A Florida man was arrested on March 11, after a 27-year-old woman from Florida was found dead inside her cabin of the 'MArgaritaville at Sea Paradise', that departed Palm Beach on March 10 for a two-night sailing to Freeport. Officers responded to the cruise at around 5:30 p.m. after cruise employees contacted them about an unresponsive female passenger. Medical staff performed CPR, but she was declared dead. The companion was arrested after the discovery and confiscation of a quantity of suspected cocaine from the cabin. All appropriate authorities were notified, including the FBI. The company was fully cooperating with the FBI and its investigation. During the investigation, officers confiscated suspected cocaine and arrested a 32-year-old man.
News
KONINGSDAM
A norovirus outbreak affected 110 people aboard the 'Koningsdam', which was underway with 2,522 passengers on board. 98 passengers and 12 crew members reported symptoms of illness, primarily experiencing diarrhea and vomiting, as reported by the CDC agency (USA's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The 'Koningsdam' was on a roundtrip voyage in the North Pacific through Honolulu (Feb 26), Uturoa and Papeete (March 3 and 7) after departing from its homeport San Diego on Feb 17, 2024. In response to the outbreak, Holland America and the ship's crew implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols, as well as isolating affected passengers and crew members, among other precautionary measures.
SEAWAY ALBATROSS
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160123739340036&set=gm.10162889971863943&idorvanity=6884293942
SUKHOTHAI
All 58 retrieved items of the 'Sukothai' were transferred to the Juk Samet Port at the Sattahip Naval Base aboard the 'Ocean Valor' on March 12 for urther investigations. It could take at least a mongth to retrieve the frigate's CCTV footage. Four missions were conducted during the salvage oeperation which was wrapped up on March 11, including finding the remains of five crew members, investigating the ship's mechanics, disarming weapons and retrieving sentimental items. All divers, after conducting a total of 82 dives oor 67 hours and 53 minutes underwater, were safe. The divers had been divided into two teams. The first consisted of 14 divers, seven each from the RTN and US Navy, who dove with surface supply air quipment and used the 'Ocean Valor' as base. The other consisted of 40 scuba divers from the RTN with the HTMS 'Mannai' as base. The operation kicked off on Feb 22 as part of the US Navy's Cobra Gold joint exercise, 36,9 kilometers from the shore in the Bang Sapah district. Reports wiht photos: https://www.thephuketnews.com/sukhothai-salvage-operation-ends-memorial-planned-91582.php https://maritime-executive.com/index.php/article/search-of-lost-thai-navy-frigate-ends-without-finding-missing-crew
GEO BARENTS
On March 11, the 'Geo Barents' docked in Genoa, carrying 129 migrants. Other castaways were disembarked in Civitavecchia, Lazio. Among them were vulnerable women, men, and several very young children, ending the latest rescue operation carried out by the ship operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF). On March 7, the 'Geo Barents' rescued 261 people from two overcrowded wooden boats. The survivors, including several women and children, were of 12 different nationalities and had left the previous night from the coast of Libya. The Red Cross has set up a hosting facility for the 129 migrants who remained on the 'Geo Barents' after it reached the port of Civitavecchia, chosen by Italian authorities as the destination for the disembarkation of the first group of rescued passengers. MSF has complained about "senseless multiple disembarkations", recalling that, "under international law, everything should be done to 'reduce as much as possible the time spent by rescued people on the ship that assists them'. MSF criticized Italian authorities last week for ordering the rescued migrants' disembarkation in two distant ports. The choice of two ports and the fact that they were "so distant" implied "duplicating maneuvers, diminishing efficiency and increasing costs, as well as inflicting further suffering on these people who instead need protection and aid," the president of MSF Italia, Monica Minardi, denounced, highlighting the lengthy transit time between Civitavecchia and Genoa, impacting the 'Geo Barents's availability for potential rescues in the Central Mediterranean.
