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The 'Nadir' of the German aid organization Resqship has arrived at Lampedusa on May 11, 2025, with three dead migrants on board. The victims were two toddlers, around two years old, and a man around 30 years old. 57 migrants who had set out from Libya to cross the Mediterranean to Europe have been rescued. The crew of the "Nadir" was alerted by a radio message to an overcrowded dinghy in distress near the island of Malta. The two children were already dead when the "Nadir" reached the dinghy. The man died despite resuscitation attempts. The boat's engine had failed on the high seas. Since then, the people on board have been exposed to the wind and weather. It was suspected that the children and the man died of thirst. The migrants were coming from African countries such as Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released an accident report on April 29, 2025, which determined that a piece of O-ring-type material debris caused a steering system failure that led to the allision of the 'American Mariner' with the Munuscong Channel Junction Light in the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie on March 28, 2024, resulting in the vessel taking on water, though crews successfully stabilized it using pumps. The accident caused approximately $800,750 in damage to the vessel and $1.25 million in damage to the navigation structure. The 'American Mariner' was on its maiden voyage of the season after completing winter maintenance, which included the installation of a new steering control system. During the voyage, the crew noticed intermittent steering system alarms but could not identify their cause, as the rudder appeared to be responding correctly to commands. The incident investigation revealed that the vessel’s No. 1 control motor, responsible for controlling the main hydraulic pump’s stroke, had failed. Upon disassembly, technicians discovered black, pliable debris lodged between the control motor’s rotating gears, preventing proper operation. The steering system returned to normal functionality after the installation of a replacement control motor. Electronic technicians later recalibrated the steering control system, which resolved the alarm issues, suggesting there were also problems with the calibration parameters of the newly installed control system. Full report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2518.pdf

The government of the Panama has officially approved the modification of the Panama Canal tolls structure, following a recommendation from the Panama Canal board of directors and a period of consultation with shipping line clients. The approved modifications include the tolls charged to neopanamax dry bulk vessels carrying iron ore, neopanamax dry bulk vessels transiting in ballast, the vehicle carrier/roro segment, and for the liquid bulk segment (including oil and product tankers, chemical tankers, LPG and LNG vessels).

Due to Hurricane Dorian, the South Carolina Ports Authority’s marine terminals in Charleston and Georgetown will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. All terminals are open and operating normal hours Tuesday, South Carolina Ports reported early Tuesday. Charleston and Georgetown terminals will reopen Friday at 9 am EDT. The Wando Welch Terminal (WWT) and the North Charleston Terminal (NCT) will operate normally on September 7. WWT and NCT will also be open September 8. The South Carolina Ports Authority’s inland ports will be open and operating under normal hours throughout the week.

Two Italian officers have been sentenced to daily fines after releasing large amounts of heavy fuel oil into the sea off Utö in 2019 from the 'Princess Anastasia', now sailing as 'Moby Orli'. The case was heard again by the Helsinki Court of Appeal, which upheld the district court's verdict. The spill was estimated to be between nine and 39 cubic meters, and the oil had time to spread over 40 kilometers all the way to Utö. The ship was en route from Stockholm to Helsinki, when the spill occurred near the Finland Lion lighthouse. The two defendants were sentenced to 100 daily fines each.

While the 'Yantian Exptess' was anchored southwest of Heligoland on May 12, 2025, a report of the possible fire reached the Maritime Situation Center of the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies on thr afternoon. However, a firefighting team on site could not detect any fire. Initially, the 'Sylt' of the Water Police, the 'Neustadt' of the Federal Police, and the emergency tug 'Nordic' of the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration sailed to the vessel. Water Police officers boarded the ship and contacted the crew. No smoke was visible at that time. It was unclear why smoke had been reported from one of the loaded containers. Because the overall situation was unclear and the ship was also transporting hazardous materials, the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies assumed overall command of the operation. The Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) of the Cuxhaven Fire Department flew to the ship aboard a Federal Police helicopter. The six MIRG firefighters were lowered onto the freighter by cable winch. They examined the container in question and the surrounding area, taking temperature measurements, among other things. Since no abnormalities were found, the Maritime Incident Response Group terminated overall command of the operation and handed the situation over to the responsible traffic control center, "German Bight Traffic," in Wilhelmshaven. The ship weighed anchor and proceeded to Hamburg. It left the piort again on May 14 en route to Rotterdam with an ETA as of May 16.

Among a string of new eco-friendly initiatives, the Marseille Fos port authority is to spend €20 million over the next six years to extend shoreside electrical connections for berthed vessels to every ferry, cruiseship and repair quay within the Marseille eastern harbour, the company said in its release. Already available on the Corsica ferry quays, the network will be expanded in two phases to cover North Africa ferry quays and the shiprepair hub by 2022 and the cruise terminal between 2022 and 2025. The zero-emissions investment - backed by national and regional government – recognises the need to maintain the port’s value to the economy while improving the city’s waterside air quality.

Affiliates of Qatar Petroleum and the Belgian independent natural gas transport company Fluxys Belgium signed a long-term agreement for LNG unloading services at the Zeebrugge LNG Terminal. Under the agreement, Qatar Terminal Limited (QTL) -a subsidiary of Qatar Petroleum- will subscribe to the full capacity at the terminal from the expiry of the existing long-term unloading contracts and up to 2044. The transaction follows a competitive evaluation process as well as the approval of the Belgian regulators. QTL is already a party to an existing agreement under which approximately 50% of the terminal’s capacity is utilized for delivery of Qatari LNG into Belgium under long-term LNG agreements.

