A 75-year-old man was sentenced by the Åland district court to daily fines for maritime traffic offenses after having come close to a collision with the 'Baltic Princess' with a sailboat in November 2023. He and another person were underway with the sailboat in the dark at Skiftet on their way from Stockholm to Pargas, when the boat encountered problems with both steering and the propeller shaft. At Skiftet the man had left the helm and gone down into the engine room to check the steering and propeller shaft, causing the boat to lose course and be on a collision course with the ferry. When the man returned to the helm, he made a turn towards the same course the 'Baltic Princess' was heading. The ferry had to turn to avoid a collision, and they passed each other with a distance of about 20 meters. The man was sentenced to 50 daily fines of a total of 500 Euros, and he must also pay 80 Euros in victim surcharge.
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APIRADEE NAREE
The 'Apiradee Naree', while underway in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) on March 6, 2024, at 12.30 a.m., en route from Mangalore to Guangzhou, was boarded by three perpetrators in pos. 1° 7.63' N 103° 51.5' E. Nothing was reported stolen. The ship continued on its way with an ETA as of March 11.
TAI AN
For presumed illegal fishing carried out by the 'Tai An' within the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone without authorization or a fishing permit that supports the capture of toothfish, complaints have been filed against the owner Prodesur S.A., for carrying out fishing activities specifically aimed at this species without the proper authorization or fishing permit to support its operation. Calls were made to heo government control and inspection officials by personnel of the Foreign Ministry, with the aim of hindering the order for the ship's return to port, once the capture of toothfish has been confirmed. In the absence of action from the government, companies were taking steps to file a criminal complaint. Due to a clear violation of the Federal Fisheries Law, all captured toothfish was confiscated. The vessel would be violating the Federal Fishing Regime and the quota system for toothfish, as corroborated by satellite plots and the observation of other fishing vessels in the area. The companies subscribing to the petition have means to verify these facts, such as the 72-hour electronic fishing report, communication with the onboard inspector and the satellite monitoring system. It was required that, if these infractions are confirmed, the ship be forced to immediately return to port and a supervisory discharge commission be formed. The same group requested that an exemplary sanction be applied and the merchandise involved be seized. The signatory companies warned of the possible negative repercussions at the international level for Argentina, its Federal Fisheries Law and its quota system, as well as for the international certification process for toothfish (PROME). They requested an urgent call to the Federal Fisheries Council and the monitoring commission for the toothfish species to address this complaint.
CHANSON
The 'Chanson' caught fire at Abacos, Bahamas, while being moored at the Bakers Bay Marina in the evening of March 8, 2024. While firefighters battled the blaze, one firefighter suffered serious injuries and had to be airlifted to Nassau for urgent medical attention. No other casualties among the crew or personnel were reported. The yacht’s tender, a center console, was also lost in the fire. Despite extinguishing the flames, the 'Chanson' burnt down too, but remained afloat albeit heavily listing to its port side. The fire may have originated from a Lithium-Ion battery of one of the water toys.
SSG MICHAEL H. OLLIS
A 45-year-old man jumped from the 'Michael H. Ollis' on MArch 8, 2024, just after noon. The mates Tim McCann and Paul Hartnett during their rounds on the ferry saw the man jump overboard. The two men immediately tossed a life ring into the water to mark where he was, and radioed another mate, Aaron Ammirati, in the pilot house. Ammirati updated Captain Joseph Ajar, who was able to quickly stop and swing the ferry around so a rescue craft could be deployed with the deckhands Javon Prince and Alan Bitokhov on board. They pulled the man out of the water after a slight struggle, and raced him back to shore. Not long after, an NYPD harbour unit arrives to assist. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZlC9BzlwOk&t=1s
HMS RICHMOND
HMS 'Richmond' destroyed two targets with Sea Ceptor missiles on March 9, 2024, as the US and its allies came under sustained Houthi attack in the Red Sea in the early morning, successfully repelling yet another illegal attack by the Iranian backed Houthis. No injuries or damage were sustained in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The US military and coalition forces had downed at least 28 Houthi drones in total over the Red Sea on that day, involving unmanned aerial vehicles that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US navy and coalition ships in the region. The Houthi attack was conducted between 1 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. UK time.
PINOCCHIO
The Houthi terrorists fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at the 'Pinocchio', en route from Jeddah to Suez in the Red Sea, on March 11, 2024. The ship was not damaged but the US responded with six raids against targets in Houthi areas in Yemen. The strikes destroyed an unmanned underwater vessel and 18 anti-ship missiles, which had presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region.
