On the evening of June 2, 2024, the Central Port Authority of Heraklion was informed by the Master of the 'Prevelis' that a 61-year-old passenger felt unwell and after being examined by a doctor on board it was decided that she needed hospital care for preventive reasons. The ship was on a schgeduled route from Rhodes to Piraeus with the intermediate ports of Chalki - Diafani - Pigadion - Kasos - Sitia - Heraklion - Anafi - Thira. In the port of Heraklion, the woman was picked up by an ambulance and transferred to the Regional University General Hospital of Heraklion. The ship then departed to carry out its scheduled itinerary.
News
ALASUINU
Marine Atlantic was investigating a mechanical issue with the 'Ala’suinu' on May 31, 2024, in North Sydney Technicians identified an unforeseen issue with the lubrication system on board the vessel. All the required specialized technicians are on site and will be completing a full review over the next few days. Marine Atlantic is unable to confirm the impact on the Ala’suinu’s original enter service date of June 14. This will be determined in the coming days as more information becomes available. Marine Atlantic is working closely with the ship’s owner, Stena North Sea Ltd., to identify and correct items as quickly as possible. An update on the status of the vessel was to be provided early this week.
Sevastopol
Ukrainian forces struck the Russian naval base in Sevastopol, in Russian-occupied Crimea 150 miles south of the Ukraine front line on Sep 13, 2023. Fires were raging across a drydock that exploded in the early morning, which cradled two warships, the Ropucha-class amphibious vessel 'Minsk' and the Kilo-class submarine 'Rostov on Don'. The Black Sea Fleet could lose two more of its roughly 30 large ships—ships it can’t replace until Russia’s wider war on Ukraine ends and Turkey reopens the Bosphorus Strait connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. A nighttime drone-boat attack on the landing ship 'Olenegorsky Gornyak' in Novorossiysk, a port in southern Russia just 70 miles east of Russian-occupied Crimea, brought to four the number of major Black Sea Fleet warships the Ukrainian navy definitely has put out of action. The losses include the landing ship 'Saratov', blasted by a ballistic missile in March 2022; the cruiser 'Moskva', holed by an anti-ship missile the following month; the rescue ship 'Vasily Bekh', another victim of an anti-ship missile; and then the 'Olenegorsky Gornyak', which entered a drydock a few days after the Ukrainian attack—and may be out of the war, for good. The Ukrainians also have sank or badly damaged several Russian patrol boats and landing craft—and also recently ejected Russian forces from a pair of captured Ukrainian oil platforms that the Russians had been using as naval outposts in the western Black Sea. The sinkings and raids are a remarkable feat for a Ukrainian fleet that, after scuttling its sole frigate in the early hours of the Russian invasion in February 2022, apparently has just one large ship left: an aging landing ship that has been hiding out near the mouth of the Dnipro River and occasionally lobbing short-range rockets at Russian forces. The Ukrainian navy now effectively is a shipless navy, but no less dangerous for its lack of large hulls. Between its locally-made Neptune anti-ship missiles and Western-made Harpoon ASMs, as well as its missile-armed TB-2 drones and one-way drone boats, the Ukrainian navy isn’t just holding the Russian Black Sea Fleet at bay, it actively is beating back the fleet. Russian warships staging from Crimea are under constant assault; as of last month, ships in Russia proper are at risk, too. When Russian warships leave port, they do so briefly—usually only long enough to launch a few cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities. The Russian fleet’s security is going to get worse before it gets better. The number and variety of deep-strike weapons with which Ukrainian forces can attack the fleet steadily are growing. The Ukrainian industry is developing a new thousand-mile cruise missile; and the administration of U.S. president Joe Biden reportedly has signaled it will donate to Ukraine Army Tactical Missile System ballistic rockets that range as far as 190 miles. Either prospective new weapon could hit Sevastopol from the Ukrainian side of the front line. And the steady drumbeat of Ukrainian attacks on Russian ships is clear evidence that Ukrainian intelligence has no problem pinpointing the ships’ locations. Reports with photos and videos: https://gagadget.com/en/314212-one-of-the-best-vr-games-on-pc-half-life-shooter-until-19-september-alyx-costs-20-on-steam/ https://www.newsweek.com/photos-russian-landing-ship-submarine-damage-crimea-drydocks-hit-sevastopol-1826581
Greenock
One of Scotland’s main cruise ports is set to experience its busiest year since records began. Greenock Ocean Terminal has 91 cruise liners booked into the Inverclyde town’s new dedicated pontoon across 2023 – a rise of over 25 per cent on last year. As many as 150,000 passengers and 38,000 crew members are expected to pass through the port over the course of this year. It’s more good news for the terminal in its second full season since Covid effectively closed down the cruise industry. Jim McSporran, Clydeport Port Director at Peel Ports said: “We’re extremely proud to be announcing a record cruise year for Greenock Ocean Terminal. “Welcoming cruise liners to Greenock is a hugely important aspect of our port offering and we’re delighted that we continue to attract and grow cruise numbers to the region. “This increase in tourism will benefit visitor attractions and businesses across Inverclyde and central Scotland, and we look forward to welcoming these visitors across the season.” “In an effort to showcase the port as the cruise gateway to the West Coast of Scotland, this year we are also investing in a promotional campaign to feature at the global cruise industry’s key annual gathering in the U.S.” Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “The cruise sector here in Inverclyde continues to go from strength to strength and I’m delighted that this year is set to be the busiest yet with record numbers of ships and passengers, as well as a substantial number of crew visiting these shores. “It’s timely that with 2023 shaping up to be a bumper year for cruise calls that the finishing touches are being put on our new state-of-the-art Greenock cruise ship visitor centre which will provide our guests from around the world with a first class welcome to Inverclyde and the west coast of Scotland.
