. The unmanned aircraft was brought down in a controlled manner off the coast of Lebanon using a defense system.

After three fires involving four ships in two weeks, port stakeholders in Chittagong were having questions about local firefighting capacity, and whether it was making sense to import sanctioned energy cargoes aboard questionable vessels. A major fire broke out aboard the 'B LPG Sophia' and 'Captain Nikolas' during an allegedly illegal ship-to-ship transfer off Kutubdia, Chittagong. The 'Captain Nikolas' was offloading its cargo to the Bangladeshi lighterage vessel, when a fire broke out aboard both vessels. All 31 crewmembers survived, but the the lighter tanker was significantly damaged. The LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) claimed that the origin of the cargo aboard the 'Captain Nikolas' was misdeclared, and that it actually came from Iran, a sanctioned supplier. The LOAB believed that customs officials were involved in this unlawful import arrangement, and that at least one additional vessel delivered a sanctioned Iranian LPG cargo. The 'Captain Nikolas' likely loaded a cargo of sanctioned Iranian LNG in the Persian Gulf with wo sister ships being engaged in the same trade. On Oct 15, Bangladesh's shipping ministry issued a circular urging importers to abide by the law on sanctioned vessels and cargoes, reminding companies that Bangladesh required maritime stakeholders to comply with U.S., UN and EU sanctions, and that violations expose Bangladesh to national security risks and reputational problems. The agency forbids any activities involving sanctioned cargo loading, unloading or transshipment in Bangladeshi waters. The incident with the two LPG tankers was the third major vessel fire near Chittagong within two weeks. A blaze broke out aboard the 'Banglar Shourabh' on Oct 4, killing one crew member, and a fire aboard the tanker 'Banglar Jyoti' killed three on Sep 30, prompting calls for more firefighting capabilities at Chittagong. The port has no dedicated firefighting vessels with the equipment to combat petroleum fires. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/chittagong-vessel-fires-raise-questions-about-sanctions-and-safety

After the 'ONE Manoever' ran aground on the Bramble Bank after it lost power on Oct 15, at 3.50 p.m. BST, remained at anchor off the Isle of Wight as of Oct 17, awaiting an underwater inspection. There had been no reports of pollution, and both crew and vessel were safe. Tthe ship has since regained engine power. A water ballast tank suffered a breach in the incident. Report with photo: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy78zmld5zjo

Beached at Alang 16.10.24

The HMS 'Tamar' of the British Navy has found the navigation record book from the HMNZS 'Manawanui' during a patrol off the coast of Upolu, in Samoa. The crew on board the 'Tamar' has been searching for items from the wreck and monitoring oil pollution. The Defence Force said it had no details about how the document was recovered. Meanwhile, another New Zealand Navy ship, the HMNZS 'Canterbury', has arrived in Apia carrying specialist equipment to deal with three containers from the ship which remained out on the reef. The team has emptied one of the containers and one was already empty. The third one holds 3000 kg of food but was not watertight. The containers were damaged and are being moved by tides and swells. The Defence Force was working with a local contractor to float the three metre containers and tow them to shore. It was expected to take at least three days to remove them, depending on the weather.

The 'Parpalı', en route from Libya to Iskenderun, saved the lives of 96 migrants in the Mediterranean on Oct 16, 2024. At 03:10a.m. the ship was notified via VHF to assist the refugee boat that was in danger of sinking south of Crete Island. It was taking in water due to its excessive human weight. All people on board were safely taken on board and handed over to the competent authority at Kali Limenes Port. Report with photos: https://turkdeniz.com/turk-bayrakli-parpali-isimli-konteyner-gemisi-96-duzensiz-gocmenin-hayatini-kurtardi

The Coast Guard Cutter 'Valiant' repatriated 169 people to Haiti on Oct 16, following an interdiction south of the Turks and Caicos Islands. A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 aircrew forward deployed in support of Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos notified Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders of an overloaded makeshift vessel, which was taking on water on Oct 12 at approximately 5  p.m., District Seven watchstanders diverted the 'Margaret Norvell' to interdict the vessel. Once aboard the Coast Guard cutter, the migrants were processed to determine their identity and provided food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention before repatriation to their country of origin or return to the country from which they departed. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3935373/coast-guard-repatriates-169-migrants-to-haiti/