SEA-WATCH 5
Sea Watch has contested the seizure of the “Sea Watch 5”, which has been blocked for 20 days by the Italian authorities in the port of Pozzuolo, after disembarking 51 migrants and the body of a deceased young man. Sea Watch contested this decision and planned to challenge the measure in court, emphasizing the importance of not hindering rescue operations at sea. In addition, the Italian Supreme Court recently established jurisprudence by considering that Libya was not a safe port, thus opening the way to possible appeals by relief NGOs and calling into question the Italian government's migration policy. Also the German NGO Sea Eye has announced its intention to file a complaint against the Italian authorities for the seizure of the "Sea Eye 4" for 60 days in the port of Reggio Calabria. In recent hours, the 144 migrants rescued by the humanitarian ship in the central Mediterranean, including 20 unaccompanied minors, two babies and several families, have disembarked in this port. The first group of 84 migrants were from different countries such as Gambia, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Ghana, while the second group of 60 migrants came from Syria, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan and Burkina Faso. The NGO will initiate proceedings before the competent courts, thus contesting the reason given for the blocking. According to Italian authorities, the ship interrupted a Libyan Coastguard operation, which Sea Eye categorically disputes. A boat of the so-called Coastguard arrived at high speed, while the 'Sea Eye 4' had already started to evacuate the inflatable boat in distress. Additionally,the Libyans acted recklessly by pointing their weapons at the crew of the rescue ship.
WILSON SKAW
After the grounding of the 'Wilson Skaw' in the Húnaflói fjord on April 18, 2023, loaded with salt en routefrom Hvammstangi to Hólmavík, the traffic accident investigation committee has now advised the Ministry of Infrastructure that a regulation must be created for the water and pilotage of ships. In the Húnaflói there are underwater skerries and shoals that are dangerous for shipping. The transport authority should update the digital editions of shipping maps, so that it is clear in which areas there is a need for special local knowledge and where pilots can be found. There appears to be no legal obligation to have a local pilot on board. The final report of the committee of inquiry therefore required that the transport authority must have a list of licensed pilots for ships on the way to or from the port. The authority issues the licenses and also has to maintain the list of pilots, but the latter has not been done in the past. There is also no official list of coastal pilots, and information about where to find a licensed pilot for the Icelandic high seas is not available. Furthermore, the investigative committee recommended that the shipping company Wilson Ship Management AS affected by the accident follow the international agreement on the fair treatment of crew after an accident. At the time of the accident, the captain of the 'Wilson Skaw' refused to provide psychological support to his crew. Communication on board, especially on the bridge, also needed to be improved, according to the report, and recommended the implementation of Bridge Resource Management, a training plan that is also mandatory for pilots. The 'Wilson Skaw' was refloated on April 21 and taken over by the shipbreakers Green Yard Kleven on Aug 4 for recyling.
NORWEGIAN SKY
The Department of Immigration and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force were soliciting assistance from the public in locating three Colombian nationals, comprising one man and two women, who disembarked from the 'Norwegian Star' at Tortola Island, but failed to return before it departed for homeport La Romana. Mr. Jean Carlo Ospina Cano, Ms. Pamela Mesa Escobar, and Ms. Yesica Yojana Marin Ramirez arrived in the Road Town Tortila aboard the 'Norwegian Sky' on March 10, 2024 but didn't re-board before the vessel's departure. The immigration authorities and law enforcement have issued a public advisory featuring photographs of the three, urging individuals with information regarding their whereabouts to come forward promptly. Individuals possessing knowledge that could assist in locating the missing Colombian nationals are encouraged to contact the Department of Immigration at 468-4717, 468-4754, 468-4705, or the RVIPF’s hotline at 311.
YILDIZLAR 2
Beached at Chittagong 13.03.24 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=898659448718268&set=a.518272956756921
NAVE CAIO DUILIO
The 'Caio Duilio', serving in the European Union’s naval mission in the Red Sea, has shot down two drones as acts of self-defense, Italy’s Defense Staff said on March 12. The destroyer already had shot down another drone on March 2. The EU’s mission Aspides in the Red Sea was launched in February to help protect the key maritime trade route from drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia.
