An accident report by the traffic accident investigation committee found out that the 'Norwegian Prima' with 4,600 passengers on board was only about 10 meters away from running aground off the island of Viðey on May 26, 2023, after it had gone off course in a storm and the captain had apparently underestimated the situation. The crew of the tug 'Magni' did everything in their power to prevent a major accident. According to the report, the ship had left the Sundahöfn cruise port in Reykjavík on the evening with the assistance of the tug 'Magni'. A strong wind was blowing from the southwest. The pilot recommended that the captain delayed the departure. The captain decided to stick to the schedule, despite the weather and against the pilot's recommendation. The ship had to be turned around before it could head out to sea. Shortly after the turn, strong gusts of 50 knots came in from the west. At the same time, the captain increased the speed. The ship drifted with the wind eastwards toward the shallows while the tug pulled against it at full speed. At the outer edge of the shipping channel, the 'Norwegian Prima' drifted over a buoy, and it was very lucky that a chain hanging from the buoy did not get entangled in the ship's propeller. It was already clear that the ship was way off course and was in great danger of running aground. The captain, who was sailing into Reykjavík harbor for the first time, tried to countersteer with the ship's propellers, but that wasn't enough. The report stated that only ten meters separated the ship from shoals that would have left less than half a meter of space for the keel. The tug had to be repaired after the incident, but the cruise ship remained undamaged. The report contains recommendations on how such incidents can be prevented. Among other things, there is a recommendation for the shipping company to evaluate all information to supplement its own risk assessment. It is also recommended that the Port of Faxaflói update its workflows to ensure good communication between tugs and pilots. This communication must be in English and understandable to everyone. The government is being asked to extend the powers of pilots so that they can refuse ships to leave under certain circumstances. Finally, the report proposes a risk assessment for all ports where passenger ships anchor. Full report with photos: https://www.rnsa.is/media/5200/hs-norwegian-prima-msi-report.pdf
News
MSC VERACRUZ
On April 24, 2024, a ship stated an explosion in the water around 72 nautical miles southeast of Djibouti. A Houthi Spokesperson through the official channel took responsibility for the attack, claiming attacks on the 'Maersk Yorktown' and the 'MSC Veracruz'. They referred to the MSC vessel as an ‘Israeli ship’ and also alleged that a U.S warship was involved in the attack with the 'Maersk Yorktown' under contract with the U.S military. The U.S Central Command confirmed that they prevented one anti-ship ballistic missile, launched from an area controlled by Houthi in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden.The missile was likely aimed at the 'Maersk Yorktown', which whad 18 US- and four Greek crew members on board. The US central Command also confirmed the destruction of four airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. On April 13, one anti-ship ballistic missile was fired by the Houthis from the Gulf of Aden.
MINERVA ANTONIA
The 'Minerva Antonia' ran aground en route to Agioi Theodori in laden condition on April 23, 2024, at 11.35 p.m. LT while departing from the Iskenderun Global Terminal. There was no damage or marine pollution, and the ship was refloated from the grounding position and moored in pos. 36° 50.13' N 036° 08.59' E under the coordination of Iskenderun Regional Port Authority for the necessary checks. Report with photo: https://www.bursadabugun.com/haber/yunanistan-bayrakli-urun-tankeri-karaya-oturdu-1708108.html
CAPE CORDELL
scrapped at Fortuna,Canada 04/2024 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=336461709446582&set=pcb.336461746113245
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.
SALVAMAR SPICA
The pleasiure boat "Estelle", with one crew member, requested towing assistance in front of the Almería thermal power plant on April 24, after having suffered an engine breakdown. The CCS Almería of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Spica', which took the yeacht in tow and safely pulled it to the Club de Mar in Almería. Photos: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1783136991179121112
MAERSK YORKTOWN
On April 24, 2024, a ship stated an explosion in the water around 72 nautical miles southeast of Djibouti. A Houthi Spokesperson through the official channel took responsibility for the attack, claiming attacks on the 'Maersk Yorktown' and the 'MSC Veracruz'. They referred to the MSC vessel as an ‘Israeli ship’ and also alleged that a U.S warship was involved in the attack with the 'Maersk Yorktown' under contract with the U.S military. The U.S Central Command confirmed that they prevented one anti-ship ballistic missile, launched from an area controlled by Houthi in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden.The missile was likely aimed at the 'Maersk Yorktown', which whad 18 US- and four Greek crew members on board. The US central Command also confirmed the destruction of four airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. On April 13, one anti-ship ballistic missile was fired by the Houthis from the Gulf of Aden.