After three fires involving four ships in two weeks, port stakeholders in Chittagong were having questions about local firefighting capacity, and whether it was making sense to import sanctioned energy cargoes aboard questionable vessels. A major fire broke out aboard the 'B LPG Sophia' and 'Captain Nikolas' during an allegedly illegal ship-to-ship transfer off Kutubdia, Chittagong. The 'Captain Nikolas' was offloading its cargo to the Bangladeshi lighterage vessel, when a fire broke out aboard both vessels. All 31 crewmembers survived, but the the lighter tanker was significantly damaged. The LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) claimed that the origin of the cargo aboard the 'Captain Nikolas' was misdeclared, and that it actually came from Iran, a sanctioned supplier. The LOAB believed that customs officials were involved in this unlawful import arrangement, and that at least one additional vessel delivered a sanctioned Iranian LPG cargo. The 'Captain Nikolas' likely loaded a cargo of sanctioned Iranian LNG in the Persian Gulf with wo sister ships being engaged in the same trade. On Oct 15, Bangladesh's shipping ministry issued a circular urging importers to abide by the law on sanctioned vessels and cargoes, reminding companies that Bangladesh required maritime stakeholders to comply with U.S., UN and EU sanctions, and that violations expose Bangladesh to national security risks and reputational problems. The agency forbids any activities involving sanctioned cargo loading, unloading or transshipment in Bangladeshi waters. The incident with the two LPG tankers was the third major vessel fire near Chittagong within two weeks. A blaze broke out aboard the 'Banglar Shourabh' on Oct 4, killing one crew member, and a fire aboard the 'Banglar Jyoti' killed three on Sep 30, prompting calls for more firefighting capabilities at Chittagong. The port has no dedicated firefighting vessels with the equipment to combat petroleum fires. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/chittagong-vessel-fires-raise-questions-about-sanctions-and-safety

After three fires involving four ships in two weeks, port stakeholders in Chittagong were having questions about local firefighting capacity, and whether it was making sense to import sanctioned energy cargoes aboard questionable vessels. A major fire broke out aboard the 'B LPG Sophia' and 'Captain Nikolas' during an allegedly illegal ship-to-ship transfer off Kutubdia, Chittagong. The 'Captain Nikolas' was offloading its cargo to the Bangladeshi lighterage vessel, when a fire broke out aboard both vessels. All 31 crewmembers survived, but the the lighter tanker was significantly damaged. The LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) claimed that the origin of the cargo aboard the 'Captain Nikolas' was misdeclared, and that it actually came from Iran, a sanctioned supplier. The LOAB believed that customs officials were involved in this unlawful import arrangement, and that at least one additional vessel delivered a sanctioned Iranian LPG cargo. The 'Captain Nikolas' likely loaded a cargo of sanctioned Iranian LNG in the Persian Gulf with wo sister ships being engaged in the same trade. On Oct 15, Bangladesh's shipping ministry issued a circular urging importers to abide by the law on sanctioned vessels and cargoes, reminding companies that Bangladesh required maritime stakeholders to comply with U.S., UN and EU sanctions, and that violations expose Bangladesh to national security risks and reputational problems. The agency forbids any activities involving sanctioned cargo loading, unloading or transshipment in Bangladeshi waters. The incident with the two LPG tankers was the third major vessel fire near Chittagong within two weeks. A blaze broke out aboard the 'Banglar Shourabh' on Oct 4, killing one crew member, and a fire aboard the tanker 'Banglar Jyoti' killed three on Sep 30, prompting calls for more firefighting capabilities at Chittagong. The port has no dedicated firefighting vessels with the equipment to combat petroleum fires. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/chittagong-vessel-fires-raise-questions-about-sanctions-and-safety

The 'HOS Mystique' was tasked to recover pieces of the broken turbine blade on Vineyard Wind’s AW38 turbine off southern New England, continuing a cleanup from the failure on July 13, 2024. The ship began recovery operations on Oct. 13 and was expected to continue for about two weeks, The vessel was using its 100 metric ton knuckle boom crane and a remotely operated vehicle around the disabled GE Vernova turbine on foundation AW38 southwest of Nantucket, Massachussets, being accompanied by three local fishing vessels, the 'Kineo', 'Lucitano' and 'Saints & Angels'. Fragments of the broken 350’ blade’s fiberglass and resin coatings drifted for weeks across southern New England waters. Municipal officials on Nantucket were in ongoing contact with Vineyard Wind over progress of the operation to recover larger pieces sunken around the turbine foundation. An additional vessel has been deployed to recover any smaller fragments that may break off during the recovery process. A first piece of debris was successfully lifted on Oct 13, and operations were underway again at mid-week, three months after the blade breakup led to temporary beach closings and shoreline cleanups on the island,

A group of activists protested on Oct 16 as the 'Libra', carrying migrants intercepted in international waters' arrived in the port of Shengjin, one of the two centres Italy opened in Albania, under Rome's jurisdiction, where it plans to process thousands of asylum-seekers outside its borders. The first centre, an area in Shengjin, 66 kilometres northwest of the capital, Tirana, is used for screening newcomers, while the other centre, about 22 kilometres to its east near the former military airport in Gjader, accommodates migrants during the processing of their asylum requests. The protesters displayed a banner that read, “The European dream ends here." The protesters stated that the deal was against human rights. Such a deal has not been democratic because the peoples of both countries have not been asked. The ship had brought the first group of 16 male migrants, 10 from Bangladesh and six from Egypt, who were rescued at sea after departing from Libya. Report with photo and video: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/top-stories/activists-protest-as-first-group-of-16-migrants-on-italian-ship-arrive-in-albania/ar-AA1sosPY

