Officials in Baltimore were plannning to open a deeper channel for commercial ships to enter and leave the city’s port starting on April 25. This would be a significant step toward reopening the major maritime shipping hub that has remained closed to most traffic since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed last month. The new channel will be 12 meters deep, which is a substantial increase over the three other temporary channels established in recent weeks. It puts the cleanup effort slightly ahead of schedule, as officials previously had hoped to open a channel of that depth by the end of April.
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ARMOISE
On April 23 at 6:00 a.m. LT, a migrant boat set sail in the Wimereux sector. Around 6:23 a.m., the heavily loaded boat seemed to be in difficulty a few hundred meters from the beach after passing a sandbank. Its engine had stopped, and two people fell into the water near the boat. The CROSS Gris Nez mobilized the 'Abeille Normandie' and the Minck' to rescue the two shipwrecked people. The semi-rigid boats of both ships were quickly launched. Arriving on site, the 'Abeille Normandie' rescued the two shipwrecked people. They indicated that several people appeared inanimate and in great difficulty aboard the drifting migrant boat after passing over the sandbank. The number of people on board was estimated at more than 100. The tug thereupon launched two more semi-rigid boats and the CROSS also deployed the SNSM boat of Boulogne-sur-Mer as reinforcement to. The semi-rigid of the 'Abeille Normandie' rescued on board two castaways and three inanimate people as well as a relative of an inanimate person. These people were underwent medical consultation. The semi-rigid then returned to the boat and collected two other inanimate people who were dropped off on the beach of Wimereux, where a major rescue system is put in place by the civil protection, the SDIS62 and the SAMU to take care of them. The three inanimate people and an accompanying person also disembarked from the tug towards Wimereux beach for treatment ashore. After several return trips, 48 people were finally rescued by the semi-rigid boats of the two ships and taken board the tug . Among them were two slightly injured, who were then evacuated by the SNSM boat and disembarked in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Despite the delicate situation, 58 people still on board the migrant boat refused to be rescued by the French resources. After various attempts, they managed to restart the engine of their boat and continued their crossing to Great Britain. The CROSS tasked the patrol boat 'Armoise' to ensure appropriate surveillance. At around 9:00 a.m., 48 people were taken care of on board the 'Abeille Normandie', before being disembarked at the quayside at the port of Boulogne, including two ahead of schedule by the SNSM boat. Some people had minor injuries, and care was coordinated at the dock in Boulogne. Among the six people quickly treated on Wimereux beach, five could not be resuscitated. The fatalities included three men, a woman and the young girl.
PRIDE OF AMERICA
The 'Pride of America' suffered a technical issue on April 16, 2024. Despite the efforts to maintain the original itinerary, the issue impacted ots departure from Hilo, Hawaii, leading to the cancellation of the scheduled visits to Kona, on April 17 and Nawiliwili, Kaua’i, on April 18. In collaboration with local experts work was on to resolve the issue. The 'Pride of America' finally left the port of Hilo on the morning of April 18, after three days docked. Before ending the current cruise in Honolulu on April 20, the vessel was set to make a shortened visit to Nawiliwili. Passengers will receive a $200 non-refundable onboard credit per stateroom, in addition to a Future Cruise Credit (FCC). The FCC will be equivalent to 20 percent of the paid fare for the current cruise and can be used towards any of Norwegian’s published itineraries scheduled through December 31, 2025. Pre-purchased excursions for the cancelled ports of call were also fully refunded.
XIN RONG HAI 1
On the evening of April 22, 2024, the 'Xin Rong Hai 1' allided with a guard pier under the Jiujiang Bridge on the G240 National Highway in South China's Guangdong Province. The ship, carrying over 4,900 tonnes of rolled steel, was sailing from Fuzhou, Fujian Province, to the city of Heshan, Guangdong, when it hit the base of a pillar of the Jiujiang Bridge at 9:20 p.m. The cargo hold started taking on water. The ship later ran aground and finally sank at around 11:40 p.m. There were a total of 11 crew members on board, seven of whom were rescued and four missing. As of 9:00 a.m. on April 23, the local government had coordinated maritime, fishery and social rescue forces in dispatching 32 vessels and more than 400 personnel to participate in SAR efforts. Experts quickly conducted a preliminary assessment of the bridge and found no obvious damage to the main structure. However, there were abrasions on the pillar -- requiring further safety assessments. After preliminary investigations, the accident was determined to have been caused by operating error resulting from flood. Traffic police have implemented traffic control for both directions of the Jiujiang Bridge on the G240 National Highway from 6 a.m. on April 23 to 6 a.m. on April 24. The maritime department has implemented navigation control, with all vessels prohibited from entering the three-kilometer water area upstream and downstream of the bridge, except for emergency rescue boats. Passing vessels were advised to detour. Reports with photos: https://english.news.cn/20240423/dee1d7dccf6948ff9245836174c7ca46/c.html https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202404/23/WS6627586ba31082fc043c3822.html
SEAWAY VENTUS
The 'Seaway Ventus' has been blocked at the Australia Quay in Esbjerg by port workers on April 19, 2024, which puts large Ørsted projects on hold, due to a lack of a collective agreement for the sailors on board. 3F Transport supports the port workers, who have been in dialogue with Ørsted for over a month to get the seafarers at the shipping company Seaway 7 a collective agreement. The 'Seaway Ventus' will be employed on the upcoming German offshore wind farms Gode Wind 3 and Borkum Riffgrund 1.
