The captain of the 'Helen Mary' has been arrested at the port of Cork the a law enforcement interdiction at sea on Feb 16. A European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) patrol vessel had spotted the factory trawler in the Irish EEZ, engaged in possible violations of EU fisheries law. The authorities believed that the ship may have committed multiple offenses, and it was diverted to the port of Cork for an enhanced inspection. The local police in Cork were alerted Feb 17 to the possibility of charges against the vessel's master. He was detained under Ireland's Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, and an investigation was under way.
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STELLA MARIS I
The Federal Court of Comodoro Rivadavia ratified the prosecution for negligent homicide of the captain and the nurse of the 'Stella Maris I' after the death of a sailor on board the vessel in 2016. The decision is in line with the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office and is based on the inappropriate medical treatment provided by the nurse and the failure to fulfill duties by the captain, who, in their capacity as responsible persons on board, did not take the necessary measures to prevent the death of Jesús Ceferino Castillo. He died after suffering complications derived from a poorly treated infection while the Moscuzza company ship was heading from Mar del Plata to Puerto Deseado. The ship's nurse provided a treatment that was contraindicated for the patient, who suffered from pre-existing diabetes. Although the symptoms persisted and the condition worsened, the nurse did not request the required medical consultation, which aggravated the situation. As for the captain, he was charged with not having ordered the crew member to disembark or having informed the Naval Prefecture doctor of the situation in a timely manner. The Federal Court of Comodoro Rivadavia rejected the defense's claim that the statute of limitations on criminal action had expired, arguing that the action had expired since March 14, 2024. The Court considered that both defendants performed functions related to the exercise of public office and, therefore, the suspension of the statute of limitations was applied as stipulated in article 67 of the Penal Code. The regulations suspend the statute of limitations on crimes committed in the exercise of public office while the defendants are serving in positions related to public functions. The court stressed that the cause of Castillo's death was not in dispute, given that the forensic medical reports accurately detailed the events that led to Castillo's death. In particular, it was stressed that the nurse, knowing of the sailor's diabetic condition, should have taken more cautious measures and requested an external medical consultation. For his part, the captain, although he relied on the nurse's criteria, had the responsibility to intervene and make decisions in accordance with his professional maritime training. On March 18, 2016, the sailor complained of pain, and was treated by the nurse, who gave him dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid contraindicated in diabetic patients due to the risk of decompensation. Despite the severity of the symptoms, the nurse did not take the necessary measures and continued to administer the medication without controlling glucose levels or prescribing antibiotics. On April 18, when the situation was already critical, the captain finally contacted the doctor at the Naval Prefecture, but by then, the sailor was no longer responding to stimuli and had high blood sugar levels. The sailor was disembarked in Deseado and taken to the hospital, but his health condition was irreversible. He was later transferred to the hospital in Caleta Olivia, where he died due to septic shock.
MARCO POLO
The shipping company TT Line has responded to the Swedish Maritime Accident Investigation Board's criticism and expressed its deep regret over the oil disaster. The report had showed that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the crew and the ship's equipment. The TT-line has now provided its statement on the criticism and mentioned, among other things, that it has updated its safety management system (SMS) based on its thorough analysis of the incident and will review and analyze the SHK report carefully with a focus on further improving the SMS by implementing appropriate conclusions.
ROESUND
Due to technical problems, which occcurred with the 'Røsund' on Feb 17, the connection Dryna-Brattvåg was being carried on Feb 18 out by a passenger boat in the period between 09.10 a.m. and 12.00 p.m.. The passenger boat only takes passengers and follows the normal timetable. In Brattvåg, the boat was departing from the small boat harbor. An update by the operator Fram was expected at noon. The the 'Røsund' was sidelined in Brattvåg on Feb 17 and returned to normal operation on the connection with the first departure from Brattvåg on Feb at 10:00 p.m.
HANOEY
On Aug 29, 2018, the "Hanøy" had to quit its service from Storkmarknes to Kaljord on the Horkland Fjord due to technical problems. The fery was sidelined in Stokmarknes. Instead, a bus was inserted by the Boreal company to carry schoolchildren, commuters and others in the afternoon. Repairs were to be completed by Aug 30.