MEDKON RIZE
On June 2, 2024, at 7.20 p.m. 28 containers fell into the water at the Marpport Container Terminal in the Beylikdüzü Ambarlı Port for yet unknown reasons. Eight of the boxes could be recovered with cranes, the salvage work continued as of Juen 3. The port was temporarily closed to ship traffic, while necessary precautions were taken at the port. The ship had arrived at 4.15 p.m. en route from Aliaga. Reports with photos: https://www.denizhaber.net/mobi/news_detail.php?id=116898 https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/ambarli-limaninda-yuk-gemisinden-28-konteyner-denize-dustu-42471634 https://www.ekoltv.com.tr/vincin-carptigi-konteynerler-denize-dokuldu/
DEBI
The vacation bench of the Orissa High Court has rejected a plea for recall of the order for the arrest of the 'Debi', which has been anchored at Paradip since it was issued on Feb 23, 2024. The high court’s admiralty judge had issued the interim order on Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT)’s admiralty suit for recovery of Rs 7.95 crore towards berth and penal berth charges from MV Debi. The PICT has a multipurpose berth at Paradip port on a build, operate, transfer (BOT) basis and operates a multipurpose clean cargo terminal catering to various customers. The admiralty suit also sought the arrest of the vessel for enforcement of maritime claim under the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017. The 'Debi' had filed an interlocutory application for recall of the interim order. Vacation judge V. Narasingh said on May 30, that the court was of the considered view that in the present IA, the Defendant (MV Debi) in the guise of the current application in nomenclature of an application for recall was in fact seeking review of the order dated 23.2.2024 which was untenable. The 'Debi' had arrived at Paradip via Gresik to load a cargo of steel plates for Denmark, but 22 kg of cocaine were allegedly seized from the vessel on Dec 1, 2023.
Novorossiysk
During a Ukrainian attack in the morning of Aug 4, 2023, in Novorossyisk, the Russian landing craft ÄOlenegorski Gornjak-SDK 91' of the Ropucha class was severly damaged by a maritime drone carrying a 450 kg warhead. The explosion of the drone caused a significant water leak, as well as a strong list to port side, which could lead to the total loss of the ship. The military port of Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Krai) was attacked by several Ukrainian maritime drones. It should be noted that the port in question is very far from the Ukrainian front lines with maritime access, and even more from Ukrainian ports. For example, a drone that left Odessa must have traveled at least 700 kilometres, unless a ship of camouflaged commerce in the Eastern Black Sea deployed the drones used in this attack. The LST was towed by a tug towards the port, the latest videos show it on the side of the entrance to the military port. With 3,450 tons, it is the third largest Ukrainian attack against the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, after the loss of the cruiser 'Moskva' and the loss of a Alligator-class tank landing ship and damage to two Ropucha-class tank landing ships after a Ukrainian Tochka missile attack on the port of Berdyansk. The LST had previously made headlines by being used as ferries between Crimea and mainland Russia to help civilian ferries provide the only direct connection after the Crimean road bridge explosion. While this is indeed the first attack by maritime drones in this Russian region, the neighboring port of Tuapse had also been attacked by aerial drones, once again demonstrating the capacity of the Armed Forces Ukrainians to project means, albeit light, at very long distances. Reports with photos and video: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2023/08/northern-fleet-ship-seriously-damaged-drone-attack https://air-cosmos.com/article/attaque-a-novorossiisk-un-navire-de-debarquement-russe-tres-serieusement-endommage-par-un-drone-ukrainien-65581
Ashkelon
One person is was and two others were missing after a crane collapsed into the water on an Ashkelon pier latein the night of March 14, 2023. The collapse of the crane was caused by unusual weather and strong winds. The injured person was in moderate condition and is receiving treatment at Barzilai Medical Center. Attempts to contact two people who had been working on the site of the crane have been unsuccessful, leading police to believe that they were missing after falling into the sea. Extensive search and rescue efforts were commenced with the help of police diving units, the elite 669 Search and Rescue unit, the Israeli Navy and others. The body of a man of about 60 years of age was found on Beersheba Beach in Ashdod on March 15. The gas pier at the Rotenberg power plant in Ashkelon was damaged. The Electric Company formed a team to investigate the incident. Reports with photos: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-734237 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-734373
ANDROMEDA BF437
