The Key Bridge Response Unified Command was scheduled to use precision cuts made with small charges to remove a large section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage from on top of the 'Dali'. The exact time of the precision cuts depended on multiple environmental and operational factors. The small charges, a standard controlled demolition tool, will split the large section of truss at specific locations to create multiple, smaller sections, which allows salvors to use cranes and barges already on scene to remove these sections of the bridge and ultimately remove the 'Dali' from the channel. On May 9, the Captain of the Port (COTP) has established a transit plan to afford recreational vessels the opportunity for transit through the Key Bridge Response Safety Zone. Traffic will be one-way at a time during one period: on May 12, oubound transits will be permitted in the afternoon from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, and INBOUND transits will be permitted from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The Unified Command or Captain of the Port may cancel these time periods at any time for safety reasons. Mariners must monitor VHF Channel 16 and 81A while transiting the area.
News
NORWEGIAN ENCORE
The FBI has arrested a Norwegian cruise ship worker in Alaska after he allegedly stabbed three people with medical scissors aboard the 'Norwegian Encore'. The suspect, identified as Ntando Sogoni, 35, from South Africa, was recently hired by Norwegian and boarded the ship in Seattle on May 5, 2024. The ship left that day for a weeklong, round-trip excursion to Alaska with stops including Glacier Bay National Park and Victoria, British Columbia. On May 6, Ntando Sogoni, was working on the ship when other ship employees observed the defendant attempting to deploy a lifeboat. Sogoni was contacted by ship security and escorted to the ship’s medical center for an assessment. Upon arrival, Sogoni physically attacked a security guard and a male nurse inside an examination room and proceeded to enter another examination room where a woman, a U.S. citizen, was being examined. He grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the woman multiple times in the arm, hand and face. He also stabbed two security guards who intervened, one in the head and one in the back and shoulders. Sogoni was detained in the ship’s jail, and arrested by the FBI on May 7 in Juneau, Alaska. He is now facing a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction.
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.
RIDENS
On the evening of May 6, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty off the coast of Gravelines and deployed the 'Ridens' to assist, which launches its rescue boat to reach the site. The crew recovered 22 people. Several people still present on board the migrant boat refused the assistance offered by French means and continued their journey under appropriate surveillance. The castaways recovered by the Ridens were then dropped off at the port of Dunkirk. Once at the dock, were are taken care of by the land emergency services and the border police.
ALEXIS
The 'Alexis', which had run aground following an engine failure in front of the Haydarpasa breakwater, was refloated, and ship traffic in the Bosphorus was reopened in both directions on May 8. The vessel was towed to Ahirkapi anchorage and was stationary in pos. 40° 58.73' N 028° 57.40' E as of May 9.
THUNDER
On May 9 2024, at noon, the Port Authority of Paros was informed that the 'Thunder', during the docking process at the port of Parikia, Paros, suffered a malfunction of the ramp, resulting in the inability to disembark and embark passengers and vehicles. The ship came from the port of Ios on a scheduled route to the ports of Mykonos, Syros and Piraeus. With the care of the ship-owning company, the ramp was disengaged with the assistance of a heavy-duty vehicle, and then the safe disembarkation of the passengers and vehicles was completed. On board were 259 passengers and 35 crew members. The disembarked passengers and vehicles destined for the ports of Mykonos and Syros were transferred to the 'Super Express' in order to be forwarded to their final destinations. The Port Authority of Paros banned the 'Thunder' from sailing. After the presentation of a certificate of class maintenance by the monitoring classification society, the departure was granted for a single voyage the port of Piraeus with 237 passengers on board.
SARAH M
The 'Sarah M' was lingering off Spain awaiting orders after the vessel was denied entry into Greenore on April 30, 2024, for a scheduled export voyage. An animal activist group used the sanctions against Russia and the fact that the ship had recently switched to the Russian classification society to get the ship barred from the trade she has been involved in for a few years. The 'Sarah M' didn’t dock at Greenore, it turned around and scuttled away empty shortly after Farming Ireland sent off a bunch of emails to various authorities. sHe eft Irish waters, turned east into international waters, and then dropped anchor. Ethical Farming Ireland spotted in the records that the vessel, despite operating since 2019 as the 'Sarah M', in March 2024 switched flags from Panama to Antigua and Barbuda. It also moved from the Polish class society to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. That provided the opening for the activists who quickly highlighted to the Irish authorities that the April 2023 EU sanctions imposed on Russia included a provision to block any vessel in the Russian class from EU ports. The ship was due to reach Greenore to export 2,000 young bulls. The vessel has had past problems with the authorities. Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the past revoked the operation license of the 'Sarah M' for breaches of regulations before being re-granted. In late 2019, the vessel made a trip for its prior owner, Beirut Shipping Company, but then suddenly changed ownership to DMS Lines, also in Lebanon. Media reports were that the prior owner had its license revoked because of a low-performance rating. The Agricultural authority opted to remain silent on the latest incident. The 'Sarah M' arrived on May 7 off Cartagena with the AIS signal showing it was waiting for orders.
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.