The death of a Dutch diver during the salvage of the 'Bayesian' off the coast of Sicily may have been the result of a hydrogen explosion during the use of a cutting torch. Due to the depth at which the work was carried out, hydrogen was used. The victim and his colleagues were busy removing the boom from the sailing yacht. Initially, an attempt was made to dismantle it by loosening bolts. When that failed, it was decided to burn off the boom. This caused the explosion of probably hydrogen bubbles. It was suspected that the diver was hit by a piece of metal. An underwater camera used to film the work failed shortly before the explosion. An autopsy should now provide clarity about why the body was taken to the forensic medicine clinic in Palermo. In the meantime, the judicial authorities in Termini Imerese are preparing a lawsuit about the sinking of the 'Bayesian'. The judicial authorities hope to find out more once the yacht has been salvaged. Three suspects are named in the investigation: the New Zealand captain, the chief engineer and a sailor who was on watch during the night of the storm. They are accused of multiple manslaughter or culpable shipwreck. What they are heavily accused of is that the passengers were still in their cabins when the ship capsized and sank. There was a storm warning active for days, and the storm had already been visible on the weather radar hours before. A British court has reopened a judicial investigation, an interim report of which is expected in the next two months. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which is leading the investigation, plans to release findings on the stability and weather conditions at the time of the incident. Report with photo: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/05/14/dood-nederlandse-duiker-bij-berging-bayesian-mogelijk-gevolg-van-waterstofexplosie/

On May 8, 2025, at 9.52 a.m. UTC, the barge combination 'Carisma I/Carisma II', enroute from Dordrecht to Emmerich, ran aground on the Rhine in Cologne at river kilometre 688 on a shallow at the Deutzer Plate. The ship was trying to safely make way due to several downstream vessels and temporarily waited on the left bank. Upon resuming its voyage and crossing to the other side of the Rhine, the bow of the vessel encountered a shallow area, causing the vessel to run aground. As a result, the starboard rope jumped from the drum, and the coupled barge began to move to starboard on its own. The crew reacted quickly by attaching an emergency rope between the vessel and the starboard side of the barge. The vessel then reversed at full speed, with the rear barge heading toward a bridge pier. As the barge continued to drift to starboard, the port anchor was dropped to contain the movement. These measures prevented major damage. Nevertheless the 'Carisma' struck two stationary vessels. Their mooring lines were torn loose by the impact. These ships, in turn, collided with an anchored day-trip boat, whose mooring also broke loose and collided with another day-trip boat. A total of five vessels were involved in the accident, besides the 'Rhein Magie' (MMSI: 211876920) and 'Rhein Vision' (MMSI: 211876680), two moored Viking Cruise ships. All vessels were manned and were quickly brought under control, so no one was injured. Two boats each from the Cologne Water Police and the Water Protection Authority, as well as a fire department and a rescue boat, responded. A radio warning was issued to the shipping traffic. Several restrictions were in place for traffic sailing downstream. The container ship 'Cugini' (MMSI: 244710139) immediately provided assistance. The coupled convoy 'Johanna' also tried to assist, but was unable to approach sufficiently. The water police and the Waterways and Shipping Authority did not grant permission to transfer a rope, While transferring a rope to another bollard, a sailor from the 'Cugini' fell overboard. Thanks to his life jacket and a rope, he was able to save himself and was brought aboard the 'Carisma." The damage is estimated to be in the high six-figure range. Reports with photo and video: https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/50510/6030451 https://www.express.de/koeln/massenkarambolage-auf-dem-koelner-rhein-riesenschaden-1020181?fbclid=IwY2xjawKKrohleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBRaU5WUlB1QmtuMEQ4OWViAR5hZQN01fyFyJTk0Jn8-11fAfsHdU2Y_nGDaI0OMCUAF6-LkfsCTcSM5jGQeA_aem_QJT6spokde4-tgOPlaOT3g https://www.instagram.com/p/DJZEPFaS-BX/

Last month, an investment of USD 31 million in asset replacement and capacity improvements over the past year at the Port of Salalah paid off. The Port recorded the highest productivity ever achieved in the region, APM Terminals said in its release. The Port of Salalah is Oman’s major regional gateway port and transshipment hub, located on the Arabian Sea. With an annual capacity of around 5 million TEU, the port set a new productivity record this month, delivering 412.97 Port Moves per Hour (PMPH) on vessel Cap San Tainaro. The Port handled 3,820 moves in a port stay of 9.25 hours.

The commercial port in Libya’s second city Benghazi is working round the clock three years after reopening, attempting to raise revenues for its restoration and expansion. The port was caught in the crossfire as rival factions battled for control of Benghazi from 2014 in a conflict that left parts of the eastern Libyan city in ruins. It suspended operations as the main gate and some buildings were destroyed and the roads strewn with shells. Forces led by Khalifa Haftar eventually declared victory in Benghazi in 2017. Repairs and reconstruction have been limited — two out of three damaged tug boats are still out of service. But the port is now doing brisk business and trucks loaded with cars and containers carrying foodstuffs, motor oils and other goods can be seen streaming out of the main gate near the city center. Port manager Yzaid Bozraida said monthly revenues stood at more than seven million Libyan dinars ($4.9 million) before the war, though the income had not been used to develop the port.