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The MRC of Salvamento Marítimo in Palma mobilized the 'Salvamar Libertas' and 'Salvamar MimosaÄ for the assistance of five precarious boats on Feb 19. The 'Salvamar Libertas' rescued 55 sub-Saharan migrants from three boats, nine from the first, 26 from the second and 20 from the third. The castaways were transferred to the port of Palma. The 'Salvamar Mimosa' rescued the 51 occupants of two more boats, one with 20 and the other with 31 people on board. The castaways were transferred to Portocolom. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1892115247672000977

The large Russian convoy was split in the Kattegat on Feb 17. While the "Aleksandr Otrakovskiy", the "Sparta" and the "General Skobelev" sailed through the Fehmarn Belt into the Baltic Sea, the "Ivan Gren" and the "Sparta II" were still waiting off Skagen. For days, the Russian units have been observed and accompanied by NATO units on their voyage. In the Fehmarn Belt, the Federal Police were on site with the patrol ship "Neustadt" together with the Danish Navy. The passage through the narrow waters of the Fehmarn Belt was closely monitored. There were no incidents as the Russian units strictly adhered to the traffic regulations. The corvette "Erfurt" took over the escort off Gedser. The Air Force also sent a Tornado jet from Jagel to the Kattegat on Jan 17 for reconnaissance.

En route from Nifrik to Rottterdam, the 'Levante' allided with the lock doors in Lith on the afternoon of Feb 18, 2025. The doors were seriously damaged as a result. Shipping for larger ships has been disrupted as a result. The ship was still locked in the large lock chamber on the evening in pos. 51° 49' N 005° 27' E, because it was not yet known how extensive the damage to the doors actually was . For that reason, no risks were being taken. The damage will be assessed on Feb 19 and it will be assessed whether the doors can be repaired. Affected ships can sail around via Weurt. The small lock chamber at Lith remained open. It is suitable for ships up to 113.50 metres length and 7.10 m height. Report with photo: https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/nieuws/archief/2025/02/aanvaring-deuren-sluis-lith

Before Ecuador’s navy has seized 800 kg of cocaine aboard the 'Guayaquil Express', an armed 25-strong gang had used speedboats to approach the vessel 45 nautical milesoff Manta. They boarded it and placed the illicit cargo on board. The navy received an alert from the ship, and the Coast Guard and naval teams headed to the ship. The seizure took place under the cover of darkness on Feb 14, as the vessel was heading to the Panama Canal, en route from the port of Posorja. The narcotics were destined for Manzanillo. The ship was underway again on Feb 16, heading to Balboa, where it arrived on Feb 18. No arrests were reported in connection with the bust.

