A small fire broke out on the HMS 'Queen Elizabeth' on the River Clyde on March 9, 2024. The aircraft carrier was no on its way to Rosyth for necessary repairs on its starboard propeller shaft coupling. There were no reports of injuries. The minor, isolated fire was quickly brought under control by the crew and extinguished.
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WSF SAMISH
The WSF 'Samish' was delayed for hours on March 9, 2024, after assisting a pleasure boat which had got in trouble amid winds of 20 knots with 30 knot gusts and 4-6 feet high seas in the Rosario Strait after taking a wave over the bow, shattering its front windshield. Six people and their two dogs were aboard the boat. Some were injured by the broken windshield. The 'Samish' launched a rescue boat to assist the disabled boat. The U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham also deployed a response boat. After its arrival, the coxswain transferred two crew members to the damaged vessel to assess for first aid needs and seaworthiness of the distressed boat. The ferry slowed down for the response boat and, using its size, created a shield from the wind and elements for the Coast Guard crew on the way to Anacortes. The Coast Guard crew embarked two of the boaters and the two dogs to the boat. The other four were transported to Anacortes aboard the ferry. They were met by the Anacortes Fire and taken to receive further assistance. The crew’s engineer, MK2 Lavarreda, drove the damaged boat and followed the response boat to Cap Sante Marina, where Anacortes Fire reunited the four individuals with those onboard the boat of the Coast Guard. The damaged boat was tied up at the Cap Sante Marina. Report with photos: https://sanjuanislander.com/news-articles/government-news/federal/coast-guard/37289/samish-ferry-crew-and-coast-guard-rescue-6-people-and-2-dogs
RUBYMAR
The sinking of the 'Rubymar' south of the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea, was posing "no immediate danger", Christophe Logette, the director of the France-based accidental water pollution management centre Cedre, said on March 8: "At this stage there is no immediate danger. The ship is on the seabed, the hull is in relatively good shape." The main concern was the fate of the thousands of tonnes of fertiliser. But so far they were in their storage compartment and there was no trace at the moment of this product being released into the sea. There had been no leak from the tanks containing around 200 tonnes of propulsion fuel and 80 tonnes of diesel either. The fear was that if any of the fertiliser were to seep out, it would dump a huge amount of nitrate into the water, causing massive algae blooms which would choke marine life. But water has probably filtered into the hull and the cargo. The fertiliser will be wet and so will dissolve very slowly in very low concentrations, with a restricted effect on the marine environment. Report with photo: https://menafn.com/1107959764/Expert-Says-No-Immediate-Danger-From-Sunken-Ship-Off-Yemen
CHACOPATA
On March 7, 2024, the 'Chacopata' struck the ferry 'Virgen Del Valle II' (IMO: 9235866) and caused a large hole amidships above the waterline at starboard side while assisting the ferry during the docking maneuver in the Port of Guanta, in the state of Anzoátegui. The tug was steered by a captain, without the expertise required to operate this type of vessel. The ship, the only operational ferry of Conferries, was sidelined for the necessary repairs immediately. Reports with photo and video: https://www.caraotadigital.net/venezuela/remolcador-choco-y-abrio-un-gran-agujero-a-uno-de-los-barcos-de-conferry-y-todo-quedo-grabado/ https://acn.com.ve/remolcador-choco-conferry/
SEA-EYE 4
Since the last rescue on March 6, the 'Sea Eye 4' has been called to boats in distress two more times via Alarmphone. While in the first case the Italian Coastguard was able to take over the rescue in the presence of the rescue ship, the 'Sea Eye 4' rescued another 61 people under most difficult conditions on the night of March 8 from an unseaworthy wooden boat, which was in danger of capsizing due to the extreme amount of water ingress. Despite the challenging sea conditions, the crew managed to rescue all people safely. Since then, the medical team from German_doctors and Sea-Eye has been working under high pressure in extreme conditions: one patient was suffering from extreme fuel poisoning. The pilot had to abort the requested emergency evacuation through Malta due to difficult weather conditions. It was only on March 9 morning that the crew of an Italian helicopter managed to hoist the patient There was still particular concern for two babies aged six and 12 months. The ship headed to the port of Reggio Calabria on March 10 with 144 migrants on board. The majority of the migrants came from Syria and Somalia, and were picked up from different boats in the Mediterranean Sea, after a mission lasting two and a half weeks. The Italian authorities were now in charge of proceeding with the rescued people, distributing them in several reception centers. At the moment it was unknown if the 'Sea-Eye 4' would be detained in the port, as has frequently happened in previous operations, given that instead of Reggio Calabria, the ship was assigned by the authorities to the port of the city of Ancona as a destination.