A French court has acquitted the captain of the 'Baltic Leader', who was accused of violating EU sanctions in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when he left the port of Rouen. He was cleared by the Rouen Criminal Court on Oct 10, 2024, after facing charges and having his ship confiscated by French authorities. The prosecution had sought a €16 million fine and a 10-month suspended prison sentence, arguing that the vessel was owned by PSB Leasing, a Russian company under sanctions. At the centre of the case was the question of the ship’s ownership at the time of its interception. Prosecutors contended that the vessel remained under the control of PSB Leasing, a subsidiary of the Russian state-linked Promsvyazbank, which had been targeted by European sanctions. However, the captain’s defence had argued the vessel had already been sold to another company, the TransMorFlot, just days before the war in Ukraine broke out. The court’s ruling followed a similar decision by the Douai Court of Appeal in Dec 2022, which had ordered the release of the ship, determining that TransMorFlot had taken ownership on Feb 16, 2022, nine days before the 'Baltic Leader' was seized.

The 'Alonissos' ran aground on Oct 12, 2024, at 1:20 a.m. at kilometer 393.5 on the left bank of the Paraná River, south of Rosario, while it was carrying out anchoring maneuvers in the General Lagos harbour. The bulk carrier was assisted by the tugs 'Candela S' and 'Criollo', which were later joined by the 'Brutos'. The ship did not obstruct navigation through the main channel. The Coast Guard deployed the 'GC-176' in compliance with the stranded vessel protocol The bulk carrier was loaded with 37000 tons of soy flour, en route from San Lorenzo to Las Palmas. According to information from the Coast Guard, the salvage work was initially carried out by the company Resolve and from 6 a.m. on Oct 15, it was carried out by the Salvage Master, Gustavo Deleersnyder, hired by the company Tsavliris Salvage. At 1.25 p.m. thje ship was finally refloated and dropped anchor in pos. 33° 07' S 060° 30 W. The vessel was exceeding its draft (10.16 meters) when the dispatch draft was 9.97 meters and in Paso Yaguarón (km 352.9) the effective depth was 10.57 meters. Report with photos: https://argenports.com/nota/un-buque-granelero-estuvo-tres-dias-varado-en-el-rio-parana

The 'Valiant' repatriated 169 people to Haiti on Oct 16, following an interdiction south of the Turks and Caicos Islands. A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 aircrew forward deployed in support of Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos notified Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders of an overloaded makeshift vessel, which was taking on water on OCt 12 at approximately 5  p.m., District Seven watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter 'Margaret Norvell' to interdict the vessel. Once aboard the Coast Guard cutter, the migrants were processed to determine their identity and provided food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention before repatriation to their country of origin or return to the country from which they departed. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3935373/coast-guard-repatriates-169-migrants-to-haiti/

After three fires involving four ships in two weeks, port stakeholders in Chittagong were having questions about local firefighting capacity, and whether it was making sense to import sanctioned energy cargoes aboard questionable vessels. A major fire broke out aboard the 'B LPG Sophia' and 'Captain Nikolas' during an allegedly illegal ship-to-ship transfer off Kutubdia, Chittagong. The 'Captain Nikolas' was offloading its cargo to the Bangladeshi lighterage vessel, when a fire broke out aboard both vessels. All 31 crewmembers survived, but the the lighter tanker was significantly damaged. The LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh (LOAB) claimed that the origin of the cargo aboard the 'Captain Nikolas' was misdeclared, and that it actually came from Iran, a sanctioned supplier. The LOAB believed that customs officials were involved in this unlawful import arrangement, and that at least one additional vessel delivered a sanctioned Iranian LPG cargo. The 'Captain Nikolas' likely loaded a cargo of sanctioned Iranian LNG in the Persian Gulf with wo sister ships being engaged in the same trade. On Oct 15, Bangladesh's shipping ministry issued a circular urging importers to abide by the law on sanctioned vessels and cargoes, reminding companies that Bangladesh required maritime stakeholders to comply with U.S., UN and EU sanctions, and that violations expose Bangladesh to national security risks and reputational problems. The agency forbids any activities involving sanctioned cargo loading, unloading or transshipment in Bangladeshi waters. The incident with the two LPG tankers was the third major vessel fire near Chittagong within two weeks. A blaze broke out aboard the 'Banglar Shourabh' on Oct 4, killing one crew member, and a fire aboard the tanker 'Banglar Jyoti' killed three on Sep 30, prompting calls for more firefighting capabilities at Chittagong. The port has no dedicated firefighting vessels with the equipment to combat petroleum fires. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/chittagong-vessel-fires-raise-questions-about-sanctions-and-safety

