News

The 'Stefania' will be auctioned on March 27, 2025, in La Ciotat. The ship, owned by a wealthy Belarusian involved in a money laundering case, is estimated at between 10 and 12 million euros. Built in Monaco in 2021, the yacht received a prestigious award for its design before being seized as part of an international investigation. The ship was confiscated near Genoa, before being transferred to the shipyards of La Ciotat. Initially planned two years ago, its sale was postponed to allow for work. This is the largest seizure ever carried out by AGRASC, the agency responsible for managing assets seized by the courts. The agency thus assures buyers of a "serene" acquisition. The proceeds of the sale will be fully donated to the State budget.

Monitoring of the 'An Yang 2' wa scontinued around the clock on the instructions of Governor Valery Limarenko. Specialists from the Marine Rescue Service were on duty at the site constantly, Water samples confirmed that there was no pollution as of Feb 13. The inspection of the vessel will continue depending on weather conditions. Valery Limarenko held a meeting with representatives of the region's leading media n Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The authorities promptly installed booms to prevent the spill of oil products. The ship owner has to make a decision whether to refloat the vessel with tug assistance and take it for repairs or abandon it on site and dispose of it. The authoorities were insisting on draining the fuel, an amount of 700 tons of fuel oil and 50 or 60 tons of diesel fuel. Reports with photos: https://paluba.media/news/187781 https://paluba.media/news/187674

The 'Tranøy', serving on the route Bognes–Lødingen, suffered a Technical fault on the passenger lift on Feb 17, 2025. The damage was expected to be repaired during Feb 18. As there was no opportunity to sit on the car deck during the crossing, the operator Torghatten Nord asked passengers who need a passenger lift to use departures with the ferry 'Barøy' instead.

On Feb 15, the SS 'United States' has started her final journey, leaving her long-time dock in Philadelphia.After nearly three decades at Pier 82, the ship was moved in preparation for a 14-day tow to Mobile, Alabama, where she will undergo environmental remediation before being sunk as an artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Tugs carried out the complex manoeuvre, timing the movement with the midday high tide on the Delaware River.The ship’s stern was first pulled across the slipway, followed by the bow, before she was resecured at Pier 80 on the north side of the slipway. The tow, which is planned for Feb 19 now, will take her past several key bridges, including the Commodore Barry Bridge (U.S. 322), the Delaware Memorial Bridge (I- 295) and the Walt Whitman Bridge (I-76). The bridge closures will be coordinated as she passes, The tow will be led by the 'Vinik No.6'. The ship will begin moving south down the Delaware River at low tide at 12:51 p.m. Tugs will begin to position her off of pier 80 two to three hours before low tide, Okaloosa County, the ship’s new owner, has stated that real-time route adjustments will be made every six hours, taking into account weather conditions and currents. Once the ship arrives in Mobile, she will be docked at the Modern American Repair & Recycling Services facility. The remediation process will involve removing hazardous materials, including loose paint, PCBs, and fuel from her tanks. Additionally, all windows and portholes will be removed. Her funnels and radar mast will be carefully dismantled and handed over to the SS United States Conservancy, which plans to incorporate them into a future museum and visitor centre in Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The entire preparation process is expected to take one year before the vessel is finally sunk to create the world’s largest man-made reef. As a farewell to the city, volunteers boarded the SS United States on Feb 14 to set up special lighting. At nightfall, her bridge was illuminated in green, paying tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles, who recently won the Super Bowl. The city was also hosting a championship celebration for the team Loyal fans gathered at the pier to witness the ship’s movement. The 'United States' set a speed record for transatlantic crossings in 1952, averaging 36 knots. She remained in passenger service for over a decade and later operated on occasional pleasure cruises before being retired in 1969. Since then, the ship has changed ownership multiple times. Between 1980 and 2024, various attempts were made to restore her for commercial use or transform her into a tourist attraction. However, these efforts were unsuccessful. The SS United States Conservancy owned the ship from 2011 until October 2024 but was forced to relinquish control due to a legal dispute with the pier’s operators. A court ruling ordered the ship’s removal, leaving the non-profit unable to relocate her. She was sold to Okaloosa County for $1 million as part of a $10 million plan to repurpose her as an artificial reef. Once deployed off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, the ship will become a vital marine habitat, attracting fish, coral, and other marine life. The site is expected to be an attraction for divers and anglers from around the world.The county is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies to ensure all environmental and safety regulations are met. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/video-ss-united-states-completes-first-move-as-final-journey-begins

