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Coast Guard assisted distressed freighter
Air and surface rescue crews of the Coast Guard San Juan responded and assisted the 'Island Express' in the afternoon of July 29, 2020, after the ship started taking on water when it departed the port of San Juan for storm avoidance in anticipation of Tropical Cyclone 9. Coast Guard watchstanders in San Juan received a Mayday VHF radio transmission on Channel 16 from the captain of the 'Island Express', who reported that there was a possible broken pipe in the engine room and that approximately 75% of the bilges were full of water. Watchstanders directed the launch of two 33-foot small boats and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Boat Station San Juan that got underway and arrived on scene with the 'Island Express'. A Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-65 Dolphin helicopter also arrived on scene, and the aircrew was able to maintain communications with the Coast Guard boat crews as they escorted the cargo ship in eight to 10 foot seas back to the safety of the port. Meanwhile, San Juan Prevention personnel coordinated with the San Juan Bay Pilots and two Puerto Rico tugs that rendezvoused with the 'Island Express' at the entrance of San Juan Harbor. The tugboats escorted the ship to Pier 15, where it was safely moored and the crew was able to finalize dewatering of the bilge spaces. Report with photo: https://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-assists-distressed-cargo-ship-m-v-island-express-off-san-juan/2020/07/29/
Cargo ship with military goods troubled enroute from Russia to Syria
The "Aleksandr Tkachenko", being deployed in the notorious “Syrian Express” military cargo lifeline, was troubled off northeast Rhodos island in the Aegean Sea on Nov 13, 2017. The ship, which was en route to Tartus from Novorossiysk with military cargo on board, was adrift from 1 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. on Nov 14. A Greek tug was spotted nearby, assisting the vessel which was carrying dozens military trucks on deck. It arrived in Tartus on Nov 17 around 10 a.m. Video of ship in Chios Strait: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZgOwwqeTBw
New Container / car ferry line to be launched on the Kerch crossing
LLC CMT Crimea (part of Sovfracht-Sovmortrans Group) will provide safe transport of vehicles by large ferry "Robur" on the Temryuk - Kerch Sea Fishing Port line the United Transport Directorate said Monday in a press release. The cooperation agreement on additional ferry lines between the mainland and the Crimea was signed on December 4-6 2014 by UTD's General Director Igor Titov and CMT Crimea's Chairman Dmitry Purim. The agreement was signed on the sidelines the 8th International Trade Fair "Transport of Russia", Moscow. The vessels to be deployed on the lines will be purchased by CMT Crimea. In its turn UTD will be responsible for formation of cargo at storage yards, the distribution of the cargo flows at the ports, schedule of ships docking and management of loading / unloading. The M/V Robur has capacity of up to 60 trucks. The ferry will perform daily a round trip, depending on weather conditions. The vessels is scheduled to start operation by the end of December this year.
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