MEKHANIK POGODIN
The 'Mekhanik Pogodin', which the Russians converted into a command post, has been destroyed on March 11, 2024, as the result of a successful airstrike by the Ukrainian Air Force in the area of the Kinburn Spit on a mud flat, 2,5 kilometers from the village of Vynohradne. A large part of the bridge roof was blown into the air by a huge explosion and landed in the water. Large black plumes of smoke were then seen. On May 2, 2018, the VEB-Leasing OJSC in St. Petersburg, the owner of the tanker, was included in the sanctions list and arrested. The ship was located in the territory of the Kherson seaport until the summer of 2023. After the occupation of Kherson in 2022, Russian forces tried to withdraw the sanctioned tanker, but were unable to do so. The vessel later fell into the so-called “grey zone” between Ukrainian and Russian forces. After the Russians blew up the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station, the tanker was washed ashore on the Kinburn Spit, which is temporarily controlled by the Russians. Subsequently, an observation post for reconnaissance and electronic warfare means was deployed on the mentioned vessel. The ship was periodically used as a platform for launching FPV drones to strike the territory of the Kherson region. Therefore, the destruction of the Russian tanker Mekhanik Pogodin not only thwarted the invaders in their plans but was also carried out in full compliance with the norms of International Humanitarian Law. Reports with photos and video: https://censor.net/en/video_news/3478084/ukrainian_aviation_hits_russian_command_post_on_tanker_ship_video https://forbes.ua/news/povitryani-sili-znishchili-rosiyskiy-tanker-mekhanik-pogodin-detali-12032024-19784
SALVAMAR LYRA
On March 11, 2024, the sailing yacht 'Mandalay' went adrift near L'Escala and requested assistance. The 'Salvamar Lyra' was mobilized by the JRCC of Salamento Marítimo in Barcelona. The boat was taken in tow and safely pulled to the Roses marina.
SEA-EYE 4
After the arrival in Reggion Cantabria on Mach 10 with a total of 145 rescued migrants on board, the Italian authorities detained the 'Sea Eye 4' for 60 days and justified this by saying that the helpers in the Mediterranean took refugees on board even though Libya's (so-called) Coastguard was ready to take them. The aid organization said such action would have violated international law. The migrants were picked up from boats that had made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe from Africa.
FRENCH WARSHIP
Western warships and fighter jets shot down at least 28 such objects on March 9, 2024, between 01.00 a.m. and 05.20 a.m. GMT. “No US or coalition navy vessels were damaged in the attack and there were also no reports by commercial ships of damage. The 'Alsace' shot down three drones in the Red Sea. The Danish military announced that its frigate 'Iver Huitfeld' downed four drones, sent by hostile forces from the Houthi movement.
TRUE CONFIDENCE
11 Filipino crew members of the 'True Confidence' were repatriated to the Philippines, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on March 11. 10 of the crew members were unharmed while one of them sustained minor injuries during the evacuation of the ship. They were set to arrive in Manila on March 12. Two more Filipino seafarers who were injured during the attack remained in a hospital in Djibouti City. Their condition was stable and being monitored by medical professionals. They will be repatriated to the Philippines as soon as they are medically certified as fit for travel. The recovery operations are underway for the retrieval of the remains of three crew members, two of them Filipino, who died in the missile attack. A French warship shot down four Houthi drones early on March 9 to protect the ongoing salvage of the ship which was under tow off Yemen. The Houthi drones were flying in tactical attack formation in the frigate’s direction, which forms part of the EU’s NAVFOR Aspides naval force in the area. The salvage tug has been contracted on a daily hire basis rather than a Lloyd’s Open Form salvage contract.
FV SAE IN CHAMPION
After the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA) medevaced a South Korean crew member of the 'Sae in Champion' in Argentine waters, the State recovered all of the expenses of the operation. The ship was also fined for traveling in the Malvinas area without having the corresponding authorization. The transaction occurred on March 9 after representatives of the organization contacted those responsible. The unprecedented case served as an example for future international operations. The measure had been ordered by the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, and the head of the Naval Prefecture, Prefect General Guillermo Giménez Pérez. The collection of infractions for transgressing the national territory was supported by decree 256/10, in which it was established that any ship that intends to transit between ports located in the Argentine continental territory and the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands must request prior authorization. Before the measure was made official, the promulgation of Law 24,922 of the Federal Fisheries Regime determined in article 37 that foreign fishing vessels would be authorized to fish unexploited or underexploited species, as long as the international treaty between parties had the approval of the Government. national and Congress. The regulations establish that the fines represent a minimum of one thousand Fishing Units (1,000 UP) and a maximum of 300 thousand Fishing Units (300,000 UP). After the control established a connection with the company, the agents agreed to medevc the South Korean citizen who had severe abdominal pain that was compatible with a case of appendicitis. In addition, the South Korean Consulate was in charge of coordinating the authorization so that the man could receive medical assistance and was hoisted aboard a helicopter, which took off from the Comodoro Rivadavia Air Station, 87 nautical miles from the city of Rawson. Report with photo and video: https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2024/03/10/la-prefectura-recupero-el-costo-del-rescate-de-un-tripulante-surcoreano-en-altamar/