The Marine Environmental Hazards Response team managed to fly over the 'MSC Baltic III' in a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter on Feb 15 a couple of times and there is no leakage from the ship, which remained in an upright position. The Canadian Coast Guard has established a two nautical mile emergency zone around a site where zjr container ship ran aground in Wild Cove just west of Lark Harbour. Bad weather and sea conditions were preventing them from any on water work to be able to place a containment boom around it. The ship’s owner is actively involved working through Eastern Canada Response Corporation and have representatives on site. They have set up a command post at the Search and Rescue base in Lark Harbour and wre in the early stages of this response. The owner has also hired a salvage company to help with the ship’s removal. First they have to get inside the vessel to conduct sound wave testing and come up with a plan to remove the vessel. Once they get people onboard they will have a better picture of what they’re dealing with. Report with photo: https://www.bayfm.ca/news/local-news/officials-are-assessing-the-situation-after-a-container-ship-ran-aground-near-lark-harbour-on-saturday/

Authorities in Nador have detained the crew of the 'White Eagel' at the city’s port. The ship, which flies the flag of Sierra Leone, was suddenly diverted to Morocco en route to Lebanon. The crew was not allowed to leave the ship and remained under strict surveillance. They were being provided with food daily, while medical teams were on standby to provide assistance if necessary. The ship’s cargo, reportedly around 6,000 tons, remained a mystery. The ship had no clear destination in Lebanon, which only adds to the questions about the purpose of the journey. The ship turned off its AIS while in international waters near Morocco during the voyage . This is a well-known tactic in smuggling operations to avoid detection. Furthermore, the coast of Sierra Leone is known as a base for arms trafficking networks, which makes the situation even more suspicious.

Beached at Alang 26.11.24 as Cean towed by SPM Neel Patrap & SPM Power https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161139853990036&set=gm.10164275686833943&idorvanity=6884293942

On Feb 17, 2025, shortly after 08:00 a.m. the 'Noord' , en route from Amsterdam, slammed into high voltage cables while transiting the Amsterdam-Rhine-Canal at canal kilometre 3 near Diemen, At least two cables ended up in the water. They were also lying over a number of trees and a cycle path. A third cable was damaged, but was still hanging. Emergency services arrived on site and cordoned off the area. The traffic posts in Schellingwoude and Wijk bij Duurstede kept shipping informed of the situation. The traffic on the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal was disrupted between the Oranje Lock near Amsterdam and Wijk near Duurstede, some fifty kilometres away, at 8.18 a.m. There were about 50 ships waiting to continue their voyage as of 1 p.m. The 'Noord' was moored in pos. 52° 20' N 005° 00' E. Grid operator Tennet immediately started repairing the two damaged cables, which normally carry 115,000 volts, but lose their voltage when they break. Grid operator TenneT is on site to repair the cables. The power has been switched off, so the area was not experiencing a power outage. The waterway was fully reopened to shipping around 4:45 p.m. It is possible that part of the canal will be closed again at a later time for repair of the cables. The cause of the allision is being investigated. It is still unclear why the crane on the ship was positioned so high that the cables could be hit. Whether that is necessary and when it should happen is still unclear. Reports with photo and video: https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/regio/gooi/amsterdam-rijnkanaal-weer-vrij-voor-scheepvaart-na-hoogspanningskabels-in-water-bij-botsing-update/41488218.html https://www.parool.nl/amsterdam/amsterdam-rijnkanaal-weer-vrij-voor-scheepvaart-nadat-kraanschip-tegen-hoogspanningskabel-voer~baf184e5/ https://www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/3855294/amsterdam-rijnkanaal-weer-vrij-voor-scheepvaart-na-dag-te-zijn-gestremd