SALVAMAR LIBERTAS
On Feb 19, the Spanish flagged fishing vessel "Picaseu", with two crew members on board, was disabled and adrift 13 nautical miles from Palma due to a mechanical failure, and requested assistance. The CCS Palma of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Libertas' to the scene, which took the ship in tow and safely pulled it to the port of Palma. Report with photos: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1892235399373750391
SEACHARM
On Feb 19, 2025, it was reported that the 'Seacharm' was damaged by a blast off the port of Ceyhan in late January. The tanker underwent repairs in Greece in late January. It called at the Skaramangas shipyard after making an abrupt U-turn off Ceyhan where the incident occurred. The damage was not extensive and repair work lasted about two weeks. The 'Seacharm' then sailed to Es Sider in Libya, where it loaded cargo for Savona, where it arrived on Feb 14 and anchored in pos. 44° 16' N 008° 30' E, which was the same port where another Theamaris tanker, the 'Seajewel', was damaged by two explosions on the night of Feb 14.
AITO NUI
The Chinese longliner 'Ping Tai Rong 316' (MMSI: 45526363) ran aground on the morning of Feb 19, 2025, at the exit of the port of Papeete, on the airport side, opposite the Hilton hotel, surprised by the swell and the reef bordering the pass. The vessel ended up on a shoal where the draft does not exceed two meter. The 16 crew members on board were safe and sound, and no pollution has been observed. Two patrol boats along with the 'Aito Nui' quickly intervened to free the ship. The 'Pingtairong 316' was then towed to the oil tanker dock. During the operation, several boats had to wait offshore before being able to cross the pass, including the 'Aranui'. The tuna boat was to undergo a technical inspection, ordered by the State Maritime Affairs Service (Seam) and the autonomous port, in order to ensure that it can return to sea safely. Reports with photos and video: https://www.tahiti-infos.com/Un-thonier-chinois-remorque-apres-son-echouage-dans-la-passe-de-Papeete_a228948.html https://www.radio1.pf/echouement-du-thonier-chinois-conditions-meteo-ou-delabrement-des-bateaux/
FV MABRUNE
On Feb 19, 2025, at around 3.45 p.m. a fire broke out on the 'Ma Brune- BL.735383', which was berthed at the Loubet basin in Boulogne-sur-Mer. A cable used to haul up fishing nets had caught fire. The brother-in-law of the owner started the engine, activated the water hose which allowed him to put out the flames at the stern. The Boulogne firefighters went to the scene. Reinforcements were requested as a precaution from Calais and Marquise. At 4:30 p.m, the firefighters managed to identify the origin of the fire. The ship had gone fishing for scallops on Feb 18, and the crew brought up phosphorus, and there was a residue in one of the boxes. The chemical element, which catches fire on contact with air and in the event of impact, was brought back to the quayside. The trawler was cleaned using the fire hose. Reports with photo video: https://www.nordlittoral.fr/238141/article/2025-02-19/un-feu-se-declare-sur-un-chalutier-au-bassin-loubet-boulogne https://www.deltafm.fr/boulogne-depart-de-feu-sur-un-bateau-de-peche-les-pompiers-interviennent#google_vignette
GABRIELLA
Viking Line can breathe a sigh of relief, as no bedbugs have been found on the 'Gabriella'. Three technicians and a dog have been on board the ferry and conducted an investigation. It showed that there were no bedbugs on board. Last week a passenger had reported bedbugs on the ship, and Viking Line closed three cabins to investigate them. A company specializing in pest control has gone on board with lice dogs but has not found anything. The passenger had sent a picture of the lice, but according to the specialist company, the animal in the picture does not look like bedbugs. The cabins that have been investigated could not be booked for the time of the investigation.