OPEN ARMS
The 'Open Arms', carrying relief supplies for the population in the Gaza Strip has finally left the port of Larnaca on the morning of March 12. After the arrival in the Gaza Strip within about two days, the relief supplies will be distributed by the NGO World Central Kitchen. The ship's departure was delayed due to technical problems. The ship was towing a cargo barge with around 200 tons of food, drinking water and medicine. It is a test sailing along the route of a planned aid corridor that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis announced on March 8. Report with photo: https://www.radiohc.cu/en/noticias/internacionales/349516-aid-ship-sets-sail-from-cyprus-to-gaza-amid-israeli-naval-blockade
GR. COSTA DAVORIO
The US Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold the final planned witness testimony on March 13 in support of the ongoing investigation into the fire that occurred on July 5, 2023 aboard the 'Grande Costa D’Avorio', while docked at the Port of Newark, New Jersey. The video of testimony will be posted to the investigation’s website at https://www.news.uscg.mil/News-by-Region/1st-District-Northeast/PADET-New-York/Grande-Costa-DAvorio-Investigation/ in the morning of March 14. The scheduled testimony on March 13 is from Deputy Chief Alfonse Carlucci of the Newark Fire Department. Carlucci is the last planned testimony to be given during the fact gathering phase of the investigation. At a future date, both the Coast Guard and NTSB will issue separate reports of findings, which will include the respective agency’s official determination of the probable cause of this incident and recommendations to correct safety problems discovered during the investigations. Once the Coast Guard’s investigation has been concluded, the report of findings will be published to the investigation site and shared via news release.
ST NIKOLAS
Iran has allowed a crew change from the captured 'St Nikolas', still held off Bandar Abbas. The vessel’s shipmanager, Greece-based Empire Navigation, confirmed in an email that 11 of the 17 remaining seafarers on board the tanker have been released. The 11 Filipino seafarers were due to return home to Manila starting on March 10. Nine of the crew arrived on that day, and two others were due to arrive on March 13. The remaining six seafarers were expected to also return as soon as their replacements arrive. The company expressed its sincere gratitude to our crew for their commendable behaviour and resilience during this trying period, our Manning Agent in Manila and the Department of Migrant Workers for their excellent cooperation. A replacement crew will be arriving at the vessel.
BRITISH WARSHIP
A small fire broke out on the HMS 'Queen Elizabeth' on the River Clyde on March 9, 2024. The aircraft carrier was no on its way to Rosyth for necessary repairs on its starboard propeller shaft coupling. There were no reports of injuries. The minor, isolated fire was quickly brought under control by the crew and extinguished.
WSF SAMISH
The WSF 'Samish' was delayed for hours on March 9, 2024, after assisting a pleasure boat which had got in trouble amid winds of 20 knots with 30 knot gusts and 4-6 feet high seas in the Rosario Strait after taking a wave over the bow, shattering its front windshield. Six people and their two dogs were aboard the boat. Some were injured by the broken windshield. The 'Samish' launched a rescue boat to assist the disabled boat. The U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham also deployed a response boat. After its arrival, the coxswain transferred two crew members to the damaged vessel to assess for first aid needs and seaworthiness of the distressed boat. The ferry slowed down for the response boat and, using its size, created a shield from the wind and elements for the Coast Guard crew on the way to Anacortes. The Coast Guard crew embarked two of the boaters and the two dogs to the boat. The other four were transported to Anacortes aboard the ferry. They were met by the Anacortes Fire and taken to receive further assistance. The crew’s engineer, MK2 Lavarreda, drove the damaged boat and followed the response boat to Cap Sante Marina, where Anacortes Fire reunited the four individuals with those onboard the boat of the Coast Guard. The damaged boat was tied up at the Cap Sante Marina. Report with photos: https://sanjuanislander.com/news-articles/government-news/federal/coast-guard/37289/samish-ferry-crew-and-coast-guard-rescue-6-people-and-2-dogs
RUBYMAR
The sinking of the 'Rubymar' south of the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea, was posing "no immediate danger", Christophe Logette, the director of the France-based accidental water pollution management centre Cedre, said on March 8: "At this stage there is no immediate danger. The ship is on the seabed, the hull is in relatively good shape." The main concern was the fate of the thousands of tonnes of fertiliser. But so far they were in their storage compartment and there was no trace at the moment of this product being released into the sea. There had been no leak from the tanks containing around 200 tonnes of propulsion fuel and 80 tonnes of diesel either. The fear was that if any of the fertiliser were to seep out, it would dump a huge amount of nitrate into the water, causing massive algae blooms which would choke marine life. But water has probably filtered into the hull and the cargo. The fertiliser will be wet and so will dissolve very slowly in very low concentrations, with a restricted effect on the marine environment. Report with photo: https://menafn.com/1107959764/Expert-Says-No-Immediate-Danger-From-Sunken-Ship-Off-Yemen