The 'KMS Terramare', which was stranded at Newgale Beach on Jan 14, was successfully refloated on the evening of Jan 15. The St Davids Lifeboat was called out at 7:59 p.m. to provide salvage pumps and escort the vessel towards Milford Haven. Despite assistance from the Angle RNLI and local Coastguard teams, the attempt to enter the Port of Milford Haven was denied, forcing it to return towards Broad Haven, where it was anchored. The St Davids Lifeboat returned to station at 4:10 a.m. However, the lifeboats were called out for a third time at 10:35 a.m. to assist the 'KMS Terramare', which was intentionally beached on the morning of Jan 15 on the outgoing tide. Pollution experts were on alert as concerns mount over potential environmental risks. instead anchoring off Broad Haven. On Jan 17, with additional salvage pumps, the vessel finally made it to Pembroke Dock under the supervision of a tug and with no further need for lifeboat support. The ship was conducting operations on behalf of Vodafone, surveying subsea cables to connect high-speed fibre optic services from Ireland to Brawdy Business Park. Vodafone confirmed the vessel was managed by a licensed subcontractor. Reports with photos: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2025/january/17/multi-rnli-assistance-for-stricken-survey-vessel https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/105190/stricken-vessel-now-off-broad-haven-as-pollution-experts-stand-by/ https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/24862289.st-davids-angle-lifeboats-launched-newgale-survey-boat/ https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3799701?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3809009?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest

On Feb 12 a a cayuco sent a distress call to 112 in El Hierro. The SAR helicopter Helimer 204 and helicopters of the GuardiaCivil were mobilized to the position and and located the boat ten nautical miles southwest of La Restinga. The 'Salvamar Adhara' rescued the 73 people on board, among them four women, and transferred them to the port, where they were being treated by health and security services. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1891485454530212200

The 'Normandie' will be renamed “Massilia” when Brittany Ferries effectively hands it over to La Meridionale in April 2025, when the ferry “Guillaume de Normandie” will join the Portsmouth-Caen line. A few days ago the ship passed through Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on its delivery trip and is on its way to Astander, where it will arrive on Feb 18 and receive the last details before its next incorporation. From June, the “Massilia” will replace the ferry “Pelagos” on the Marseille-Tangier line. This ship has been sold to the Egyptian company UME.

A legal case was filed in the High Court in Honiara, Soloman Islands, on Jan 31, 2025, over the oil spill caused by the 'Solomon Trader' on Feb 5, 2019, when the ship, which was carrying 700 tonnes of oil, broke loose during a cyclone and ran aground on Kongobainiu Reef. Local landowners and the Soloman Islands Government were taking international companies to court, seeking compensation for the damage caused. The ship, which was loading bauxite from a nearby mine, spilt oil into the water, causing severe harm to marine life into the water, causing severe harm to marine life and the environment. The spill affected local villages, including Matanga, Vangu, Lavangu, and Kangava, forcing them to depend on food deliveries from the capital, Honiara. The ship’s owners, the bauxite mining company, and their insurers are being held responsible in court by the affected parties, including local landowners and the Soloman Islands Government, who are demanding compensation for the long-lasting damage. The case is being led by William Kadi from Primo Afeau Legal Services (PALS) alongside international lawyers John Ridgway and Dirk Heinz from the Pacific Legal Network. Local lawyers Harj Narulla and Frank Clarke represent the affected landowners. Defendants include two insurance companies: MS Amlin Marine NV from the Netherlands and Korea P&I Club, which is connected to the South Korean government.

