On June 4, 2024, the sailing yacht 'C.Prior' sufffered an engine failure in Cartagena and requested assistance, as it was adrift in calm winds. The 'Salvamar Drake' was mbolized and took the yacht in tow. Photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1797952079971144079
News
SALVAMAR MIZAR
On June 4 the CECOES was notified of a cayuco 14 nautical miles from the Playa de Santiago (Gomera). The CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítio mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 201 which located the boat, and the 'Salvamar Mizar', which rescued the 40 people on board, among them four minors and four women. The castaways were transferred to Los Cristianos (Tenerife). Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1798019519224619340
Beirut
The Port of Beirut (PoB) resumed partial operations on Aug 10 with the first two container ships berthing in the container terminal after the explosion which killed at least 160 persons, injured thousands and made hundred thousands homeless. Out of 16 cranes at the container terminal, 12 were currently operational. The port was gradually resuming operations to ensure the supply of all kinds of goods to citizens. Bassem Al Kaissi, the new Director of the PoB, said that the container terminal will be fully operational by Aug 14. Al Kaissi said that 420 containers were unloaded on Aug 10. The container terminal storage area has been cleaned up and restored to its state before the blast. The container terminal represents 80 percent of the overall cargo movement at the PoB. It is located one kilometer away from the blast epicenter. Container vessels can dock at quay number 16. Shipping movement at the PoB had already plunged by 75 percent due to the economic crisis and has reached 15 percent following the blast. Customs have opened offices in the PoB’s warehouse number 14 which was partially damaged. The customs have become able to carry out the inspection of merchandise- Customs duties are being temporarily paid at the Rafic Hariri International Airport. Tthe PoB is now handling only full containers as groupage consignment requires warehouses which don’t exist now. Amer Al Kaissi said groupage, which represents 15 percent of shipments at the PoB, will be diverted to the Port of Tripoli until the rebuilding of warehouses at the PoB is completed. The first two containerships to berth at the PoB after the blast were the 'Electra' (Gezairi Transport) and the 'Nicolas Delmas' (CMA CGM). The 'Electra', which was carrying 400 containers, was diverted to Tripoli where there was a license to operate but the company insisted to unload it in Beirut when it was told that the PoB has resumed operation. The CMA CGM Group and CEVA Logistics said they are fully operational and ensuring business continuity to serve their customers. The Group has redeployed its employees in its two back-up sites in Beirut Digital District and reinforced its presence in Tripoli. Part of CMA CGM’s vessels has been temporarily directed to Tripoli. Few shipping companies are authorized to operate in other ports such as Tripoli or Saida. BCTC, the Customs and the PoB’s authorities did their best to handle the clearing formalities despite the difficult working conditions. The general cargo area was fully operational on Aug 12 both for imports and exports. This includes wheat and other grains as well as construction steel bars. The cost of rebuilding the port is estimated at around $1 billion.
ALATEPE
On June 4, 2024, the 'Alatepe', while sailing down the Gualdalquivir river, requested the medical evacuation of a crew member with a cut on his leg. The CCS Cádiz of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 223, which hoisted the victim and transported him to the airport, where an ambulance was waiting.
ARBUMASA XXIX
On the late morning of June 1, 2024, a crew members of the 'Arbumasa XXIX' was seriously injured when the ship was shifted inside the port of Mar de Plata, when releasing the moorings of the tug 'BR Tornado' that assisted the movement of the vessel. The 46-year-old man got his leg wrapped in a rope at ankle level, leaving him with an open fracture of his right lower extremity. The duty officer in charge of the operation decided to coordinate the movement of the vessel towards section 8 of breakwater 2; subsequently the victim was disembarked on a stretcher by the fire rescue of the Mar del Plata Prefecture and assisted by medical personnel from the company SERVISA. He was transferred to the Private Hospital of the Community (HPC), where a successful surgical intervention was carried out.