Beached at Chittagong 18.02.25

On April 30, 2024, the 'Thomas Rennie' hit the Billy Bishop airport near the runway. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information were revealing the captain was piloting the vessel so poorly he was relieved of command by his crew. The ferry was out of commission for 61 days following the incident for repairs which cost $500,000. Toronto Harbour was cloaked in fog on April 30 at 10.20 p.m, when the ferry left the Jack Layton terminal, destined for Hanlan’s Point with six passengers and 11 crew members on board. Additional lookouts had been posted on the vessel, due to reduced visibility. 15 minutes later, after breaching the marine exclusion zone meant to keep planes from hitting boats in the harbour, the ship allided with airport property. The accident and how it seems to have been handled, pointed to problems at the city with collecting and reporting information related to ferry accidents, both internally and in communications with other agencies and the public. The accident at the airport went unreported to the public. As late as Sep 2024, PortsToronto did not receive notice of the incident or a report from TSB (Transportation Safety Board), and were not notified by the City of Toronto of the incident. The operator of the ferry is required to report incidents to the TSB. The documents revealed that Captain Saqib Irfan may have been having trouble navigating in the fog earlier that night. About an hour before the accident at the airport, on a trip to Centre Island, he mistakenly steered the vessel towards the Toronto Island Marina, according to a report filed by eyewitness Christopher Fernandes, the second-in-command that night. The Toronto Island Marina is in a bay to the east of the ferry docks on Centre Island. It is not equipped to handle vessels the size of the Rennie. The ship would have run aground at the marina. On a separate trip to Hanlan’s Point about an hour later, Irfan accidentally steered the ferry into the marine exclusion zone (MEZ) around the airport, a fact confirmed by Fernandes and Irfan in their incident reports to the city. The airport was not in operation when the 'Thomas Rennie' entered the MEZ. Irfan reported that he struck the seaplane ramp at the airport. His mate Fernandes said in his incident report that the ship struck the airport runway and then ran aground near Mugg’s Island. The investigation by the TSB, based on GPS data, reported that the ferry hit a point roughly to the northeast of the airport runway, not near the seaplane ramp. E-mail exchanges between city officials reveal managers trying to figure out exactly what happened the day after the accident, which former waterfront parks manager James Dann had initially described in internal communications as a hard docking. Irfan said in his report that the fog was so heavy, visibility was zero and he couldn’t see navigational lights or get a clear picture on radar, causing him to drift towards the seaplane ramp. He included in his report a picture of the CN Tower that night, obscured by dense fog except for the main pod and antenna. In his report to the city, Fernandes said that Irfan “struck the airport runaway (sic),” and then “headed for the marina at Mugg Island on the other side of Hanlan Point". “When I repeatedly asked (Irfan) to give me command since he was grounding the vessel, he refused until the vessel was aground 5-10 feet from the eastern part of the wall at Muggs Island approaching the marina. Finally after…other crew strongly recommended to give me the control and take us back safely, Capt. Irfan agreed to give me command of the vessel to take her back to JLFT. After taking command, I slowly pulled the vessel out from being aground … I had to do it meticulously because of the damage done to the vessel. The vessel was then brought back at reduced speed.” Fernandes wrote in his report he docked the vessel just after 11 p.m. Irfan’s report makes no mention of grounding at Mugg’s or Fernandes taking over. A string of e-mails between city officials reveals yet another possible scenario for what happened that night — that the ferry hit some rocks near the airport — an explanation that is not supported by witness reports, but was proposed as an explanation to media enquiring about the accident.

The 'Seabourn Venture', which sailed from Ushuaia on Febn 11, 2025, has been forced to revise its itinerary due to unexpected problems with its stabilizer system, which has been deemed inoperable by Seabourn’s technical team. Despite the ship's inherent seaworthiness, the stabilizer malfunction has necessitated a significant change in the planned route. The ship will no longer call at South Georgia and will now dedicate ten days to what Seabourn is calling the "Seabourn Antarctic Experience," with five additional days spent exploring the Antarctic Peninsula and two days added to the Falkland Islands portion of the voyage. The extended time in Antarctica will provide greater flexibility for exploration, including the possibility of venturing south of the Antarctic Circle. The Fleet Operations Centerwas planning a route for the smoothest possible sailing. This might involve additional schedule modifications to optimize the Drake Passage crossing. To compensate guests for the inconvenience and itinerary change, Seabourn was offering a $1,000 refundable onboard credit. In addition, passengers will receive a Future Cruise Credit equivalent to 25% of their paid cruise fare, applicable to both cruise fares and non-cruise fare items like pre- and post-cruise packages.

On Feb 19 the 'Salvamar Adhara' rescued the occupants of a cayuco, which had been located 6.7 nautical miles southsouthwest of La Restinga (El Hierro). The 83 sub-Saharan people, among them one woman, have been transferred to the Port, where they arrived at 7.50 a.m. local time. The response was carried out with the collaboration of the Helimer 204 SAR helicopter and the LS Mike 02' of the Cruz Roja in Tenerife and coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1892125630826782726

The large Russian convoy was split in the Kattegat on Feb 17. While the "Aleksandr Otrakovskiy", the "Sparta" and the "General Skobelev" sailed through the Fehmarn Belt into the Baltic Sea, the "Ivan Gren" and the "Sparta II" were still waiting off Skagen. For days, the Russian units have been observed and accompanied by NATO units on their voyage. In the Fehmarn Belt, the Federal Police were on site with the patrol ship "Neustadt" together with the Danish Navy. The passage through the narrow waters of the Fehmarn Belt was closely monitored. There were no incidents as the Russian units strictly adhered to the traffic regulations. The corvette "Erfurt" took over the escort off Gedser. The Air Force also sent a Tornado jet from Jagel to the Kattegat on Jan 17 for reconnaissance.

