News

The Scottish Government is in advanced negotiations to lease the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' to house Ukrainian refugees. The ship, which arrived at the port of Leith in late 2024, would replace the 'Victoria I' that previously accommodated displaced Ukrainians. The Tasmanian Government and the state-owned ferry operator TT-Line are currently in lease negotiations, with an official announcement expected on Feb 28, 2025. The Scottish Government had relied on the 'Victoria I' since late 2022 to house Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian war. The ship provided accommodation for 1,319 displaced Ukrainians during its approximately one-year deployment. The operation cost approximately $45.2 million each month. While the potential cost to lease the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' remains undisclosed, the vessel offers significantly less capacity with 301 cabins compared to the 'Victoria I's 739.

The Vietnam Coast Guard rescued a Vietnamese crew member of the 'Danisa' on Feb 26, 2025, after he suffered acute appendicitis, while the tanker was sailing 111 nautical miles southeast of Con Dao Island, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. The Vietnam Coast Guard Region 3 Command received an emergency call from the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (VMRCC). at around 6:00 p.m., after the 'Danisa' had urgent medical assistance for the 40-year-old Dao Van Quang from Nghe An province. The sailor’s condition was deemed life-threatening. The vessel altered its course toward Con Dao, expecting to anchor about 1.5 nautical miles from the island on Feb 26 by 2:00 a.m. At 1:30 a.m., the Vietnam Coast Guard Region 3 Command deployed the Coast Guard Ship 2011, carrying a medical rescue team. By 2:50 a.m., they had reached the 'Danisa', where the medical team provided an initial assessment and first aid to the sailor. Given the severity of his condition, the team decided to evacuate him for immediate medical treatment on land. At 4:15 a.m., the patient was safely transported to the Con Dao medical center, where he received further treatment. He was now reported to be in stable condition and continues to recover. Report with photo: https://english.vov.vn/en/society/sailor-with-appendicitis-rescued-off-con-dao-post1157543.vov

Since March 2024 the 'Navimar 3', which was being operated by Middle East Marine (MEM), has been detained by the authorities in Bangladesh due to unpaid fees. The crew has become virtual prisoners on board, forced to work without pay to keep the vessel safe, amid strong currents where it is anchored off Kutubdia Island. Passport and certification documents were being held by a local agent for the Dubai-based company. With no means of getting home, no visa to disembark and without supplies, the crew has to rely on food and water from charities and unions. There is no medicine on board The ITF has now repatriated two separate crews of the 'Navimar 3'. A third crew, from Indonesia, boarded this month Report with photo: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/26/losing-hope-with-every-day-that-passes-torment-of-the-ships-crews-abandoned-at-sea

Authorities in Mexico were searching for a missing cruise passenger of the 'Radiance of the Seas', who disappeared in Cozumel. The 30-year-old U.S. citizen Williams Tynish disembarked from the cruise ship to explore the island but failed to return before the vessel’s departure on Feb 17, 2025, Eight days after her disappearance, the Harbour Master's Office issued a Nautical Notice, alerting the maritime community to her case. The official notification of her disappearance was made by the shipping agency on Feb 17, but the alert was not publicly disseminated until eight days later. The notice, signed by Captain of the Ship CG.DEM Víctor Manuel Lozano Jerezano, urged the maritime community to report any information regarding Tynisha’s whereabouts. Authorities have not disclosed whether Tynisha was traveling alone, with companions, or as part of a guided tour. Additionally, no details have emerged regarding the circumstances of her disappearance or any available photograph to assist in her identification.

A man was arrested after allegedly stealing the 'Jamie Marie' on Feb 26, 2025, in Westport, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. One of its crew members was on patrol when he received a radio call about the theft. The suspect had boarded the vessel, woke the crew, and instructed them to set sail. The crew, unfamiliar with the captain, assumed the man was an alternate operator and complied. As the vessel transited further out and onto the Grays Harbor bar about to cross into the ocean, the crew finally figured out something was wrong. The subject steering the vessel was talking about meeting the “Chinese Mothership” and was not making sense. He certainly was not describing fishing activity. A call to the actual captain confirmed the man had no authority to be on the ship. The suspect eventually returned the vessel to port, where he was apprehended by a member of the WDFW and Sgt. Mathews of the Westport Police Department. Authorities found $4,000 in cash and a large amount of individually packaged marijuana in his possession. Further investigation revealed the suspect had attempted to commandeer another large vessel earlier that morning, starting its engines and trying to rally the crew for a sea voyage. The crew managed to remove him from the ship, but did not report the incident until the theft of the 'Jamie Marie' was underway. The suspect was booked into jail on charges of Theft 1, Possession of Stolen Property 1, vehicle prowl 1, and VUCSA manufacture/delivery, according to the Westport police.