SKY RANGER
On Feb 10, 2025, the 'Sky Rander' was detained in Oristano with 14 deficiencies, ten of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Cargo operation incl. equipment - Atmosphere testing instruments Broken 2) Fire safety - Evaluation of crew performance Lack of training 3) Emergency system - Emergency source of power - emergency generator Not as required 4) Emergency systems - Enclosed space entry and rescue drills Not as required 5) Structural conditions - Ballast, fuel and other tanks' Not as required 6) Life saving Appliances - On board training and instructions Not as required 7) Safety of navigation - Magnetic compass Not as required 8)) Safety of navigation - GNSS Receiver/terrestrial radio navigation system Inoperative 9) Radio communication - Reserve source of energy Not as required 10) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Feb 17 and left the port en route to Castellon. The last detention was on Aug 7, 2024, in Setubal with five deficiencies for three days. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591
VINIK NO.6
With the 'Vinik No. 6' as leading tug, the SS 'United States' finally departed her Philadelphia berth on Feb 19 at midday on the first leg on her final journey to becoming the world’s largest artificial reef sunk off the coast of Florida. The ship had docked in an industrial part of the Port of Philadelphia in 1998 upon the return from Turkey and Ukraine where her interiors had been stripped to prepare for a possible new career as a cruise ship which never proceeded. For the past decade, the non-profit S.S. United States Conservancy sought to repurpose the vessel but in the end, was forced to sell the ship after losing a court fight with its landlord that controlled the Philadelphia pier. Last week, the vessel was shifted north across the slipway to the adjoining pier to begin the final preparations for the tow, which was later delayed by 48 hours due to weather concerns. High wind warnings delayed the departure one final time.After the tugs tugs positioned along the liner, they pulled it out of the slip, and turned it south in the Delaware River. The ship paused off Pier 80 while the 'Vinik No. 6', attached to the anchor chain hanging from the prow. The trip downriver began at around 12:30 p.m. with two tugs on each side and one more at the stern to guide the vessel. The first obstacle was the Walt Whitman Bridge, and it was reached just before low tide, when the clearance under the bridge would be greatest. Road traffic on the bridge was temporarily stopped for the convoy to pass underneath. When the vessel had arrived nearly 30 years ago, a radar antenna and a small signal light mast were removed for clearance under the bridge. It will take 24 hours for the tow to reach the mouth of the Delaware River and enter the Atlantic Ocean. The trip to Mobile, Alabama is projected to take about two weeks and the new owners, Florida’s Okaloosa Country, arranged livestream tracking online to follow the path. Once in Mobile, the process for decontamination will continue removing PCBs, asbestos, and other harmful materials. The fuel tanks need to be emptied of what remains from 1969 when she was last under steam in operation. The funnels, radar mast, and windows all are to be removed before the hull is reefed and the loose paint and decking materials are removed. Okaloosa County acquired the vessel for $1 million in October 2024 and expects to invest up to $10 million in the project to reef the liner, which is expected to take place in 2026. Report with photos and video: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/video-liner-s-s-united-states-departs-philadelphia-starting-final-voyage
BESIKTAS-M
Navy inspectors have started evaluating the structural integrity of the USS 'Harry S. Truman'. The assessment, which began no Feb 16 at th e Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the island of Crete, will cover the hull and bulkheads to ensure they can bear weight. A small slash penetrated the ship’s hull high above the waterline. It was too soon to say how long the inspection will take and when a comprehensive damage assessment will be available. The evaluation won’t include the flight deck. The carrier conducted flight operations on Feb 15, days after the Feb. 12 late-night collision with the 'Besiktas M' near the Suez Canal. There were no injuries in the collision, which damaged a line handling space, the fantail and a platform above a storage space. The exterior walls of two storage rooms and maintenance space also were included in initial damage assessments. The ship’s nuclear propulsion plants were unaffected. The inital assessments likely mean the ship could be patched up and soon resume its deploymen. The maintenance capabilities at Souda Bay should be able to provide temporary repairs that should carry the ship through the rest of its deployment to the point where permanent repairs can be made. nless more significant problems are discovered, the Navy likely will keep the carrier on station. A shortened deployment and return to Norfolk, Va., could complicate a tight maintenance and deployment schedule for the service’s other 10 carriers. The mishap remains under investigation. Report with photos: https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2025-02-19/truman-collision-repairs-souda-bay-16881858.html Source - Stars and Stripes