The Scottish skipper Jonathan Bellany frin Aberdeenshire has been fined €17, 500 in relation to breaches of fisheries legislation in Irish waters. He was also ordered to forfeit €26,888.56 from the value of the catch and gear onboard when he appeared before the Cork Circuit Criminal Court on May 30, 2024. Bellany confirmed guilty pleas to charges for offences of failing to retain onboard catches of sea-fish subject of catch limits, failure to record legal discards of catches and failure to have a completed stowage plan describing the location of catches stored onboard the 'Andromeda-BF 437'. The charges arose from an inspection by officers attached to the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) patrol vessel 'Ocean Guardian' in the waters of the Irish EEZ on May 20. The detention was coordinated by officers onboard the ÄOcean Guardian', SFPA sea-fisheries protection officers and An Garda Síochána. The court heard evidence that during the course of an inspection of the vessel, the officers observed crew members sorting catch of sea-fish on a conveyor belt and segregated certain catches by species and size which were discharged through a funnel device back into the sea. Over the course of 30 minutes, they observed approximately 30-50kgs of catch, including hake, megrims, haddock, being discarded in this manner, while all catches should have been recorded on a daily basis. Evidence was given that the recording requirements and quotas were specifically important regarding quota species in order to preserve the survivability of stocks and prevent the collapse of stocks in particular fishing areas, by ensuring accurate, scientific data is available for the purposes of setting quota. The crew had a lack of training and knowledge of the legal requirements. The master did not have a stowage plan onboard the vessel in relation to the catch.
US GOVERNMENT VESSEL
The Houthis claimed to have attacked the U.S. aircraft carrier 'Dwight D. Eisenhower' (MMSI: 368962000), the destroyer USS 'Gravely' (MMSI: 369970634) as well as the 'Abliani' (IMO:9693068), 'Maina' (IMO: 9699892) and 'Al Oraiq' (IMO: 9360790) in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean on June 1, 2024, after USCENTCOM and U.K. armed forces carried out strikes against 13 Houthis controlled areas in Yemen on May 30. The 'Eisenhower' was attacked by several missiles and drones. The 'Abliani' was sailing in the Red Sea, en route from Le Havre to Suez. The Houthi also claimed to have attacked the 'Maina' (IMO: 9699892) twice in the Red Sea and then in the Arabian Sea, while en route from Ust Luga to Krishnapatnam, and also the 'Al Oraiq' (IMO: 9360790) in the Indian Ocean, en route from Ras Laffan to Chioggia. On June 2, The U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) announced that on June 1, their forces destroyed one uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in the southern Red Sea, and identified two other UAS that crashed into the Red Sea. No casualties were reported. USCENTCOM forces have also destroyed two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) in the southern Red Sea. The ASBM was launched in the direction of USS Gravely but was destroyed by USCENTCOM.
Kiel
Having seen its first ever LNG fuelling in May, the Port of Kiel has announced that, for the first time, two cruise vessels have bunkered LNG on the same day. The bunker operations took place on June 10, 2023, and involved the 'AIDAnova' – which became the first vessel to bunker LNG at the port in May – and MSC Cruises’ latest ship, the 'MSC Euribia'. The bunkering of the AIDA Cruises vessel by Titan capped its third fuelling at the Port of Kiel while LNG for the 'MSC Euribia' was supplied by Nordic energy company Gasum. MSC Cruises and Gasum have inked a long-term agreement for LNG supply to the 'MSC Euribia'. The companies have also signed a letter of intent (LOI) which aims to secure liquefied synthetic gas (e-LNG).
Iskenderun
The fire at the Port of Iskenderun has finally been extinguished, Turkey's ministry of defense announced on Feb 7. It was the second time that the ministry has reported that the fire has been put out; after the previous announcement, the blaze resumed at scale, and firefighters managed to contain it later that night. Iskenderun's container terminal is still closed due to the severe structural damage, which forced the facility to halt all operations. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern Turkey on Feb 6 had a significant impact on the port, toppling stacks of containers and cracking pavement. The physical damage is severe enough that container lines were diverting vessels to other ports, like nearby Mersin. The quake also sparked a fire in the center of the terminal's container storage area. Turkey's coast guard deployed a vessel to apply water from the quayside, and the Turkish air force and army sent aircraft to drop fire retardant on the blaze. The fire spread despite these efforts, but was finally contained in the night of Feb 7. Report with video: https://maritime-executive.com/article/fire-at-port-of-iskenderun-extinguished-after-two-days