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On the morning of Nov 13, 2024, at 7.30 a.m. the 'San Pawl' allided with a boat at the Mġarr harbour after the ferry started drifting towards a row of smaller, moored boats off Triq Ix-Xatt Ghajnsielem. A minor technical problem of the ferry was resolved by the crew on the spot. The high-speed vessel was not damaged and was inspected by Transport Malta officials. Report with photo and video: https://timesofmalta.com/article/fast-ferry-crashes-boat-moored-mgarr-harbour-no-one-injured.1100945

On the morning of Nov 12, 2024, the 'Karianne', en route from Skjervoy, got in trouble in the Altafjord. The NSSR lifeboat "Gjert Wilhelmsen" was deployed to assist with an ETA as of 10.30 a.m. heading towards the vessel, which had been circulating there for a while after the fishing gear had fouled the rudder. When the ship was taken in tow, the net came lose, and the ship was manoeverable again.

On the afternoon of Nov 13, the recreational boat'Sailaway' reported the sighting of a cayuco, which was adrift 35 nautical miles southsouthwest of Los Cristianos, Tenerife. The 'Salvamar Alpheratz' was mobilized to assist and rescued the 63 sub-Saharan people on board, among them 57 men, five women and one minor at 6:40 p.m. The castaways were disembarked in Los Cristianos, where a health and safety device was awaiting them. The response was coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Center of Salvamento MArítimo in Tenerife. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1856964296736985198

arrived Aliaga Anchorage 12.11.24

arrived Feda Scrapyard 03.11.24 https://www.maritime-pics.com/2024/11/12/to-be-broken-up-saldus-moored-at-her-final-destination-ship-breakers-green-yards-feda-norway-3-november-2024/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGhjpFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQxrIjB0PgutGYQINuLZnhoSPObBk80C9uoOAbRPRAbcxOM7Mp44621NyQ_aem_vRteVHfp6tAWi1CC-gC9FQ

The ADV 'Stoker', using advanced robotic and autonomous systems, normally used for hydrographic survey capabilities, has located the USS 'Edsall' on the sea-bed south of Christmas Island. where the destroyer was sunk on March 1, 1942 with 185 sailors and 31 U.S. Army Air Force pilots aboard at the time. The announcement of its discovery was made on Nov. 11, 2024, celebrated as Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in Australia. "Captain Joshua Nix and his crew fought valiantly, evading 1,400 shells from Japanese battleships and cruisers before being attacked by 26 carrier dive bombers, taking only one fatal hit. There were no survivors," said Caroline Kennedy, U.S. ambassador to Australia, in a joint statement recorded with Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, head of the Australian Navy. Commissioned in 1919, on March 1, 1942, the USS 'Edsall' was steaming alone south of Java, having spent the past several months escorting convoys between Australia and Indonesia. Overtaken by a force of much faster and more heavily armed Japanese battleships and cruisers, the Edsall nevertheless spent almost two hours performing evasive maneuvers, laying smoke screens, and avoiding more than 1,000 enemy shells. Eventually, more than two dozen Japanese aircraft were launched to bomb the destroyer, finally leaving it dead in the water. Japanese observers reportedly described the destroyer as performing like a "dancing mouse", referring to a popular Japanese pet at the time known for its erratic movement. Almost all of the ship's crew were lost in the sinking, although war crimes trials convened after the war revealed that a handful of survivors had been picked up by the Japanese fleet, only to later be executed. The Australian Navy initially encountered the wreck in 2023, and researchers had worked since then to confirm that it was, in fact, the 'Edsall'.

The 'Maria Oliva' ran aground in the waters off Romblon, Romblon, on the morning of Nov 11, 2024. All passengers were safely transferred to Romblon Port, except for a dialysis patient and his companion since he needed access to his dialysis equipment, which was in his vehicle on the vessel. The 156 passengers of the ship were turned over to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) in Romblon town for further assistance. The 'Maria Oliva' had departed from San Agustin Port with 38 crew members and 26 wheeled cargoes on board, and sailed toward Romblon port. The PCG immediately dispatched a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to assist the provincial government’s speedboat and the rescue boat to assist in the rescue of passengers. The PCG-Romblon continued to monitor the grounded vessel’s position. Report with photos: https://maritime-executive.com/article/ferry-evacuated-after-running-aground-in-the-central-philippines