ABDULLAH
Unloading of cargo from the 'Abdullah' at the port of Al Hamriyah started on April 23 at 12 a.mn., two hours after the ship berthed at the jetty. Meanwhile, all 23 crew members have decided to come back home on the same ship, according to the ship’s owning firm SR Shipping Ltd, a subsidiary of KSRM Group. Earlier, two out of 23 crew members wanted to sign off from the vessel at the UAE port and return home by air.
MINCK
On April 23 at 6:00 a.m. LT, a migrant boat set sail in the Wimereux sector. Around 6:23 a.m., the heavily loaded boat seemed to be in difficulty a few hundred meters from the beach after passing a sandbank. Its engine had stopped, and two people fell into the water near the boat. The CROSS Gris Nez mobilized the 'Abeille Normandie' and the Minck' to rescue the two shipwrecked people. The semi-rigid boats of both ships were quickly launched. Arriving on site, the 'Abeille Normandie' rescued the two shipwrecked people. They indicated that several people appeared inanimate and in great difficulty aboard the drifting migrant boat after passing over the sandbank. The number of people on board was estimated at more than 100. The tug thereupon launched two more semi-rigid boats and the CROSS also deployed the SNSM boat of Boulogne-sur-Mer as reinforcement to. The semi-rigid of the 'Abeille Normandie' rescued on board two castaways and three inanimate people as well as a relative of an inanimate person. These people were underwent medical consultation. The semi-rigid then returned to the boat and collected two other inanimate people who were dropped off on the beach of Wimereux, where a major rescue system is put in place by the civil protection, the SDIS62 and the SAMU to take care of them. The three inanimate people and an accompanying person also disembarked from the tug towards Wimereux beach for treatment ashore. After several return trips, 48 people were finally rescued by the semi-rigid boats of the two ships and taken board the tug . Among them were two slightly injured, who were then evacuated by the SNSM boat and disembarked in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Despite the delicate situation, 58 people still on board the migrant boat refused to be rescued by the French resources. After various attempts, they managed to restart the engine of their boat and continued their crossing to Great Britain. The CROSS tasked the patrol boat 'Armoise' to ensure appropriate surveillance. At around 9:00 a.m., 48 people were taken care of on board the 'Abeille Normandie', before being disembarked at the quayside at the port of Boulogne, including two ahead of schedule by the SNSM boat. Some people had minor injuries, and care was coordinated at the dock in Boulogne. Among the six people quickly treated on Wimereux beach, five could not be resuscitated. The fatalities included three men, a woman and the young girl.
CGC ORCAS
The US Coast Guard has decommissioned the 'Orcas (WPB1327)' during a ceremony in Coos Bay, Oregon, on April 23, 2024. Rear Adm. Charles Fosse, the commander of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District, presided over the ceremony honoring the 35 years of service Orcas and its crews provided to the nation. Commissioned on April 14, 1989, the 'Orcas' was the 27th Island-Class cutter to join the fleet. The 'Orcas' has been stationed in Coos Bay, Oregon, since 1989 and was the 6th Coast Guard cutter to be stationed in Coos Bay since 1935, being used as a multi-mission platform that conducted operations to support SAR response, marine environmental protection, and national defense, from training allied nation maritime forces, conducting the largest-ever cocaine seizure in the history of the Pacific Northwest, and saving countless lives and hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of property on the Pacific Ocean. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3752989/coast-guard-cutter-orcas-decommissioned-after-35-years-of-service-in-coos-bay-o/
NIEUW STATENDAM
The 'Nieuww Statendam', en route from Rotterdam to Funchal, requested the medical evacuation of a passenger with a possible stroke on April 23, 2024, about 91 nautical miles from A Coruña. The CCS Finisterre of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 402. The patient was hoisted and taken Alvedro, where an ambulance was waiting for further transport to hospital.