Beached at Aliaga 09/2024 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160600121375036&set=gm.10163509514633943&idorvanity=6884293942

Mikhail Pichugin, 45, who was miraculously found alive 67 days after his engine failed during an ill-fated whale-watching expedition by the 'Angel' aboard a rubber dinghy, holding on to the corpses of his brother and nephew, who died during the expedition, was in stable condition despite losing 50 kg. The crew of the fishing vessel initially thought that the tiny inflatable boat was a buoy or a piece of junk. But luckily, they decided to investigate further and found Pichugin. He was rushed to an emergency care unit at the Magadan hospital, suffering from dehydration and hypothermia. He, along with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew, traveled to the remote Shantar Islands, a renowned feeding ground for whales, off the northwest shore of the Sea of Okhotsk in early August. However, they went missing on their way back to the city of Okha on the island of Sakhalin on Aug 9. When the family reported them missing, the local authorities launched a rescue operation. For a month, the search went on with no result and was eventually called off, assuming there was no way anyone could survive the storms. The men had taken food to last for two weeks, warm clothes, life jackets, flares, and about five gallons of water with them. The cause of their getting lost at sea was believed to be an engine failure. The local prosecutor's office has opened a preliminary criminal investigation into the deaths. Along with that, Pichugin may face jail time, as under Russian law, his boat was prohibited from traveling more than two nautical miles from the shore. Report with photo and video: https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/man-survives-67-days-lost-at-sea-holding-bodies-of-brother-and-nephew-in-a-tiny-boat/ar-AA1sk66y

Beached at Alang 16.10.24

During an inspection of the"Aura Seaways" after its arrival from Klaipeda on Oct 15, 2024, the federal police in Kiel arrested a 45-year-old Latvian. He was wanted on an arrest warrant from Berlin because he had been convicted of forgery. As the 45-year-old could not pay the 1500 euros demanded to avoid a prison sentence, he was taken to a correctional facility. During the inspection, the man presented his passport and a Latvian driver's license. The officers recognized features that indicated a forgery, the police said. A check in the European registration system for driver's licenses revealed that the man did not actually have a valid Latvian driver's license. He then admitted to having bought the fake driver's license in Riga. In addition to being in prison, he now faces criminal charges for forgery.

After the 'Pan Viva' has departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska on the night of Oct 14, enroute its intended destination in Kalama, Washington, the Unified Command managing the incident has stood down, and all response operations have been completed.   The potentially disastrous situation was avoided thanks to early notification by the 'Pan Viva' and a swift, coordinated response by the Coast Guard Seventeenth District. It was regarded as an excellent example of our federal, tribal, state and industry partners coming together to ensure safety of life at sea and prevent a maritime environmental accident. On Oct 12, the Coast Guard had received notification from the vessel with approximately 300,000 gallons of fuel and 21 people aboard, which dropped anchor northeast of Unalaska after being beset by weather and in danger of running aground.   Coast Guard watchstanders dispatched a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew forward-deployed to Cold Bay, and a second MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Kodiak. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton (WMSL 752) was also diverted to assist but experienced sustained heavy weather with winds in excess of 60 mph while attempting to transit to the scene. Tug vessel Gretchen Dunlap, based out of Dutch Harbor, was also unable to assist due to weather but staged an Emergency Towing System aboard and made ready to respond once weather subsided.   On-scene weather at the time in the vicinity of the 'Pan Viva' was up to 58-mph winds and 29-foot seas with two-mile visibility.   As the 'Pan Viva' evaluated the effectiveness of its anchor holding position, a Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted and transported four non-essential crew members to Dutch Harbor. This precautionary measure reduced potential evacuation time for the remaining 17 crew members in case the situation worsened. On Oct 13 the weather had continued to prevent the 'Pan Viva' from recovering its anchor and getting underway. The tug 'Gretchen Dunlap' arrived on scene to assess the ship’s ability to weigh anchor, but weather conditions continued to prevent further action.   The Unified Command was stood up consisting of the Federal On-Scene Coordinator from the Coast Guard, a State On-Scene Coordinator from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and an Incident Coordinator from Gallagher Marine Systems. Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic stood up an Incident Management Team in Anchorage. Oil spill response equipment was also pre-staged around Unalaska.  The 'Pan Viva' successfully weighed anchor on the late afternoon of Oct 14 amid improving weather. The tugs 'Gretchen Dunlap' and 'James Dunlap' escorted the vessel out to sea, and the Coast Guard Cutter 'Stratton' remained on scene as the 'Pan Viva' resumed its transit.  Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3937144/vessel-beset-by-weather-departs-dutch-harbor-alaska/