On the morning of Nov 13, 2024, at 1.09 a.m. the “Spar Indus”, with 21 crew members on board, ran aground in the Gulf of Arauco, in the Bio Bio region, about 3.5 nautical miles southeast of Punta Cochinos, Santa Maria Island, in pos. 37° 03' N 073° 10' W, when the vessel was entering the Gulf of Arauco through the Boca Chica sector, en route from the port of Santos to the Cabo Froward port in Coronel, for the unloading of bulk cargo. The Maritime Governorate of Talcahuano activated the respective protocols, which considered the deployment of the “Talcahuano”, the Patrol Boat 2504, together with a group of divers to inspect the hull, whjo found no structural damages. No oil spill and no injuries were reported. Reports with photos: https://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/nacional/region-del-bio-bio/2024/11/13/buque-mercante-noruego-spar-indus-varo-en-el-golfo-de-arauco.shtml https://www.diarioconcepcion.cl/ciudad/2024/11/13/el-buque-mercante-spar-indus-varo-en-isla-santa-maria-mientras-ingresaba-al-golfo-de-arauco.html https://portalportuario.cl/investigan-motivos-por-los-que-varo-un-bulk-carrier-en-ingreso-al-golfo-de-arauco/

The Coast Guard repatriated 17 migrants to the Dominican Republic on Nov 9, following the interdiction of a migrant boat in the Mona Passage waters near Puerto Rico. One of the interdicted migrants remained in U.S. custody to face federal prosecution by the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico attempting to illegally re-enter the United States under 8 U.S.C. 1326. The interdiction occurred the night of Nov. 5, after the crew of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft sighted a grossly overloaded 40-foot makeshift vessel transiting southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico.  Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the 'Heriberto Hernandez' to assist.  Once on scene, the cutter deployed the Over the Horizon boat which stopped the compliant vessel and embarked the migrants, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals.  The repatriated migrants were transferred to Dominican Republic Navy authorities. The migrant awaiting prosecution was transferred to U.S. Border Patrol custody in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on Nov 7. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3963594/coast-guard-repatriates-17-migrants-to-dominican-republic-following-vessel-inte/

The 'Sophia', which ran aground on Tainan's Little U.S. Army Beach due to Typhoon Kemi (Gaemi) in July 2024, will be dismantled on the spot. The ship unexpectedly became a photo spot and brought a wave of tourism. The Port Bureau will pay attention to the dismantling process, hoping to complete it before the end of the year. Many experts believed that towing the 'Sophia' away would cause less harm to the environment than dismantling it on site; because Typhoon Santor caused the ship to tilt at 45 degrees. The Environmental Protection Bureau said that for towing it to the open sea, a channel must be deep enough, and it would be difficult to tow the Sophia out. The existing work boats in Anping Port are not powerful enough, and it would take a long time to find a solution. The bidding process has been completed and construction should start in November. Report with photo: https://udn.com/news/story/7326/8322985

arrived Bhavnagar Anchorage 13.11.24

Two Navy destroyers came under attack by missiles and drones launched by Houthi rebels while they were sailing through a strait located between Yemen and Djibouti on Nov 11, 2024, according to the Pentagon. During the transit, the USS 'Stockdale' and USS 'Spruance' were attacked by at least eight one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles.The two destroyers used missiles to thwart the incoming attack, and the Navy's contribution to the retaliatory strike included F-35C Lightning II fighter aircraft.. The Navy and Air Force responded overnight with "a series of precise airstrikes, which targeted multiple Houthi weapon storage facilities that housed a variety of advanced conventional weapons to target U.S. and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters in the Red Sea.