On Feb 17 the 'Maersk’s Saltoro' has finally arrived at the port of Nansha, 28 days later than scheduled, after breaking down in the Pacific Ocean. The vessel, part of the Cherry Express service, was carrying 1,353 containers of cherries from southern Chile, heading for China for the Chinese New Year celebrations. Although the power supply to containers was maintained and the cold chain remained unbroken, the fruit has arrived in poor condition according to Antonio Walker, president of the National Association of Agriculture (SNA), who inspected the containers on board the vessel. He warned that the quality of the cherries has been compromised, and that China could reject the entire cargo. Maersk and Chinese Customs were discussing the future of the merchandise. The evaluation of the conditions and quality of the fruit could take several days, given the high volume transported. As of Feb 18, no containers from the vessel have been released. Only 100+ containers have been unloaded, with 12 under inspection and requiring further evaluation. Maersk has proposed unloading the remaining 1,200+ containers in Nansha, leaving legal negotiations to their lawyers, importers, and China Customs. However, China Customs was unwilling to accept these containers, citing food safety concerns.

Beached at Alang 18.02.25 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9570648892986189&set=gm.10164288094678943&idorvanity=6884293942

Beached at Chittagong 18.02.25

The 'Armada 78 06' left Port Louis on Feb 8, 2025, headed towards the Southern Ocean MH370 search zone, with an estimated arrival of Feb 23. Having conducted operations near Mauritius, it was now on the move to the search area where the missing Boeing 777 is believed to have crashed. Late in 2024 the Malaysian government had reached an agreement in principle with the operator Ocean Infinity to conduct a new “no find, no fee” underwater survey. The final contract between Ocean Infinity and the Malaysian government is still being finalized. Details regarding the financial terms and operational specifics are expected to be released once the agreement is formally concluded. It is speculated that Ocean Infinity may possibly commence the search ahead of the contract finalization. An official confirmation from Ocean Infinity or the Malaysian government the search is underway has not yet been made. The proposed search area is approximately 15,000 square kilometers. This area is newly defined, based on refined analysis and expert opinions regarding the possible crash location of MH370. The new search area will take in locations proposed by three research groups, the MH370-Caption team, headed by Captain Patrick Blelley and Jean Luc Marchand; the Independent Group, and Richard Godfrey’s WSPR analysis team. Additionally, a number of research groups have contributed expertise and input to Ocean Infinity. The new search broadens the region under investigation beyond the ‘seventh arc’ where previous searches were focused. The search is anticipated to take place between Jan and April 2025 to take advantage of favourable weather conditions in the Southern Hemisphere. Flight MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. Extensive international search efforts covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometres have been conducted, but the main wreckage of the Boeing 777 has never been found. However, advancements in technology and oceanographic analysis have led to the identification of this new search area. The advancements, coupled with data from recovered debris, offers a renewed opportunity to find the wreckage.