OPEN ARMS
The Maritime aid organization Open Arms has shifted its mission from rescuing migrants in the Central Med to delivering aid to the beach in Gaza. The group has retasked the 'Open Arms' to the task of delivering a small barge laden with humanitarian supplies from World Central Kitchen and the government of the UAE. The vessel's back deck was also laden with supplies. The “Open Arms” was expected to deliver around 200 tons of drinking water, medicine and food to the Gaza Strip. The location of the planned landing site was not immediately clear; offloading a vessel of Open Arms' size would require a pier or a lightering operation. The last mile of the three-day voyage was expected to be the most complicated operation. World Central Kitchen is working on building its own jetty out of rubble in Gaza. Israeli officials inspected all of the cargo at the pier in Larnaca, Cyprus before the ship departed, ensuring that there were no concealed security-sensitive items on board. The ship was still in the port of Larnaca as of March 11, 2024. The holdup was primarily because the receiving platform in Gaza, designated to accommodate the ship’s cargo of roughly 150 tonnes of humanitarian aid, was not yet prepared. Report with photos: https://maritime-executive.com/article/food-aid-groups-plan-their-own-barge-delivery-to-gaza
CHANSON
The 'Chanson' caught fire at Abacos, Bahamas, while being moored at the Bakers Bay Marina in the evening of March 8, 2024. While firefighters battled the blaze, one firefighter suffered serious injuries and had to be airlifted to Nassau for urgent medical attention. No other casualties among the crew or personnel were reported. The yacht’s tender, a center console, was also lost in the fire. Despite extinguishing the flames, the 'Chanson' burnt down too, but remained afloat albeit heavily listing to its port side. The fire may have originated from a Lithium-Ion battery of one of the water toys.
SSG MICHAEL H. OLLIS
A 45-year-old man jumped from the 'Michael H. Ollis' on MArch 8, 2024, just after noon. The mates Tim McCann and Paul Hartnett during their rounds on the ferry saw the man jump overboard. The two men immediately tossed a life ring into the water to mark where he was, and radioed another mate, Aaron Ammirati, in the pilot house. Ammirati updated Captain Joseph Ajar, who was able to quickly stop and swing the ferry around so a rescue craft could be deployed with the deckhands Javon Prince and Alan Bitokhov on board. They pulled the man out of the water after a slight struggle, and raced him back to shore. Not long after, an NYPD harbour unit arrives to assist. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZlC9BzlwOk&t=1s
HMS RICHMOND
HMS 'Richmond' destroyed two targets with Sea Ceptor missiles on March 9, 2024, as the US and its allies came under sustained Houthi attack in the Red Sea in the early morning, successfully repelling yet another illegal attack by the Iranian backed Houthis. No injuries or damage were sustained in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The US military and coalition forces had downed at least 28 Houthi drones in total over the Red Sea on that day, involving unmanned aerial vehicles that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US navy and coalition ships in the region. The Houthi attack was conducted between 1 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. UK time.
VIRGEN DEL VALLE II
On March 7, 2024, the tug 'Chacopata' (IMO: 9789439) struck the 'Virgen Del Valle II' and caused a large hole amidships above the waterline at starboard side while assisting the ferry during the docking maneuver in the Port of Guanta, in the state of Anzoátegui. The tug was steered by a captain, without the expertise required to operate this type of vessel. The ship, the only operational ferry of Conferries, was sidelined for the necessary repairs immediately. Reports with photo and video: https://www.caraotadigital.net/venezuela/remolcador-choco-y-abrio-un-gran-agujero-a-uno-de-los-barcos-de-conferry-y-todo-quedo-grabado/ https://acn.com.ve/remolcador-choco-conferry/
GEO BARENTS
The “Geo Barents” has disembarked 132 rescued boat people at Civitavecchia on March 9. However, just as many more had to stay on board on instructions from the Italian authorities and would only be allowed to disembark in Genoa, explained “Doctors Without Borders”. This meaningless instruction forced, among other things, children under the age of three and two people who urgently needed medical care to remain on board in rough seas, until the ship reached the port on March 11.
GENERAL FRANK BESSON
The US has sent the first ship carrying equipment to build the planned pier on the Gaza Strip coast. The 'General Frank S. Besson' from the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, departed the Joint Base Langley-Eustis on March 9, 2024l, less than 36 hours after US President Joe Biden's announcement for Gaza, that he would build a temporary dock for ships carrying aid supplies for the suffering population of the Gaza Strip. There are currently no ports there that could be used for aid deliveries by sea. Report with photo: https://www.upi.com/News_Photos/view/upi/630511a44735dc465863d3b7140de0ed/US-Army-Vessel-General-Frank-S-Besson-LSV-1-Departs-En-Route-to-the-Eastern-Mediterranean/
CG JOSEPH NAPIER
The 'Joseph Napier' offloaded 182 kilograms of cocaine and transferred custody of two male smugglers to federal law enforcement authorities in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on March 8, 2024. The British Royal Navy HMS 'Trent (P224)', operating with a Coast Guard LEDET onboard, had seized the contraband and apprehended two smugglers, Dominican Republic nationals, following the interdiction of a go-fast vessel in Caribbean Sea waters southwest coast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on March 3 as a result of interagency efforts in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy and Operation Unified Resolve. The Drug Enforcement Administration was leading the investigation in this case. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3701780/coast-guard-offloads-45-million-in-seized-cocaine-transfers-custody-of-2-smuggl/
FRENCH WARSHIP
Western warships and fighter jets shot down at least 28 such objects on March 9, 2024, between 01.00 a.m. and 05.20 a.m. GMT. “No US or coalition navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage. The 'Alsace' shot down three drones in the Red Sea. The Danish military announced that its frigate 'Iver Huitfeld' downed four drones, sent by hostile forces from the Houthi movement.