AITA MARI
The' Aita Mari' has rescued 43 boat people and taken to a safe port, and now returns to Euskadi after leaving the port of Syracuse on March 12, 2024, after its 12th mission in the waters of the Central Mediterranean. If the weather is good it will take 15 days to reach Euskadi. The objective is to carry out some of the pending updates. For this reason, the NGO SMH keeps the crowdfunding campaign active. The visit to Euskadi will also serve to bring closer this solidarity project to Basque citizens. Since 2020, Aita Mari had not returned to the Basque Country. The ship will spend the first month of her stay in Bilbao, next to the Itsasmuseum maritime museum, and the second in Pasaia San Pedro, in time for the Pasaia maritime festival. During all this time, round tables, talks, debates and visits to the ship will be held.
SEA-EYE 4
The German NGO Sea Eye has announced its intention to file a complaint against the Italian authorities for the seizure of the "Sea Eye 4" for 60 days in the port of Reggio Calabria. In recent hours, the 144 migrants rescued by the humanitarian ship in the central Mediterranean, including 20 unaccompanied minors, two babies and several families, have disembarked in this port. The first group of 84 migrants were from different countries such as Gambia, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Ghana, while the second group of 60 migrants came from Syria, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan and Burkina Faso. The NGO will initiate proceedings before the competent courts, thus contesting the reason given for the blocking. According to Italian authorities, the ship interrupted a Libyan Coastguard operation, which Sea Eye categorically disputes. A boat of the so-called Coastguard arrived at high speed, while the 'Sea Eye 4' had already started to evacuate the inflatable boat in distress. Additionally,the Libyans acted recklessly by pointing their weapons at the crew of the rescue ship. Furthermore, the humanitarian ship “Sea Watch 5” has also been blocked for 20 days by the Italian authorities in the port of Pozzuolo, in southern Italy, after disembarking 51 migrants and the body of a deceased young man. Sea Watch contested this decision and planned to challenge the measure in court, emphasizing the importance of not hindering rescue operations at sea. In addition, the Italian Supreme Court recently established jurisprudence by considering that Libya was not a safe port, thus opening the way to possible appeals by relief NGOs and calling into question the Italian government's migration policy.
SALVAMAR MINTAKA
On Feb 13, 2024, the Spanish flagged fishing vessel 'Trasmallero' was adrift near the port of #Barcelona, due to a mechanical failure. Salvamento Marítimo tasked the 'Salvamar Mintaka' to assist. It took the ship in tow and safely pulled it to the fishing dock of Barcelona.
OPEN ARMS
Since March 12, the 'Open Arms' is underway to Gaza with a barge loaded with 200 tons of aid alongside, after a four-day delay, via a new Cyprus-Gaza sea corridor set up to ship aid into the war-torn enclave. World Central Kitchen, the U.S. charity behind the mission, plans to provide millions of meals through the corridor. The construction of a jetty on the Gaza coast that WCK will use to offload the aid was well underway. The goal of the mission, for which the United Arab Emirates has provided the bulk of the funding, was to establish a highway of boats and barges stocked with millions of meals continuously headed towards Gaza. WCK, which has set up a joint operation in the port city of Larnaca with Spanish refugee charity Open Arms to stockpile, pack and palletize rice, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, and canned fish and meat, had a further 500 tons of supplies ready to go. The 'Open Arms' had been scheduled to set sail on March 8 in the night on a pilot mission, timed to coincide with the announcement by the European Union, Britain, the United Arab Emirates and United States of a new Cyprus-Gaza maritime corridor to ship aid to a temporary port the United States is constructing on the coast of Gaza. The sailing was postponed first to March 11 and then March 12, due to technical difficulties surrounding the offloading of the aid once it arrived off the coast of Gaza due to the fact construction work on the port the United States is building had yet to begin. Report with photo: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2024/03/12/cyprus-first-aid-ship-gaza/6141710233827/
OSCAR I
Beached at Gadani 13.03.24 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=887160223205345&set=pcb.887161106538590