The damaged C-Lion 1 data cable in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Germany has been fully repaired. The Finnish operating company Cinia announced this on Nov 29. The approximately 1200-kilometer-long underwater cable between Helsinki and Rostock had failed on Nov 18. Just one day earlier, a Baltic Sea data cable between Sweden and Lithuania was also damaged. The Chinese freighter "Yi Peng 3" was suspected in both cases, which was near the two cables at the time in question and could have damaged them with its lowered anchor. Leading politicians expressed the suspicion that in both cases this could have been further sabotage on behalf of Russia. While the investigation is ongoing, work is underway to restart data traffic. The cable ship "Cable Vigilance" arrived at the site of the cable break from Calais in France on the morning of Nov 25 and started the repair work. Last weekend, a second special ship arrived to repair the 218-kilometer-long BCS East-West Interlink data cable. This much shorter connection transmits data between Sweden and Lithuania. This underwater cable has now also been repaired and is back in operation, as the operator Arelion announced on the evening of Nov 28. The Danish patrol vessel 'P 525' and the 'Bad Düben' of the German Federal Police were guarding the 'Yi Peng 3' on Nov 29. Sweden has formally requested China to cooperate with the Swedish authorities to clarify what happened on Nov 28, the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said. Sweden has sent a formal request for cooperation to China in the investigation into the rupture of the submarine cables.
News
SH DIANA
The 'SH Diane', with 170 passengers on board, suffered a problem with one of the electric motors of the propeller drives, forcing the company to cut short port calls in South Georgia and cancel the entire visit to Antarctica. The ship was limping at a speed of six knots to Ushuaia with an ETA as of Nov 30, 2024. A team of engineers will then board the ship to fix the issue prior to its next sailing on Dec 3. A small group of Russian passengers on the ship have gone on hunger strike after the cruise was abandoned, after it turned out that the cruise line Swan Hellenic would not reimburse them in full for the sailing. Swan Hellenic had offered them a 50 % refund of the travel price or a 65 % credit for future cruises, Many of those on board have paid between about £7,000-£10,000 for the voyage. The ship had departed Cape Town on Nov 13 for the 20-night cruise. It is repositioning to Ushuaia, where it will be based until March 2025, for its summer Antarctica sailings.
LOCH LINNHE
The 'Loch Linnhe', serving on the route Tobermory-Kilchoan, suffered an issue with the radar, on Nov 26, 2024. As a consequence, the vessel had to be restricted to operating in daylight hours only. As a result of this, initially the 4 p.m. sailing from Tobermory now departed at 2.30 p.m., and the 4.45 p.m. sailing from Kilchoan now departed at 3.15 p.m. Amended time tables were still effective as of Nov 27/28. On Nov 29 the issue has been resolved, and normal service was resumed with the departure from Tobermory at 11 p.m.
SAO JOSE
The Sao Jose', which had been gutted by a fire on Nov 22, 2009 and never returned to service, was beyong repair and sold to breakers in 'Aliaga, The ship was finally beached on Nov 20, 2024. Photos: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/1272506?navList=gallery&imo=8005226&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/1272504?navList=gallery&imo=8005226&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newesthttps://www.shipspotting.com/photos/1272504?navList=gallery&imo=8005226&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest
ALFRED
The 'Alfred' serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered a technical issue with the gearbox on Nov 28, 2024. A a consequence, service has been cancelled. Contractors have been arranged to attend the vessel for repairs. Initially, the following sailings have been cancelled: Departure Gourock - 06:35 a.m. and 07:45 a.m. Departure Dunoon - 07:05 a.m. and 08:15 a.m. After the technical issue has been resolved, the normal two vessel timetable could be resumed with the departure at 08:45 a.m. from Gourock. Later in the day ongoing gearbox trouble caused the service has been cancelled. Repairs were to be carried out in the evening, and service was expected to operate as normal on Nov 29.
HEBRIDES
The starboard side propeller of the 'Hebrides', serving on the route Uig-Tarbert.Lochmaddy, caught debris in the port of Uig on Nov 28, 2024, which had to be removed. As a consequence, the 'Hebrides' departed from the port only at 10:10 a..m., 30 minutes behind the scheduled departure time at 9.40 a.m., with an ETA at Tarbert as of 11:50 a.m.
MEINE FAEHRE 1
The 'Meine Fähre 1', which has been out of service since Nov 5 and was sidelined in Norddeich for repairs of the defect to a hydrulic cylinder of one of the ramps, was expected to be back in service between Norddeich and Norderney on Dec 5. Whether the deadline can be met depends on the delivery and installation of a spare part. The replacement cylinder was delivered incorrectly once, which resulted in a longer delay. However, the time was used to carry out normal maintenance work . The radar device has been changed again.
