The 'Don Bis', with two crew members on board, ran aground on the night of June 28, 2025, off the El Garrapatero beach, Santa Cruz Island. The incident was caused by a mechanical failure that shut down the engine, leaving the vessel disableld and adrift, until it hit the rocks. There were no injuries or fuel spills. The Ayora Port Captaincy has initiated an investigation to clarify what happened and ensure compliance with maritime protocols. Report with photos: https://x.com/diegoanazco1/status/1939452106605252700
News
OLAVO BILAC
The 'Olavo Bilac', which involved in an accident at the port of Santos on March 12, severely damaing three Brazilian Navy patrol vessels, was under repair in the port of Rio de Janeiro as of June 27. It had left Santos on March 15 towards the Estaleiro Renave shipyard, where it arrived on March 27. The tanker was still showing signs of significant damage at the starboard side bow. Photos: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3855354?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3855355?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest
Oslo
Port of Oslo in Norway has signed a cooperation agreement with an environmental non-profit organisation to help it become emission-free. The Port of Oslo, which first talked about its zero-emission ambition in June, will partner with the Oslo-headquartered Bellona Foundation to achieve its zero-emission goal. Emissions in the port are anticipated to be reduced by 85% by 2030 and gradually reduce until they are eliminated. “The Port of Oslo is in full swing with the green transition, and has begun the phasing in of emissions-free solutions,” said Port of Oslo chairman, Roger Schjerva. “It is enthusiastic about working alongside the Bellona Foundation and exchanging ideas and solutions with Bellona’s network of environmental experts and organizations. Maritime transport and urban ports are crucial in reducing the world’s greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector.”
Walvis Bay
In the morning of Aug 17, 2019, around 7 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the Namibian trawler "Ocean Tide", 296 gt (IMO: 7220839), which was moored at the jetty of the Seaworks Fish Processors. One of the 20 crew members on board, was found dead following the fire. The deceased was identified as 40-year-old Hausiku Mathews Sivambo. It was believed he became trapped inside the vessel and burned to death. His body was removed the next morning. The family of the deceased was present at the scene. A police investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing. Report with photo: https://www.nbc.na/news/one-dead-after-vessel-caught-fire-walvis-bay.21902
CORMORANT II
On June 27, after four months aground on Isla Española, the 'Cormorant II' was refloated under strict environmental protocols. The operation, led by the Subtech S.A.C. with oversight from the Ecuadorian Navy and Galápagos National Park, began at 12:50 p.m. and concluded with the safe removal of the vessel at 3:08 p.m. without incident. However, on the morning of June 28, during final manoeuvres to take the ship to safety, it unexpectedly sank. No injuries or casualties occurred. The wreck was resting at a depth of 65 metres. The salvage operation had aimed to remove the vessel while minimising ecological harm. It followed national maritime law and IMO safety standards, including protective measures to safeguard the island’s fragile environment. After the sinking, a joint investigation by the Captaincy of Port of Baquerizo Moreno, the Galápagos Government Council, and National Park officials is underway to determine the cause and assess any environmental impact. Reports with photos: https://www.primicias.ec/sucesos/barco-turismo-varado-cormoran-galapagos-isla-espanola-99533/ https://ecuador221.com.ec/desencallan-barco-cormorant-ii-en-la-isla-espanola/
FALCON LAIR
The 'Falco Lair' of the late ‘Prince de Lignac’, or the late millionaire Bram van Leeuwen, has disappeared without a trace. The yacht is owned by entrepreneur Michael Rogerson. He got into a fight with the American tax authorities, turned off the AIS and since then the superyacht has no longer been traceable. According to the American tax authorities, Rogerson tried to evade taxes by claiming that the superyacht and his sailing yacht 'Toto' were making a loss as charter ships. He wanted to deduct that loss from the profit of his aviation company Rogerson Aircraft Corporation. This would mean he would pay millions of dollars less in taxes. However, the American tax authorities objected to this and in 2022 it was determined that the superyacht was a private matter. At that time, the superyacht was in West Palm Beach, Florida. The AIS has been switched off since March 2023. It is not known where the ship is now, and it is not available for charter and is also not for sale.
Batumi
The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) will launch a test voyage of a feeder vessel along the Black Sea container route Batumi-Constanta by September 20. The vessel will sail every 10 days (3 times a month). If cargo volumes increase, the growth in the number of vessels and the regularity of sailings on the line is also expected.
Newcastle
Australia’s New South Wales government said on Wednesday it will fast track its review of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at the port of Newcastle, proposed by a South Korean firm, as the state urgently looks to beef up gas supply. The $430 million Newcastle GasDock LNG project, planned by South Korean firm EPIK, was declared “critical state significant infrastructure”, which means the project will not have to go to the state’s independent planning commission for approval, saving several months in the review process.
LADY DIA
The 'Lady Dia', en route from Calvi, ran aground on June 28, 2025, at the entrance of Bonifacio’s port, near the limestone cliffs on the southern coast of Corsica. No injuries or pollution have been reported. A technical malfunction, possibly related to the vessel’s steering or propulsion systems, was believed to have caused the incident. The yacht was navigating into the narrow harbour when it veered off course and struck a rocky area close to shore. The maritime authorities were investigating the cause of the control failure. While the full extent of the damage remaineds unclear, the vessel appeared to be stable following the incident. Report with photos: https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/lady-dia-yacht-runs-aground-bonifacio
KIMBERLY
The 35-year-old Nigerian Itoruboemi L,, who was among the hijackers the 'FWN Rapide' (IMO: 9320520), now sailing as 'Lady Luciana', in 2018 has been sentenced again by the court in Rotterdam. This time he was sentenced to three years in prison for the hijacking of the 'BBC Caribbean', now sailing as 'Kimberly', in Feb 2017, In May 2025, he appeared at the court in Rotterdam again. He was among the armed pirates who came on board and took the eight crew members as hostages. The crew was taken to the mainland of Nigeria in a boat, where they were held for weeks. The shipping company eventually paid a ransom, after which the crew was released. Itoruboemi L. was given a prison sentence of three years for the case. This sentence was in addition to an eight -year prison sentence that the Nigerian was already sentenced to in Rotterdam in 2022 for the hijacking of the 'FWN Rapide', when 11 of the 14 crew members were taken hostage and held in various hiding places in the jungle of Nigeria. The court noted that Itoruboemi L. probably had a poor and difficult life in Nigeria According to his lawyer, Itoruboemi L. was under pressure at the time of the hijacking of the 'BBC Caribbean' There were financial problems. He was said to have only played a supporting role in the negotiations for the ransom, not the attack and hostage-taking. Yet the evidence told a different story. His DNA was found on a cigarette butt on board the German ship. He also wore a striking dolphin necklace during the hostage-taking, which the crew members later remembered well.
Krishnapatnam
Gautam Adani is looking to expand his ports empire by closing in on buying a 65-70 per cent stake in Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd, the entity promoted by Hyderabad-based CVR Group to run a private deep-water port at Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), India’s biggest private port operator, is expected to pay more than ₹5,500 crore to buy the stake which will give it access to the country’s largest waterfront area (for a port) of 12.5 km and a transit storage area of 6,800 acres. It started operations in 2008. Currently, the port has a draft of 18.5 metres, a depth that can accommodate full-loaded Capesize vessel of 200,000-tonne capacity.
Shenzhen
Chinese city-gas distributor Shenzhen Gas will launch next week in southern China its first fully-owned terminal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG), a company executive told Reuters on Friday. This will make Shenzhen Gas the second city gas distributor backed by a local government that owns an LNG import facility.