STRANDE
The 'Strande' has been sold to the Sunlines and will be operated on the route Naissaar-Tallinn starting in May 2024. The ship remained stationary in Kiel as of April 23, 2024. https://www.sunlines.ee/en/liinid/tallinn-naissaar-strande/
BIRGER JARL
The 'Birger Jarl'/'Baltic Star', which is mooredin Lunde, right next to Sandöbron, has now been sold. Threats of heavy fines if the ship is not moved have caused the relationship between the owner Leif-Ivan Karlsson and the municipality of Kramfors to become completely frozen. Now a Gothenburg company wants to refurbish the 81-year-old ship to operate the route Gothenburg - Travemünde. An agreement was to be signed on April 24, 2024. The ship was then to be towed to Gustavik, a half a mile south. Here is Norrland's only really large dry dock, big enough to handle the ship. Report with video: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vasternorrland/uppgifter-skandalbaten-i-lunde-sald-till-goteborgsforetag
ROYAL ROMANCE
The Dutch auction house Troostwijk Auctions may auction the 'Royal Romance' of the pro-Russian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk from Ukraine. This was decided by the Ukrainian government agency Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA). According to Troostwijk director Arno Hendrikse, this is the most expensive object that his auction house has ever auctioned.
ABEILLE NORMANDIE
On April 23 at 6:00 a.m. LT, a migrant boat set sail in the Wimereux sector. Around 6:23 a.m., the heavily loaded boat seemed to be in difficulty a few hundred meters from the beach after passing a sandbank. Its engine had stopped, and two people fell into the water near the boat. The CROSS Gris Nez mobilized the 'Abeille Normandie' and the Minck' to rescue the two shipwrecked people. The semi-rigid boats of both ships were quickly launched. Arriving on site, the 'Abeille Normandie' rescued the two shipwrecked people. They indicated that several people appeared inanimate and in great difficulty aboard the drifting migrant boat after passing over the sandbank. The number of people on board was estimated at more than 100. The tug thereupon launched two more semi-rigid boats and the CROSS also deployed the SNSM boat of Boulogne-sur-Mer as reinforcement to. The semi-rigid of the 'Abeille Normandie' rescued on board two castaways and three inanimate people as well as a relative of an inanimate person. These people were underwent medical consultation. The semi-rigid then returned to the boat and collected two other inanimate people who were dropped off on the beach of Wimereux, where a major rescue system is put in place by the civil protection, the SDIS62 and the SAMU to take care of them. The three inanimate people and an accompanying person also disembarked from the tug towards Wimereux beach for treatment ashore. After several return trips, 48 people were finally rescued by the semi-rigid boats of the two ships and taken board the tug . Among them were two slightly injured, who were then evacuated by the SNSM boat and disembarked in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Despite the delicate situation, 58 people still on board the migrant boat refused to be rescued by the French resources. After various attempts, they managed to restart the engine of their boat and continued their crossing to Great Britain. The CROSS tasked the patrol boat 'Armoise' to ensure appropriate surveillance. At around 9:00 a.m., 48 people were taken care of on board the 'Abeille Normandie', before being disembarked at the quayside at the port of Boulogne, including two ahead of schedule by the SNSM boat. Some people had minor injuries, and care was coordinated at the dock in Boulogne. Among the six people quickly treated on Wimereux beach, five could not be resuscitated. The fatalities included three men, a woman and the young girl.
CG WINSLOW GRIESSER
The 'Winslow Griesser' interdicted an unlawful migration voyage in the Mona Passage on April 19, 2024. Coast Guard watchtanders at Sector San Juan received notification on the morning from the aircrew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft, reporting the sighting of a suspected migrant vessel, approximately 55 nautical miles northwest of Puerto Rico. Watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter to interdict the suspect vessel. Once on scene, the crew deployed their over-the-horizon small boat and stopped the 20-foot go-fast vessel that was carrying eight people and multiple cockfighting roosters. The migrants claimed to have departed from Dominican Republic on a voyage to Puerto Rico, however, they experienced engine malfunctions which forced them to return to Dominican Republic before being interdicted. Working in coordination with the Dominican Republic Navy, cutter Winslow Griesser’s crew took the migrant vessel in tow and rendezvoused with a Dominican Republic Navy vessel, who embarked and received custody of the migrants. Further investigation efforts by Dominican Republic Navy and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed three of the alleged migrants were U.S. citizens with active U.S. warrants. Following the interdiction, Dominican Republic Navy authorities detained three U.S. citizens, who were affiliated with a criminal gang and wanted in connection with a July 2020 shooting at a residential community in Puerto Rico in which four people were killed. The suspects were taken under the custody of the Dominican Republic 'Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas (DNCD) (United States Marshals Service Dominican Republic Foreign Field Office Fugitive Investigative Unit). United States Marshals Service Puerto Rico Fugitive Task Force for the District of Puerto Rico are coordinating the deportation of the three suspects. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3751974/coast-guard-interdiction-leads-to-the-apprehension-of-3-wanted-us-citizens/
COSTA DIADEMA
A passenger was medevaced from the 'Costa Diadema', en route from Malaga to Barcelona, on April 23, 2024, about 14.3 nautical miles from Peñon de Ifach. The ship had requested assistance after a passenger was suffering from respiratory problems. The CCS Valencia of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 215, which hoisted the patient and took him to the Denia Firefighters heliport for further transfer to the hospital.