The US Coast Guard medevaced an 85-year-old man from the 'Harmony of the Seas', which was sailing 24 miles off Galveston, Texas, on May 20, 2024. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a medevac request at 6:30 p.m., stating an 85-year-old male passenger had sustained a head injury due to a fall aboard the vessel. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac. An already-airborne Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was diverted to conduct the medevac. The helicopter crew arrived on scene, embarked the passenger and transported him to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in stable condition.
News
MICHEL
On May 18, 2024, at around 4:00 a.m. LT the cargo m/v 'Mohammed Z' (IMO: 8805078) with 11 crew members, including nine Syrian and two Egyptian nationals, on board sank en route from Istanbul Anchorage to Sulina about 26 nautical off the city of Sfântu Gheorghe in the Black Sea after a collision with the 'Michel', which was en route from Odessa to Varna with a cargo of steel pipes. The Romanian authorities launched an SAR operation and notified two merchant vessels sailing in the area to assist. The 'Michel' rescued eight castaways and took them to Constanta for medical treatment. One of them was suffering from two injuries and has been admitted to the hospital. The Romanian authorities have also deployed a helicopter from the Romania Air Force and two rescue vessels, the 'Artemis' and 'Apollo' from ARSVOM to search the three missing crewmembers. Two police boats have also joined the search. According to a port inspection conducted in Egypt, the vessel had deficiencies, including inoperative safety lamps and improperly maintained life buoys. An investigation into the accident was ongoing with the cooperation of the rescued crew members. The 'Michel' arrived in Varna with structural bow damages on May 19 at 7.20 a.m. UTC.
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.
BIRGER JARL
The municipal real estate company Älvstranden Utveckling AB has rejected a berth for the 'Birger Jarl' in Gothenburg. At the end of April a couple of investors from the Gothenburg area annonuced that they wanted to buy the classic shipfrom the current owner Leif-Ivan Karlsson, who has had the vessel lying in Lunde harbor in the Kramfors municipality since 2022.
EVER FELICITY
On the morning of May 20, 2024, at around 7.40 a.m., two stevedores, a 57-year-old worker from Ishinomaki City and a 53-year-old worker from Osaki City, were found collapsed on the 'Ever Felicity', which was berthed at the at Hibarino Kita Pier in the Ishinomaki Port in the Miyagi Prefecture. A crew member had alerted the fire department. The two were taken to the hospital due to carbon dioxide poisoning. The 57-year-old man, who was found unconscious, was in a serious condition. It was believed that the two people collapsed due to lack of oxygen while entering the ship's cargo hold to load cargo. Palm shells used as biomass fuel were piled up inside the hold. The Ishinomaki Coast Guard Station started conducting a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident and whether there were any safety issues. Report with photo: https://www.msn.com/ja-jp/news/national/%E9%85%B8%E6%AC%A0%E7%8A%B6%E6%85%8B-%E7%9F%B3%E5%B7%BB%E6%B8%AF%E3%81%AE%E8%B2%A8%E7%89%A9%E8%88%B9%E3%81%AE%E5%80%89%E5%BA%AB%E3%81%A72%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%8C%E5%80%92%E3%82%8C1%E4%BA%BA%E6%84%8F%E8%AD%98%E4%B8%8D%E6%98%8E-%E5%80%89%E5%BA%AB%E5%86%85%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AF%E3%83%90%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AA%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B9%E7%87%83%E6%96%99%E3%81%AE-%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%A4%E3%82%B7%E6%AE%BB-%E5%AE%AE%E5%9F%8E/ar-BB1mGAy9
SD SOLENT RACER
On the morning of May 20, 2024, the 'SD Solent Racer' sufferered a serious engine fire at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. The polot boat was bringing pilot back after taking the HMS 'Iron Duke' out. The fire was eventually extinguished by the crew. The vessel was brought back in alonside an MoD Police boat with Serco tugs being on standby. Video: https://x.com/i/status/1792504272271061301
GARIBALDI
On May 20, 2024, the 'Garibaldi' issued a PAN PAN call after going adrift near Santander. The CCS Santander of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR boat 'Salvamar Deneb' to assist, which took the yacht in tow and safely pulled it to the Marina del Cantábrico.
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.