GRACE FERRUM
The 'Grace Ferrum' of the Cyprus-based operator Cymare suffered explosions similar to that of the tankers 'Koala' and 'Seajewel' off the coast of Libya at the start of Feb 2025. The vessel was laden at the time, and its previous ports of call were St. Petersburg and Ust-Luga, where it had sailed on Jan 12. The kind of damage below the waterline was leading to some security analysts to suggest the vessel was targeted with limpet mines. The vessel required a salvage operation. The tanker was showing its status as not under command on Feb 20 in pos. 32° 56' N 013° 11' E off the Libyan coast near Tripoli. Another tanker, the 'Seacharm', also operated by Thenamaris like the 'Seajewel', was damaged by an explosion in late January while docked at the port of Ceyhan,
STAVANGER
The captain of the 'Stavanger' was fined 50,000 Norwegian crowns by the prosecution after an accident of the ferry on Nov 21, 2023, in which eight passengers were injured, when the ship, en route from Oppedal, slammed into the quay at Lavik with 29 passengers and nine crew members on board. The police believed the captain was not careful enough when docking in the port. The arrival procedure was not followed in its entirety, so that the ferry headed towards the quay in the wrong mode and at too high a speed. The violation of the arrival procedure was a contributing cause of the allision. If the arrival procedure had been followed, the accident could have been averted. Internally, the shipping company Norled has conducted an investigation after the incident to identify improvement opportunities and measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again. The captain has received follow-up from the occupational health service and has had close dialogue with his immediate superior after the incident. The captain will look at the police's conclusion and based on this consider whether or not he should adopt the fine. If the captain is a member of the Norwegian Naval Officers' Association, the union will assist him in the assessment. Reports with photos and video: https://www.nrk.no/vestland/kapteinen-far-50.000-kroner-i-forelegg-etter-at-mf-stavanger-krasja-1.17303664 https://www.sognavis.no/kraftig-sammenstoyt-mellom-ferja-og-kaien-i-lavik/s/5-115-1074385
LEVANTE
The Maxima lock will remain closed for weeks after the 'Levante' of the Amer Shipping from Raamsdonkveer, sailed into the lock gates. Rijkswaterstaat and Amer Shipping have not yet provided any information about the cause of the accident. The damage was extensive, as was evident from an inspection on Feb 19. Preparations are currently being made to lift out the lock gate. This will probably happen in the middle of next week. Until then, the ship will remain locked in the northern lock. Only when the lock gate has been lifted out can the full damage be mapped out and a proper assessment be made as to whether a new gate is needed or whether the damaged door can be repaired. Larger ships sailing from the wes, have to go via the Waal, from where they can 'return' from Weurt via the Grave lock towards Oss. Shipping from the south can follow the normal route via Grave. Report with photo: https://www.ad.nl/oss/voorlopig-is-de-grote-sluis-bij-lith-gestremd-door-een-aanvaring~a7379b02/
CG HADDOCK
The crew of the CG 'Haddock' interdicted 20 migrants aboard a 30-foot-panga-style vessel approximately 21 miles west of Point Loma, on feb 18, 2025. At approximately 4 p.m., a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations patrol aircraft sighted the sailing vessel and notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Diego. Watchstanders then diverted the Coast Guard Cutter, which launched its small boat crew. All 20 adults, among them 17 men and three women, were taken into custody; claiming Mexican and Chinese nationalities. The Coast Guard brought the castaways to Sector San Diego and transferred all 20 to Imperial Beach Border Patrol Station personnel. Report with video: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4070726/coast-guard-interdicts-20-aliens-west-of-point-loma-calif/
ADAMANTIOS KORAIS
On the morning of Feb 19, 2025, the Port Authority of Samothrace was informed by the Captain of the 'Adamantios Korais', that the ship is unable to approach the port of Samothrace, due to a malfunction of the port side main engine in combination with adverse weather conditions. The ferry which was operating the scheduled route from Lavrio-Agios Efstratios-Myrina, continued its voyage, without disembarking three passengers and a private vehicle in Samothrace and sailed at reduced speed to the port of Alexandroupolis, where it safely disembarked eight passengers, three private vehicles and three trucks. The Central Port Authority of Alexandroupolis banned the ship from sailing. Following the presentation of a certificate of class maintenance by the monitoring classification society, the sailing ban was lifted and the ship continued its voyage to the port of Samothrace.