SALVAMAR BETELGEUSE
On June 4, 2024, the sailing yacht 'Windy' suffered a mechanical failure and was disabled and adrift in calm winds three nautical miles from Cabo Prior. The 'Salvamar Betelgeuse' was mobilized by the CCS Coruña to assist the sailboat, which was taken in tow along with its two crew members and safely pulled to the Marina Coruña. Video: https://x.com/i/status/1798002900029071771
FV BREIZ
On June 4 the court delivered its deliberations in the case of the sinking of the 'Breiz' off the coast of Port-en-Bessin, two months after the maritime court of Le Havre met from April 2 to 5, 2024. Among the defendants, the skipper of the SNSM boat of Ouistreham, Philippe Capdeville, who was tried for negligence and forgery in a ship's document. He was released. The court just accused him of negligence for an absence of alertness for 41 seconds when he did not respond to the 'Breiz'. This negligence did not cause the sinking of the ship and the death of the three sailors, ruled the court. He was also acquitted for the forgery. Philippe Capdeville did not wish to react at the end of the hearing. For his part, Bertrand Hudault, Channel North Sea general inspector at the SNSM, spoke of a relief for Philippe Capdeville after 3,5 years of pressure, and for all the SNSM volunteers: “We were all convinced that Philippe Capdeville had not made a mistake”. He also believes that this trial will “mark” a before and an after. This case questioned the “criminal liability of rescuers in intervention”. In particular, he requests a “mechanism to better legally protect SNSM volunteers”. An acquittal was also pronounced for the two officials of the DDTM (departmental directorate of territories and the Sea) and the maritime expert prosecuted for involuntary homicide. The court notably considered that there had been “no violation of a duty of care” on the part of the maritime expert, and that he “did not contribute to the realization of the danger”. Only the co-owner of the ship, François Leboucher – absent during the deliberations – was convicted. He received an 18-month suspended prison sentence. During a lengthy reasoning for its entire decision, the court explained that it considered that the co-owner was directly responsible for the facts. Particularly because he was aware of the non-compliant character of the crew. None of the sailors on board had the required diplomas, despite the exemption by Quentin Varin. The judges also mentioned the “non-compliance with the operating conditions of the ship”, in particular with the weight of the dredgers being far too much greater than they should be. He then failed to fulfill his “security obligation for which he must respond”. The prosecutor had requested a 12 -month suspended prison sentence and a two-year sailing ban against Philippe Capdeville, and a six months suspended prison sentence for the co-owner. The same sentence was required for the maritime expert who had submitted a report on the ship shortly before the tragedy. The magistrate also requested a penalty of €30,000 against his company. The prosecutor proposed a principle sentence for the two DDTM agents. The public prosecutor of Le Havre, Bruno Dieudonné, indicated that an appeal was “not excluded”. But that he had to “first analyze in more detail the motivation of the court”.
Kiel
The PORT OF KIEL has redesigned the port apron in Ostuferhafen, which is the freight and logistics centre on the fjord. Where once stood a grain silo, there is now an expanded pre-stacking and stand-by area of three hectares for trucks, trailers and pas-senger cars.The State Premier of Schleswig- Holstein, Daniel Günther, visited the Ostufer-hafen on 12th August to hand over the grant notice coming from the State Programme Economy for 5.44 million Euros: The project to redesign the port apron included dismantling three hall areas of the former grain silo, excavation and road works as well as drainage, lighting and security measures and the connection of the area to the infrastructure. Through the new and generous port apron it has been possible to merge formerly separated pre-stacking areas, shorten distances and gain more space for trucks, busses, trailers and passenger cars. Furthermore, IT solutions have been developed to accelerate the handling processes at the gate, which also allow truck drivers to reduce personal contact.Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director at the PORT OF KIEL: “Even under the current circumstances the Ostuferhafen operates in a reliable and safe way. The port of Kiel has proven its systemic importance regarding the transshipment of cross-border freight transport.”In the first seven months of the year 2.1 million tons of cargo have been tran-shipped via the Ostuferhafen (+ 1 %). Additional volumes have been transported by the ferries of the DFDS shipping company to the Baltic States or they have been delivered by the SCA-RoRo-freighters from Scandinavia. Not only general cargo and forest products are unloaded resp. transhipped in Ostuferhafen but also project and heavy cargo, scrap metal and agricul-tural products. The integrated passenger terminal to handle cruise vessels emphasizes the universal character of this port part.