A tourism project in County Mayo is waiting to hear if a decision will lead it to receiving a licence to tow the 'Shingle' into Killala Bay as part of a plan to create an artificial reef. The ship was centre-stage in 2014 when Irish authorities seized the ship in a major smuggling operation at Drogheda Port. In the last five years, the Killala Bay Ships 2 Reef Ltd. has been working to get the 'Shingle' towed to Killala Bay, to enable the 42 year-old ship to be sunk and create what would be the first artificial reef in Ireland. On the River Barrow the 60m ship went into the dry dock at New Ross Boatyard on April 9, 2024. The facility downriver of the County Wexford inland port of New Ross, is where the vessel is to be either scrapped or prepared to be towed to Killala Bay for sinking. To proceed with such an action, the Killala Bay Ship 2 Reef, requires a Maritime Area Consent (MAC) licence from the Maritime Regulatory Authority (MARA). Last November, an application was submitted, but a decision is awaited. The Councillor Michael Loftus was hopeful about the MAC licence. “The Revenue Commissioners have been working with us to get the best outcome for the Shingle, creating Ireland's first artificial reef that will generate a major attraction and financial benefit in Mayo and Sligo. It would be a major mistake if the Shingle were to be scrapped because of a delay in getting the MAC's licence from MARA. Time is running out.” It was almost a year ago when the 'Shingle' was finally towed out of Dublin Port from where it had been idle for almost a decade, following the vessel's relocation from the County Meath port. Report with photo: https://afloat.ie/watersport/diving/item/62815-key-decision-awaited-on-plans-to-sink-ship-off-mayo-coast
News
AN FONG NO.136
The Argentine Naval Prefecture has detected two ships sailing through the Argentine sea without authorization, the Chilean tug 'Beagle' (IMO: 9623154), which pulled without authorization or identification the 'An Fong No.136', the operating port of which is Montevideo. In a routine operation of the Coast Guard GC-28 Prefect Derbes of the Argentine Naval Prefecture, it identified the vessels sailing within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Argentina without the corresponding authorization. (with AIS Off) on April 13, 2024. The towing operation was not even reported to the Maritime Authority, nor was the corresponding authorization for free transit requested with the transfer of a larger vessel with restricted maneuvering capacity due to towing, and with AIS turned off. The Prefecture was able to identify this irregular action and through satellite coordination from the Maritime Traffic Center, it was immediately decided to inform both vessels of the irregularity of their presence crossing the Argentine sea. The tug had set sail from the port of Punta Arenas on April 4 to take the 'An Fong No. 136', that operates under a fishing license from the Malvinas Islands in surrounding waters. The ship needed to be transferred without propulsion to the port of Montevideo for its subsequent repair. During the transit within the ZEEA they were intercepted by the GC-28 Prefecto Derbes. Upon detecting the violation, the Prefecture immediately notified the captains of both ships, informing them of the non-compliance with current regulations. They were reminded that, according to decree 256/10 and Ordinance 01-10 of the Prefecture, any vessel that intends to navigate between Argentine ports and ports in the Malvinas, South Georgia or South Sandwich Islands, or transit through Argentines waters, must have prior authorization from the competent national authorities. The convoy had an ETA at Montevideo as of April 20.
SILVER NOVA
The 'Silver Nova', has reported a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on its current sailing, with nearly 30 guests and crew members reporting symptoms. Onboard actions have been taken to ensure good hygiene and minimize any further spreading of the illness, as well as to keep guests informed of the situation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was monitoring the disease outbreak. Of the confirmed cases, 28 were reported from passengers out of the 633 travelers onboard (4.42%), while just one was a crew member out of the 538 staff onboard (.19%). The severity of the symptoms has also not been clarified. At this time, the type of disease is not yet confirmed, though the primary symptom was diarrhea. This could likely be norovirus or may be a different gastrointestinal disease. The total of 29 cases does not mean that 29 guests and crew members were sick simultaneously; the total is only confirmed, reported, symptomatic cases during the entire voyage. In response to the reported cases onboard, crew members aboard the 'Silver Nova' have immediately implemented enhanced sanitation and other measures to minimize any further spread. This includes announcements to both crew and staff encouraging good hand hygiene at all times, including before eating and after using the restroom. Anyone reporting symptoms has also been isolated to further minimize possible transmission. Increased cleaning and disinfection protocols have also been implemented onboard, particularly for high-contact surfaces and public areas. The 'Silver Nova' was sailing a 16-night one-way cruise from Lima, Peru to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, having visited ports in Ecuador, Panama, Colombia, Jamaica, and Mexico en route. Guests could also have embarked in Cartagena, Colombia, for the last 7 nights of the sailing. The ship was due to arrive at Port Everglades on April 16, and there appeared to be no delay in the scheduled arrival. Her next voyage, scheduled to depart the same day, was a 20-night one-way from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco, California, including a full transit of the Panama Canal. It was possible that embarkation for the next sailing was slightly delayed in order to facilitate further deep cleaning and sanitation procedures, and guests would be contacted directly if that were to be implemented. The next itinerary should not be impacted by any slight delay.
POLA MARIA
From March 30, 2024, until April 4, the 'Pola Pelagia' unloaded cargo in the port Bari, which was originating from the Russian port of Kavkaz. Another vessel from the same company, the 'Pola Maria', has called at Brake from April 5-6 with a cargo of 7.80 kt of grain and oilseeds from Kaliningrad Although agricultural products are not part of the EU sanctions package, based on EU council press releases, bith ships are currently sanctioned as well as their owners, the Pola Rise LLC, by OFAC. They have been classified by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, which is no longer affiliated with the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). Additionally, there was no information available about the P&I (Protection and Indemnity) Club for both vessels, raising further concerns about the insurance coverage. Without legitimate, continuous insurance coverage, ship owners may be unable to pay the costs of accidents in which they are involved, including oil spills.
BEAGLE
The Argentine Naval Prefecture has detected two ships sailing through the Argentine sea without authorization, the Chilean tugb 'Beagle', which pulled without authorization or identification the 'An Fong No.136' (MMSI: 416004892), the operating port of which is Montevideo. In a routine operation of the Coast Guard GC-28 Prefect Derbes of the Argentine Naval Prefecture, it identified the vessels sailing within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Argentina without the corresponding authorization. (with AIS Off) on April 13, 2024. The towing operation was not even reported to the Maritime Authority, nor was the corresponding authorization for free transit requested with the transfer of a larger vessel with restricted maneuvering capacity due to towing, and with AIS turned off. The Prefecture was able to identify this irregular action and through satellite coordination from the Maritime Traffic Center, it was immediately decided to inform both vessels of the irregularity of their presence crossing the Argentine sea. The tug had set sail from the port of Punta Arenas on April 4 to take the 'An Fong No. 136', that operates under a fishing license from the Malvinas Islands in surrounding waters. The ship needed to be transferred without propulsion to the port of Montevideo for its subsequent repair. During the transit within the ZEEA they were intercepted by the GC-28 Prefecto Derbes. Upon detecting the violation, the Prefecture immediately notified the captains of both ships, informing them of the non-compliance with current regulations. They were reminded that, according to decree 256/10 and Ordinance 01-10 of the Prefecture, any vessel that intends to navigate between Argentine ports and ports in the Malvinas, South Georgia or South Sandwich Islands, or transit through Argentines waters, must have prior authorization from the competent national authorities. The convoy had an ETA at Montevideo as of April 20.