The 'Pontica' was subjected to a Port State Control in the port of Uddevalla after its arrival en route from Barranquilla on Jan 5, 2025. No fewer than 40 deficiencies were discovered during the inspections. The ship must now ensure that the deficiencies are rectified. The Swedish Transport Agency will then carry out a new inspection before it can be allowed to leave Uddevalla again. It left the port again only on Feb 10, next headed to Kiel. Report with photo: https://www.sjofartstidningen.se/tva-fartyg-halls-kvar-i-uddevalla/

arrived Alang Anchorage 17.02.25

Divers from the Baltic branch of the Marine Rescue Service have sealed two of the three holes in the stern of the 'Koala'. Work was underway to seal the third and final one. The divers were expected finish the sealing of all damage to the hull from the outside by the evening of Feb 17, after which they may begin pumping water out of the cargo pump shaft on the starboard side to provide access to the interior for specialists to work. The engine room, where explosions were heard beforehand, has not yet been inspected. Three aft fresh water tanks were previously pumped out. At the same time, the fuel oil was being heated for pumping out, with steam being supplied from the shore. At the moment, no fuel oil has been detected in the water. Several versions of what happened are being considered, including sabotage with limpet mines. Report with photo: https://en.topwar.ru/259584-dve-iz-treh-vodolazy-prodolzhajut-zadelyvat-proboiny-v-bortu-zatonuvshego-v-portu-ust-lugi-tankera-koala.html

Two of the onboard cranes of the 'Dynamic Striker' have collapsed on the high seas, while the ship was sailing in the Mediterranean, en route from Terneuzen, where it had sailed on Jan 18 and arrived at Carteya Guadarranque on Jan 29. The ship entered the port of Algeciras on Jan 31, where repairs of the damaged cranes have commenced. The ship remained stationary at the Total Terminal International Algeciras as of Feb 18. Photo: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3806873?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest

The Canadian Coast Guard was marshaling rescouirces, while teams were beginning surveys of the 'MSC Baltic III'. The efforts are coordinating with the owners of the vessel and a hired salvage contractor, but were hampered by a snowstorm and blizzard-like conditions on Feb 15. On Feb 17, a salvage crew out of the USA that flew to the area, managed to get aboard the 'MSC Baltic III' to assess the damage to the vessel in order to provide a plan to Transport Canada about what they think they can do with the vessel. The waters were calm enough for the crew to get alongside the ship and get up the side to board it for the initial inspection. The plan could also entail removing some of the containers aboard to make the vessel lighter. Of the 473 containers on the ship, 283 were empty. Those that do have cargo contain things like beans, peas, wood products and vehicles or vehicle parts. Three containers were ripped open in the incident, but all three were empty. There was an emergency generator running on the ship for the time being, but there will be an assessment of the hull to determine if there is damage before any attempts are made to restart the engines. The offshore service vessel 'Avalon Sea' (IMO: 9744506) was en route to assist. Others may also be involved in the efforts to move the MSC Baltic III out of Cedar Cove. There were representatives from Environment Canada now in the area to assess any environmental sensitivities and to help with weather forecasting. Winds turned from inshore to offshore overnight on Feb 17 and into Feb 18, making conditions once again challenging for accessing the ship. MSC has activated an arrangement with the Eastern Canada Response Corporation, a company in Newfoundland and Labrador that has booms and skimmers that can handle oil spill contamination if needed. The Royal Canadian Air Force Captain Matthew Cox, who was one of the pilots of the rescue helicopter, stated that the rescue of the crew was among the “trickiest maneuvering” of his career, calling it “one of the most challenging things I’ve done as a pilot.” Cox and the team were able to hoist all 20 crew members from the ship during the storm. Four of them were in need of medical assistance but were stable when they got them ashore. The CCGS 'Henry Larsen', which stood by during the rescue, is remaining in Corner Brook to facilitate operations. The CCGS 'Jean Goodwill' has loaded equipment in Canso, Nova Scotia, and is now in Charlottetown, Price Edward Island on her way to the scene. A third vessel, the CCGS 'Ann Harvey', was on SAR patrol in the area as well. In the area was a wind warning with speeds of up to 120 km/h. The winds appeared to have calmed by later Feb 17, but the air temperature remained below freezing, and therewere continuing snow showers. The weather was predicted to moderate midweek. The ship, which was hard aground at the bow on jaged rocks and covered with ice, but with its stern still floating, was showing bendings amidships with the metal being warped mid ship under the S of her MSC markings. Reports with photos: https://maritime-executive.com/article/photos-salvage-teams-seeking-options-for-grounded-msc-boxship https://scontent-fra5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/480255095_9335593249888854_9127595223517738552_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=bd9a62&_nc_ohc=nxYayfuz2IQQ7kNvgFNxmp2&_nc_oc=AdiZvxnt6KmYpn0KGh_4WvHURflLBo475x-gWfn3KsJbZvMAyKzL6S9_qNW4eV-Dexk&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-fra5-2.xx&_nc_gid=A904_hrwTCZ7aG28FftP-0i&oh=00_AYDYDRI9_ot2zAd-TXRpLpt52rRnb_EY95UjKxib0tblUg&oe=67BA06BF https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/msc-baltic-iii-salvage-difficult-in-nl