ELBE 3
At the Bredo Shipyard in Bremerhaven, a 43-year-old man was seriously injured in a fall on the 'Elbe 3' on the morning of April 22, 2024, which was docked in the fishing port. The worker fell five meters onto the upper deck of the ship for reasons that wree still unclear. The victim received medical care at the scene of the accident. He was then transported to the ground using a rescue basket and a crane from the local company. Height rescuers from the fire department were also on duty. The man was taken to a hospital.
JOANNE MARIE
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released an investigation report on April 8, 2024, on the flooding and partial sinking of the 'Joanne Marie' on June 25, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana, which was found partially submerged while moored at a shipyard on the Harvey Canal at6 a.m. There were no crewmembers or shipyard workers on board the vessel. An estimated 10 gallons of diesel fuel were released into the water. Damage to the vessel was $176,751. Analysis After the vessel was refloated, no water ingress into any vessel spaces was found, indicating the hull condition did not contribute to the flooding. Postcasualty testing found that, when water was pumped into the through-hull pipe for the propulsion shaft seals’ cofferdam overboard discharge, it entered the cofferdam, which was open to the engine room. The shaft seal cofferdam discharge system had two bilge pumps whose discharges combined into a single overboard line. The discharge lines had valves installed to prevent water ingress. After the casualty, investigators found that a wire nut had lodged in a spring-loaded check valve on the starboard-side bilge pump discharge line, obstructing the valve and forcing it to remain partially open (the swing-type check valve on the portside bilge pump worked properly). Investigators could not determine how the wire nut had entered the cofferdam. The wire nut may have been inadvertently dropped or fallen into the cofferdam when the deck plate covering the cofferdam was removed for regular maintenance. The Coast Guard and company representatives found that the wire nut was small enough to pass through the cofferdam bilge pump inlet strainer, so when the cofferdam bilge pump activated, the wire nut was pulled through the strainer and subsequently the pump impeller and discharge line before reaching the spring-loaded check valve. The spring-loaded design of the check valve held the wire nut in place, leaving the valve in a partially open position and susceptible to backflow. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the flooding and partial sinking of the 'Joanne Marie' was the ingress of water into the engine room through a through-hull pipe located near the waterline due to an obstructed spring-loaded check valve on a cofferdam bilge pump discharge. Contributing to the sinking were inadequate procedures for securing unattended vessels. Full report: https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NTSB-Partial-skinking-of-towing-vessel-Joanne-Marie-2024_04.pdf
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.
YM PIONEER
The 'YM Pioneer' ran aground on the night of April 23, 2024, at the height of buoy 8, in the outer area of the access channel to the Port of Bahía Blanca, en route to Port Klang with a cargo of corn. The vessel was obstructing the navigation channel, prompting the Coastguard to restrict the traffic between buoy 11 and buoy 1. Initial efforts during the morning high tide to refloat the ship by the tugs 'Tocanado', 'Ona Paz' and 'Svitzer Endeavour' failed. Another attempt was to be made during the next high tide which was expected in the afternoon. After the ship moved on April 24, as of April 25, the ship was stationary in pos. 39° 05.40' N 061° 47.64' W. The grounding was caused by a navigational error.
HOEJESTENE
The 'Højestene' slipped off a dock on April 21, 2024, at the J. Ring-Andersen Shipyard in Svendborg. After the accident, the ferry docked at Petersen & Sørensen, where it could be ascertained that in addition to visible damage to the bow flap, there was also damage to the hull and one rudder. As a result of the further inspection on the morningof April 23, as well as reasonable demands from the Danish Maritime Authority for inspection, the inspection and repair time had to be extended. The return was postponed to the 5.30 p.m. departure from Svendborg on April 29. Until then, the route was covered by the ferry 'Helge', which cannot carry cars.
BRESSAY-BANK PAIR TR
The 'Bressay Bank' berthed at the Mains Pier in Lerwick on the afternoon of April 23, 2024, where a crew member received medical attention. The Shetland Coastguard had received a call just after 11 a.m. to assist with the vessel which was berthing there. A crew member disembarked from the vessel and was awaited by Lerwick’s coastal rescue team and the ambulance service. The ship then left the port again en route to Hanstholm with an ETA as of April 25. Report with photo: https://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2024/04/24/emergency-services-attend-medical-evacuation-of-french-vessel
DALI
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.
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.