TRUE CONFIDENCE
11 Filipino crew members of the 'True Confidence' were repatriated to the Philippines, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on March 11. 10 of the crew members were unharmed while one of them sustained minor injuries during the evacuation of the ship. They were set to arrive in Manila on March 12. Two more Filipino seafarers who were injured during the attack remained in a hospital in Djibouti City. Their condition was stable and being monitored by medical professionals. They will be repatriated to the Philippines as soon as they are medically certified as fit for travel. The recovery operations are underway for the retrieval of the remains of three crew members, two of them Filipino, who died in the missile attack. A French warship shot down four Houthi drones early on March 9 to protect the ongoing salvage of the ship which was under tow off Yemen. The Houthi drones were flying in tactical attack formation in the frigate’s direction, which forms part of the EU’s NAVFOR Aspides naval force in the area. The salvage tug has been contracted on a daily hire basis rather than a Lloyd’s Open Form salvage contract.
FV SAE IN CHAMPION
After the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA) medevaced a South Korean crew member of the 'Sae in Champion' in Argentine waters, the State recovered all of the expenses of the operation. The ship was also fined for traveling in the Malvinas area without having the corresponding authorization. The transaction occurred on March 9 after representatives of the organization contacted those responsible. The unprecedented case served as an example for future international operations. The measure had been ordered by the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, and the head of the Naval Prefecture, Prefect General Guillermo Giménez Pérez. The collection of infractions for transgressing the national territory was supported by decree 256/10, in which it was established that any ship that intends to transit between ports located in the Argentine continental territory and the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands must request prior authorization. Before the measure was made official, the promulgation of Law 24,922 of the Federal Fisheries Regime determined in article 37 that foreign fishing vessels would be authorized to fish unexploited or underexploited species, as long as the international treaty between parties had the approval of the Government. national and Congress. The regulations establish that the fines represent a minimum of one thousand Fishing Units (1,000 UP) and a maximum of 300 thousand Fishing Units (300,000 UP). After the control established a connection with the company, the agents agreed to medevc the South Korean citizen who had severe abdominal pain that was compatible with a case of appendicitis. In addition, the South Korean Consulate was in charge of coordinating the authorization so that the man could receive medical assistance and was hoisted aboard a helicopter, which took off from the Comodoro Rivadavia Air Station, 87 nautical miles from the city of Rawson. Report with photo and video: https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2024/03/10/la-prefectura-recupero-el-costo-del-rescate-de-un-tripulante-surcoreano-en-altamar/
SWM SALVE REGINA
A total of 223 passengers and crew members were rescued from the 'SWM Salve Regina', which ran aground off Romblon in the night of March 10, 2024, off Sitio Agbuyog in Barangay Capaclan, at around 11: 45 p.m. The vessel had departed from Magdiwang Port, Romblon, and was bound for Romblon, when the incident happened. It was carrying 168 passengers and 55 crew members, as well as 21 vehicles. Personnel from the Coast Guard Station Romblon responded and rescued all passengers who were subjected to a medical checkup. Meanwhile, the crew members were also checked but they opted to stay onboard the vessel for monitoring. No sign of oil spill was observed following the incident. Report with photo: https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/10/223-passengers-crew-saved-from-distressed-ship-off-romblon?__cf_chl_tk=5PPmTEZtGOwoO9tx4iZnQemc5Yuwy2fmq5xbzAdij.k-1710151170-0.0.1.1-1749
SEA-WATCH 5
After rescuing 56 people from distress in the Mediterranean, the “Sea-Watch 5” was arrested by the Italian authorities for 20 days in Pozzalla on March 8. Italy had previously assigned the “Sea-Watch 5” to the port of Ravenna, more than 1,500 kilometers away. “The seizure of the ‘Sea-Watch 5’ is a purely political maneuver,” explained spokesman Oliver Kulikowski. “Italy seems to be using every means to distract attention from its failure to provide assistance.” Sea-Watch announced that it would challenge the decision in court. Before, a 17-year-old on board the ship, who was rescued from distress on March 6, had died. Italy, Malta and Tunisia did not initiate a medical evacuation despite requests to do so. Four other people in critical condition were only brought to the Italian mainland after nine hours.