The SUST has published two reports on accidents of the 'Sabina', actually sailing as 'Tango Rio'. The reports were technically ready by the end of 2023, but have only now been authorised for publication. On June 26, 2015, a crew member fell three metres through a broken hatch in Constanta and was seriously injured. The accident was not reported to the SUST, which only discovered it as part of the investigation into the second incident. Just four months later, the "Sabina" was on its way from Denmark to Finland when it ran aground shortly before midnight off the island of Bornholm and was damaged. The SUST discovered that none of the 12 Ukrainian and Russian crew members were present on the bridge during the accident. The 2nd officer was on duty alone, contrary to regulations. He first fell asleep on the bridge. The SUST discovered this by detecting snoring on the voice recorder. When he woke up a few minutes later and wanted to get painkillers from his cabin, he collapsed and lay unconscious on the floor. No one noticed immediately, because the safety system, that should have triggered an alarm in case of inactivity on the bridge, had not been activated, in violation of protocols. The pilot from another ship noticed that the 'Sabina' was not changing course to the northeast as planned, but was heading straight for the island. He then alerted the Danish authorities. However, neither the ship's radio nor the telephone were responding. Eventually, a lifeboat was sent from Bornholm. The volunteers on board hit the hull of the 'Sabina' with an axe and bolt cutters, sounded their siren and illuminated the deck with searchlights. In this way, they managed to wake the sleeping crew. The captain was able to manoeuvre at the last minute to prevent the ship running aground at Rønne, however, the ship grazed the bottom, causing damage to the hull, rudder and propeller. The SUST concluded that the accident was directly due to multiple erroneous decisions made on board the ship: - Lack of personnel for the watch. - Excessive fatigue. - Failure to respect rest periods. - Failure to activate several safety systems. Such conditions were apparently commonplace on the 'Sabina'. The accident investigators therefore did not look favourably on the Swiss Maritime Navigation Office (SMNO), which had subjected the ship to an inspection a few days before the accident – ​​the first since it was put into service in 2000. The SMNO is part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and is responsible for the technical monitoring and safety of navigation on the high seas. The SMNO should therefore also have sanctioned such violations. The SUST investigation revealed that this was not the case. The Sust clearly states that the Maritime Navigation Office gave in to pressure from the Federal Office for National Economic Supply "and refrained from imposing sanctions on shipping companies that violated the rules". The investigation also revealed that the SSA was dramatically understaffed. A single inspector was in charge of all Swiss ships on the high seas. Since his appointment in 2006, he had been the sole and de facto SSA officer, 365 days a year and 24 hours a day, free of charge, and was primarily available to Swiss shipping companies to provide them with information and assistance. The management of the SSA Office had repeatedly requested reinforcements from the Directorate of Public International Law, which is superior to it, but in vain. The SSA had outsourced a large part of its monitoring tasks to private classification societies, without ever checking whether they were fulfilling their mission properly. And when the SSA employee carried out inspections himself, these were too rare – approximately every 16 years on average – and too superficial. The SUST describes an inefficient and complacent supervisory authority, seeking more to maintain a good relationship with shipping companies than to ensure safety. The report states: "The statements made to the SUST by various employees of the Maritime Navigation Office in the context of the investigation give the impression that there was an environment within the SSA, as a supervisory authority, marked by a lack of awareness of its own role, its rights and its tasks as a supervisory authority, by uncritical trust and by a certain reluctance to enter into conflict, as well as by a good understanding with the regulated parties." The only inspector of the SSA thus told the investigators that he did not see his role as that of a "policeman", but rather as an advisor helping companies to pass through international port controls without incident. Faced with these serious shortcomings, the SUST expressed in its report a marked astonishment at the management of the Office and the lack of action by the federal authorities. In conclusion, it issued a record number of recommendations and security measures to the SSA to prevent such a malfunction from happening again. Report with photo: https://www.watson.ch/fr/suisse/accident/358068718-revelations-sur-le-naufrage-d-un-cargo-suisse-evite-de-justesse

The large Russian convoy was split in the Kattegat on Feb 17. While the "Aleksandr Otrakovskiy", the "Sparta" and the "General Skobelev" sailed through the Fehmarn Belt into the Baltic Sea, the "Ivan Gren" and the "Sparta II", which anchored in pos. 57° 34' N 011° 04' E, were still waiting off Skagen as of Feb 18. For days, the Russian units have been observed and accompanied by NATO units on their voyage. In the Fehmarn Belt, the Federal Police were on site with the patrol ship "Neustadt" together with the Danish Navy. The passage through the narrow waters of the Fehmarn Belt was closely monitored. There were no incidents as the Russian units strictly adhered to the traffic regulations. The corvette "Erfurt" took over the escort off Gedser. The Air Force also sent a Tornado jet from Jagel to the Kattegat on Jan 17 for reconnaissance.

The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal will be closed again on Feb 20 between 10:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Diemen. Rijkswaterstaat previously announced that shipping on the canal would be disrupted for several hours on Feb 18 and Feb 19, because work was being done on the high-voltage cables that were damaged by the 'Noord'. On Feb 20, grid operator TenneT will carry out additional work that is necessary to fully repair the damage. A number of cables had snapped and ended up in the water. According to TenneT, the allision did not lead to a power outage. Rijkswaterstaat stated that the repair work must be carried out as quickly as possible in order to continue to guarantee the supply of electricity in the area.