On Feb 14, 2025, the 'Seabreeze II' was detained in Trabzon with 17 deficiencies: 1) Certificate & Doc - International Air Pollution Prevention Certificate Missing 2) Certificate & Doc - International Ballast Water Management Certificate Missing 3) Certificate & Doc - Log-books/Compulsory entries Not as required 4) Life saving Appliances - Rescue boats Not properly maintained 5) Life saving Appliances - Inflatable liferafts Not as required 6) Life saving Appliances - Rigid liferafts Not as required 7) Life saving Appliances - Lifeboats inventory Inoperative 8)) Living and working - Gangway, accommodation ladder Not as required 9) Water/Weathertight - Freeboard marks Not as required 10) Fire safety - Fire doors/openings in fire resisting division Not as required 11) Emergency systems - Emergency lighting, battieries and switches Not as required 12) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water Record Book Not as required 13) Safety of navigation - Voyage or passage plan Inoperative 14) Safety of navigation - Voyage data recorder Not as required 15) Radio communications - Operation of GMDSS equipment Not as required 16) Structural conditions - Decks - Corrosion Corroded 17) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Feb 15 and left the port en route to Rostov-On-Don. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

On FEb 14,, 2025, Captain Sam Farrow, master of the 'Scot Carrier' at the time of the collision with the 'Karin Høj' on Dec 13, 2021, received an eight-month jail term suspended for a year at Southampton Crown Court. which had resulted in the death of two crew members. The case against the master was that he had not taken safety action despite being aware that his 2nd officer, a 33 year old male, was failing to meet his duties as officer-of-the-watch on the bridge. Ahead of the accident, was alone and had consumed alcohol while chatting to people online on his tablet computer. Navigation alarms were switched off, and he was unaware of th collision damage. Farrow pleaded guilty to failing to operate a ship in accordance with the safety management system. The MCA’s case against Intrada, the in-house manager of UK shipping company Scotline, was that it had previously been made aware of officers-of-the-watch undertaking their duty alone on some of its ships — against regulations and guidance — but had failed to take preventative action. Intrada was found guilty after a four-week trial of failing to operate a ship safely. In June 2022, the 2nd officer was jailed for 18 months in Denmark, having been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after admitting to drinking on the bridge. He was banned from entering Denmark for 12 years, and his licence to operate vessels in Danish waters was revoked.A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) had found the Scot Carrier’s watchkeeper changed course without determining that it was safe to do so. Neither watchkeeper on the two vessels reacted to the developing situation or took action in time to prevent a collision.

Beached at Alang 13.02.25