MSC CATHERINE VI
On Nov 27, 2024, the 'MSC Catherine VII' rescued two survivors of a collision between the fishing boat 'Mangla 013' and an unidentified vessel, at 2 a.m. WIB in pos. 03°12'12’ N 100°29'15’ E in the Strait of Malacca. The 44 and 49 year old castaways were recovered at 1.30 p.m. The 33 year old skipper and another man were still missing. The 'MSC Catherine VI', en route from Mombasa to Singapore, immediately had provided assistance and informed the VTS Klang of the rescue. To pick up the two victims, the rescue boa 'RB 218' was deployed from Dumai at 11 p.m. The ships rendezvoused in pos. 02°02'00‘ N 101°56'10’ E on Nov 28 at 4 a.m.
SALVAMAR ADHARA
On Nov 28, the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo was notified of a cayuco, which was located 10 nautical miles south of La Restinga. The 'Salvamar Adhara' was mobilized to assist, and it accompanied the boat to the port of La Restinga, where the 136 sub-Saharan migrants, among them 32 women and 17 minors, were attended to by the security and health team. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1862221525463564460
SOFIA
On Nov 28, 2024, the 'Sofia', ballasting en route from Ustka to the construction company Schweden Splitt in the village of Elleholm, which is approximately ten kilometers from Karlshamn to be loaded, with five Swedish crew members on board, caught fire in the foreship some 50 kilometers east of Bornholm island following an explosion, and issued a mayday call at 9.20 p.m. A Swedish rescue helicopter was the first unit on the scene and started to winch the people up. The evacuation was completed Just before 11 p.m. The castaways were transpoorted to Kristianstad. There were no reports of injuries. A helicopter, the patrol vessel 'Najaden' and the frigate 'Absalon' of the Danish navy, which was on its way home from a manoever when receiving the distress call, have also been alerted to the scene. The SAR operation was coordinated by the Danish authorities. The cause of the fire was unknown to date. As of Nov 29, the ship was still burning and has drifted into Polish waters. Report with photos and video: https://www.sydostran.se/2024-11-29/tv-har-raddas-besattningen-med-helikopter-fran-brinnande-fartyg/
SALVAMAR DIPHDA
On the morning of Nov 28, the 'Salvamar Diphda' rescued 60 people from two precarious boats. The first rescue of 47 Moroccan people, was carried out 4.8 nautical miles southeast of Punta de la Escaleta (Benidorm). The second rescue, of 13 Moroccans, was carried out in the vicinity of the first. The operation was coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Centre of Salvamento Marítimo in Valencia. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1862124642770485704
YI PENG3
International investigators are suspecting the 'Yi Peng 3' of deliberately dragging the port side anchor 111 miles along the sea bed to sever two subsea cables. The bulk carrier sailed over both the C-Lion1 Helsinki-Rostock cable and the BCS East-West link cable between Lithuania and Sweden around the time they were cut. The investigators believed that the ship dropped anchor in Swedish waters on Nov 17 at around 9 p.m. LT, but continued sailing - even as it greatly reduced its speed. The dragging anchor cut the first cable between Sweden and Lithuania shortly afterward, and then cut the second cable on Nov 18 at around 3 a.m. During this time, the ship's AIS transponder was shut down. The vessel then started zigzagging, raised its anchor, and continued on its normal track. Both the vessel’s anchor and hull showed damage that was consistent with dragging an anchor and damaging cables. Weather conditions also made the likelihood of accidental anchor dragging low. Investigators were now looking into whether Russian intelligence officials ordered the cable’s destruction, with the ship having last docked at the Russian port of Ust-Luga to pick up a delivery of Russian fertilizer. The 'Yi Peng 3 is captained by a Chinese national, and the crew includes a Russian sailor. The crew has yet to be questioned. Western law enforcement and intelligence officials don’t believe the Chinese government was part of the suspected scheme, and the ship’s owner,the Ningbo Yipeng Shipping, is cooperating with investigators.
SALVAMAR SPICA
On Nov 28 at 3:45 a.m., the 'Salvamar Algenib' rescued 12 Maghrebian migrants, among them five men, three women and and four minors, from a precarious boatwhich had been located by the m/v 'Georgia S' about 28 nautical miles southeast of Cabo de Gata. The castaways were disembarked in Almería at 5:40 a.m. At 7:58 a.m., the 'Salvamar Spica' rescued 25 Maghrebian boat people. among them 22 men, one woman and two minors, from a precarious boat, whoch had been located by the mm/v 'Almariya' about 40 nautical miles souhtsoutheast of Almería. The boat people were disembarked in Almería at 9.47 am. The emergency responses were coordinated by the Almería Maritime Rescue Centre of Salvamento Marítimo.