A fire broke out on the 'Grande Brasilie', en route from Antwerp to Le Havre, with 28 crew members on board and loaded with cars, containers and assorted rolling cargo, while transiting the southwest-bound lane of the Dover Strait, off the Kent coast on Feb 18, 2025, at 9.35 a.m. GMT (Lat. 51.2762 Lng. 1.8117). The UK Coastguard and lifeboat crews were mobilized to the ship, 15 miles off the coast of Ramsgate. No injuries have been reported, The French tug 'Abeille Normandie' (IMO: 9442421) with firefighting capabilities and a Dutch fixed-wing aircraft assisting in the response. The fire was contained to one deck of the vessel and was brought under control by the release of CO2, The ship was left without main engine power or steering. The RNLI lifeboats from Dover and Ramsgate were called to the rescue at 10:05 a.m., but lifeboats have since been stood down and returned to shore. As of 7 p.m., the tug 'Multratug 35' (IMO: 9964039) attended the ship, wich was NUC in pos. 51° 20' N 001° 47' E, besides the 'Abeille Normandie'.

Scrapped at Chittagong 19.09.21

On the night of Feb 15, 2025, two explosions occurred on the 'Seajewel', which was anchored off the coast of Savona at the Sarpom Offshore Terminal in pos. 44° 17' N 008° 28' E. There was a leak at the height of the waterline, but no oil leakage has been recorded. No one was injured in the explosion, and the ship was not in danger of sinking. However, the crew claimed that they heard two loud bangs before the explosions. During the inspection, two hull sheets were found bent inward, which may indicate the presence of two devices located on the outside of the hull. The Savona Coast Guard inspected the scene with divers. The port authority stated: “During the unloading of crude oil, the specialized personnel supervising these operations noticed some anomalies in the unloading procedure and decided, in consultation with this port office, to interrupt them for reasons of caution. The Harbour Master's office immediately implemented the procedures outlined in the port's pollution control and firefighting plans. No spills or injuries were reported. Technical investigations are currently underway on board the vessel to verify the origin of these anomalies and address them so that operations can continue safely.” The Savona Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a case on the incident and was considering all possible versions, including a terrorist attack. The Genoa prosecutor's office and the anti-mafia and anti-terrorism department have joined the investigation. The tanker had arrived on Feb 14 from the Russian CPC Marine Terminal near Novorossyisk. The tanker is one of the vessels that continue to transport Russian oil to the European Union despite sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. The 'Seajewel' is one of the tankers that were loaded with Russian cargo three times in 2024 (in February, March and May) and came back after each unloading. The tanker was spotted unloading in the port of Constanța after arriving from the port of Ceyhan. Sources in law enforcement agencies reported that the tanker was supposed to be heading to the Russian city of Novorossiysk for transshipment. Report with photos: https://www.ivg.it/2025/02/squarcio-nello-scafo-della-petroliera-seajewel-a-savona-allertato-lantiterrorismo-lombra-del-petrolio-russo/

The 'Lambousa II' was scuttled at the Oroklini marine protected area on Feb 15, 2025, on a water depth of 20 meters, to enrich the site with artificial reeds, being the third ship to be sunk in the area in the last five years, as she heralded the benefits of this practice in increasing fish stocks, as well as opportunities for diving and environmental awareness. The area was established as a marine protected area in 2020. The Agriculture ministry will continue to consistently implement the protection and sustainable management of marine resources and in collaboration with all stakeholders will work to ensure that the protection of the marine environment is combined with opportunities for development and sustainable utilisation. The marine protected area of Oroklini has limited natural reefs and its gradual enhancement contributes to the creation of more spaces for development, feeding and protection for marine life and to the increase of fish stocks. About five years ago, and at a distance of approximately 500 metres, in collaboration with the Larnaca Tourism Development and Promotion Company, the city’s Chamber of Commerce, and other entities, the 'Elpida' was scuttled at a depth of 30 metres and the 'Lef 1' at a depth of 14 meters. The 'Lambousa II' was granted to the fisheries department and marine research to be used as an artificial reef. It was built in Romania in 1995, and in 2003 it was included in the Cypriot ship registry. Reports with photo and video: https://enalios.com.cy/%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%AF%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BA%CE%B5-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9-%CF%84%CE%BF-lambousa-ii-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BD-%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%84%CF%8C-%CF%8D%CF%86%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF-%CE%BB%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%82-%CE%B2%CE%AF%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%BF-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9-%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%82/ https://cyprus-mail.com/2025/02/15/ship-sank-to-create-natural-reef-off-larnaca-coast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IPOaxO9WAA&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fcna.org.cy%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypp74EuiBoc