The New Zealand Defence Force has yet to finalise the contract for the removal of fuel from the HMNZS 'Manawanui', five weeks after its sinking after striking a reef off the Samoan island of Uplou. In an update issued on Nov 12, the NZDF said an updated methodology for the removal of fuel from the hydrographic vessel is being shared with Samoan authorities for their endorsement, following a familiarisation and site visit to Samoa by the salvors, as well as detailed discussions with authorities in Samoa and NZ. On return to New Zealand the [unnamed] salvors worked alongside local agencies, including Maritime New Zealand and NZDF to assess the information gathered and feed this into the updated fuel removal methodology. NZDF’s senior national representative Commodore Andrew Brown has now returned to Samoa after a short visit to New Zealand to progress strategic issues and challenges related to Operation Resolution. It is expected the recovery of 950 tonnes of fuel will be undertaken by a team utilising the Heron Constructions’ tug 'Kurutai' and the barge 'Cronus', which were undertaking preparatory work in the port of Whangarei and were expected in Apia, Samoa towards the end of November. There is urgency attached to the task given the approaching South Pacific cyclone season. A salvage plan was presented on Oct 31 and is awaiting approval by Samoa’s Marine Pollution Advisory Committee. The NZDF’s absolute priority remained the monitoring and surveillance of the vessel and surrounding coastlines, minimising any potential environmental impacts. Any decision about removing the wreck itself was a very complex decision process, given the potential cost, difficulties in removal considering proximity to the reef in a relatively exposed location; and the wishes of local people and the Samoan Government. Removing the wreck entirely would be extremely challenging given the lack of infrastructure to deal with the salvaged wreck in Samoa or anywhere nearby, and there was potential for the vessel to be left there as a dive site.

After three cruises of the 'Regal Princess', due to depart on Oct 27, Nov 3 and Nov 10, had been canceled due to a technical issue with the power generators on the ship, Princess Cruises has now confirmed that all repairs have been completed, and it will depart on the Nov 17 sailing as scheduled from Galveston. Princess Cruises gave all guests who were booked on one of the three canceled cruises a full refund and a 50% credit to use for a future cruise. The Nov 17 sailing is a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean from Galveston. The ship will visit Costa Maya, Roatan and Cozumel.

On the afternoon of Nov 13, 2024, the 'Giraglia', which connects Santa Teresa Gallura with Bonifacio, suffered an engine failure at the berth in Santa Teresa di Gallura. The ferry will be out of service for several days. There was no replacement ship provided for by the territorial continuity agreement, because the 'Ichnusa' has not been operating since Oct 31 because the seasonal agreement expired, and entered a shipyard for maintenance work. During the entire tourist season, the 'Ichnusa' had made up for continuous breakdowns of the 'Giraglia' There have been numerous protests from those who were unable to return home and had to rent boats in Bonifacio to get to Santa Teresa, leaving their vehicle at the port of departure. Since the afternoon, Sardinia and Corsica are connected only once a week from Porto Torres.

On Nov 13, the 12-meter f/v 'Petit Barranc', with two crew members on board, requested assistance because it was drifting towards the rocks in the Bay of Roses. The CCS Barcelona of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Alnilam' to assist the ship. It was taken in tow and safely pulled to Port de la Selva. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1856668802970173913

Sold to Breakers

arrived Alang Anchorage 13.11.24

Two Navy destroyers came under attack by missiles and drones launched by Houthi rebels while they were sailing through a strait located between Yemen and Djibouti on Nov 11, 2024, according to the Pentagon. During the transit, the USS 'Stockdale' and USS 'Spruance' were attacked by at least eight one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles.The two destroyers used missiles to thwart the incoming attack, and the Navy's contribution to the retaliatory strike included F-35C Lightning II fighter aircraft.. The Navy and Air Force responded overnight with "a series of precise airstrikes, which targeted multiple Houthi weapon storage facilities that housed a variety of advanced conventional weapons to target U.S. and international military and civilian vessels navigating international waters in the Red Sea.

The South African Transport Minister Barbara Creecy intends to release a report into the loss of the MFV 'Lepanto' on May 17, 2024, 34 nautical miles off the coast of Hout Bay, by the end of the year, which killed 11 men. Creecy sreceived a draft report into the accident from the South African Maritime Authority (Samsa) on Nov 10. The minister has requested the Samsa board to urgently finalise the report with its legal team. She has also instructed the Transport Department to begin a process of establishing a Marine Court of Enquiry to further pursue an investigation and bring the report to finality. The minister feels a deeper investigation is needed, in the interest of the public. The 11 missing crew members have since been declared dead by the Western Cape High Court. At the time of their disappearance, the missing crew members were employed by Viking Fishing, a division of Sea Harvest Corporation. The search for the fishermen was called off due to the time that had elapsed since the boat sank. The ship sank a depth of 350 meters, and the bodies of the fishermen were never recovered. A comprehensive investigation had been launched by the SAMSA after the sinking, and a preliminary inquiry into the incident could take between six and eight months to complete. Due to the nature of the incident and the loss of life, one recommendation would be to request the ransport minister to constitute a court of marine enquiry under Section 266 of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1951.