COSTA SMERALDA
The 'Costa Smeralda', while on a 36-day transit from Genoa to Dubai, had to change its route due to a medical emergency on board on Nov 27, 2024, The ship diverted towards the coast of Ghana on the leg from Santa Cruz on Tenerife to Walvis Bay. For over a day, the cruise ship headed towards the city of Accra at high speed. The medical emergency was transferred ashore in front of the port on the night of Nov 28. The patient was now being cared for in a hospital in Ghana. How exactly this delay was to be made up was currently unclear. If a higher speed is not sufficient, one of the next ports may have to be canceled so that the 'Costa Smeralda' gets back on schedule. The ship was originally scheduled to arrive in Walvis Bay on Dec 2, but this was unlikely to be possible given the remaining distance to get there. A call in Cape Town is scheduled to follow on Dec 4, 2024, and the ship is scheduled to be in Port Elizabeth from Dec 6 to 7.
MV.JML ABADI
On Nov 28, 2024, at 01:00 p.m., an explosion occurred on the starboard side main deck of the KM 'JML Abadi' in pos. 02°9.08'.66 “S 105°02.66 ” E. Before, hydraulic repair activities had been carried out on hatch 3, which were completed at 12:00 p.m.. After that, the ship was prepared to dock. After the explosion occurred, t was found that the foreman Ahmad Jamhari had been welding the elbow of the warinan pipe without prior coordination and had fallen overboard. Buoys and life jackets were immediately thrown overboard to assist the victim. The vessel immediately relayed the information to VTS, Nearby vessels and fishing boats assisted in the search around the location. At 1.20 p.m. WIB, the victim was successfully evacuated by a fishing boat and immediately taken to the nearest hospital for medical treatment. After ensuring the situation was under control, at 2.22 p.m., the vessel was put on standby to lower the anchor. At 2.25 p.m., the port side anchor was dropped.
DUBAI GREEN
On Nov 27, 2024, the US Coast Guard responded to an oil spill in the Puma Energy fuel dock facility at San Juan, Puerto Rico, after around 3,800 liters of No. 3 fuel oil spilled during a fuel transfer from the 'Dubai Green' to the facility. The crew noticed a spreading sheen on the water, and the fuel transfer operation was immediately halted. USGC watchstanders in the San Juan sector were alerted at around 7:30 p.m. LT. US Coast Guard responders arrived promptly and secured the source of the leak. They then proceeded to contain the spill within the dock area, deploying around 300 meters of boom to prevent the spread of oil to the shoreline and the surrounding areas. Following this, efforts were concentrated on identifying any pockets of oil that had escaped the containment area. The subsequent cleanup efforts were led by the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC). Many other government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, were closely monitoring the situation. The Coast Guard has posted a warning to residents and fishermen in the vicinity of the oil spill to refrain from entering the area until clean-up activities are complete and opened an investigation into the matter. Report with video: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3980964/coast-guard-responds-investigates-no-3-fuel-oil-spill-at-puma-energy-fuel-dock/
LOMAIVITI PRINCESS 7
The first attempts to refloat the 'Lomaiviti Princess VII', which had run aground on a reef near Moala Island on Nov 27, were unsuccessful. Another of the company’s ferries, the ferry 'Lady Daya', had been directed to the grounding site, and the passengers were transferred onto the second ferry. At high tide, the ship was able to refloat the stranded vessel. Divers inspected the hull of the 'Lomaiviti Princess VII' and determined that the ship had not suffered significant damage. The decision was made to return the passengers bound for Totoya and Matuka back on board. Passengers bound for Moala remained on the 'Lady Daya', which resumed its voyage after an approximate 12-hour delay. She will then proceed to Sava. Report with photo: https://maitvfiji.com/fiji-ferry-refloated-from-reef-passengers-and-crew-continue-journey/
STORD
On Nov 28 just after 12 p.m. smoke development was reported on the 'Stord', which was docked at thhe Havyard Leirvik in Hyllestad, The emergency services responded to the minor fire in the engine room if the ferry, and it has been declared extinguished at 12.30 tp.m. Smoke divers from the Industrial Protection Agency went on board, and were going through the ferry. There was still light smoke on board. The cause of the fire was unknown at this date. The ferry has been docked for repairs after a fire on Oct 16, 2024, while the ship was serving on the Stavanger–Tau connection. That fire started when a diesel hose sprung a leak, causing diesel to spray into the engine compartment. No one has been reported injured. It was unknown what effect the fire will have on the repair of ferry. According to the plan, the work was to be completed only in the new year. There was still a lot of work to get it ready for operation again.