The Chinese spy ship 'Xiang Yang Hong 03' has arrived near the Maldives on Feb 22, after spending a month in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives government had last month allowed the Chinese ship to dock at a port in Male, where the vessel was anchored in the morning. The ship was later in the day positioned near Thilafushi. The ship started its journey on Jan 14 and spent about a month near the Maldives’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), arrived near Male. The ship reached Male on the day when the coast guards of Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka were holding the trilateral naval exercise “DOSTI-16”. Also, observers from Bangladesh joined the exercise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre expressed its concern over the movement of the Chinese ship. The Maldives government had on Jan 23 permitted the ship to dock at Male port. Also, an American think-tank had then claimed that the Chinese vessel was collecting data from the oceans for military purposes. On Jan 5, the Sri Lanka government had denied the entry of the Chinese vessel saying that it had declared a moratorium on foreign research ships entering its waters for a year amid concerns from the Indian government. On Feb 23, the ship was moored in pos. 04° 11.97' N 073° 28.47' E.
News
KEFALONIA
In the morning of Feb 22, 2024, the Port Authority of Kyllini was informed by the Master of the 'Kefalonia' about a damage to the starboard side main engine. The ferry was scheduled to set sail for Poros Kefallinia, with 63 passengers on board. The Kyllini Port Authority has banned the ship from sailing until a certificate of class maintenance has been presented by the classifier monitoring it, while the passengers were forwarded to their destination by the ship's owning company.
QUEEN OF NEW WEST
B.C. Ferries had to cancel sailings between Victoria and Vancouver due to a mechanical issue aboard the 'Queen of New Westminster' on Feb 22, Feb 23 and Feb 25 due to a mechanical difficulty with the rudder of the vessel. “Divers investigated the problem, and replacement parts were set to arrive within the next few days. B.C. Ferries tried to reschedule travellers on alternate sailings if they have a reservation, or offered them a refund if no alternative is possible. The ship has remained sidelined at the Tsawassen Ferry Terminal in Vancouver since Feb 20 at 8.40 a.m. UTC.
KMAX LEADER
The 'KMax Leader', which had stuck for months in Gladstone, has been towed out to sea on Feb 4, 2024, at 2.45 a.m. and banned from Australia. It had arrived at Gladstone Port on Oct 27, 2023 and was due to carry a cargo of coal to South East Asia. But mechanical problems forced it to stay in the port, while repairs stalled for nearly four months. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) on Feb 22 banned the ship from entering any Australian port for 12 months. The vessel posed a significant safety risk, particularly during cyclone season. While docked in port, two cyclones crossed the Queensland coast. Several notices had been issued to the ship's Greek owner over the past five months over its failure to resolve problems and comply with international standards. They initially told that the repair would take eight to ten days, it took much longer than that.
LULA
the accident of the BMS Lula (water penetrating into the engine room) with subsequent emergency extinguishing: https://cdn.vesseltracker.com/hires/2085627.jpg https://cdn.vesseltracker.com/hires/2085630.jpg
H 851
The INS 'Shivalik' rendered medical assistance to the Iranian fishing vessel 'Al Arifi' on Feb 19, 2024, in the Gulf of Aden. The crew rerendered medical assistance including critical meedical supplies to the 18 Pakistani crew members. Report with photo: https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/navy-ship-ins-shivalik-renders-medical-assistance-to-iranian-fishing-vessel20240221221207/
ISLANDER
On Feb 22, 2024, the 'Islander' was hit by two missiles in the Gulf of Aden, southeast of the city of Aden, in southern Yemen causing a fire on board. Coalition forces were responding to the fire. The ship appeared to be heading from Map Ta Phut, Thailand, towards the Red Sea. Other merchant vessels are advised to move away from the vessel. Yemen's Houthi rebels who say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the context of the war in Gaza.
CG CHARLES DAVID JR
The 'Charles David Jr.' repatriated 25 migrants to Cuba on Feb 21, following an interdiction of a migrant venture near Key West, Florida. A A good Samaritan notified Sector Key West watchstanders of a suspected migrant voyage on Feb 17 at approximately 2 p.m. Once aboard the Coast Guard cutter, all migrants received food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3682843/coast-guard-repatriates-25-migrants-to-cuba/
TRUNG THANG 568
The fishing boat ' QNg 111.26 TS' with nine people on board was in collision with the 'Trung Thang 568' on Feb 23, 2024, at 6:30 a.m. in pos. 15°16'98 E 108°58' N in Quang Ngai waters. The boat sank, leaving one person, aged 42, from Tinh Ky commune dead and two fishermen missing. A nearby ship discovered, approached and rescued seven fishermen and brought them to shore. The authorities took one victim to the Quang Ngai Provincial General Hospital for emergency treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. The authorities launched a search for the two missing fishermen. Report with photo: https://znews.vn/tau-ca-bi-dam-chim-tren-bien-1-nguoi-tu-vong-2-nguoi-mat-tich-post1461452.html
CALEDONIAN ISLES
CalMac has confirmed that the 'Caledonian Isles' was unlikely to be back in action for a further four months due to structural strengthening and steelwork issues. Assessments of the full extent of poor steel was underway in dry dock at Cammel Laird in Birkenhead, where the ship arrived on Feb 11 at 11.50 a.m. By the time the vessel returns to service in the middle of June 2024 or even later, it will have been sidelined for nearly half a year. Consequences of the delay will have an impact on various routes across the CalMac network and not just on the Caledonian Isles’ own Ardrossan to Brodick service. A large area of severely corroded and weakened steel discovered in an extremely awkward location beneath the engines will cost around £5 million to replace at present estimates. CalMac was taking a close look at a range of impacts of not having the 'Caledonian' Isles in service. Fleet changes and reshuffling ferries around the network are to be published by March 4.
SALVAMAR POLLUX
The 'Salvamar Pollux' was mobilized by the CCS Valencia of Salvamento Marítimo in the afternoon of Feb 22, 2024, to assist the sailing yacht 'Kalinka'. The sailboat had been left adrift about 500 meters from the port of Port Saplaya. It was taken in tow and safely pulled to Valencia. Photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1760686094658719802
GARCIA DEL CID
The head of the Investigative Court number 3 of Gandía, Amparo Tur Escrivá, has issued a provisional dismissal order in the case investigating the disappearance of Carmen Fernández, the 43-year-old woman from Cangas who worked aboard the 'García del Cid', assigned to the fleet of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), about which nothing has been heard since September 2023. Carmen Fernández had denounced one of the ship's crew for harassment and therefore requested the CSIC, dependent on the Ministry of Science, for a transfer so that she would not have to coincide with him. According to family defense sources, the anti-harassment protocols were not executed and the woman did have contact with the man before setting sail from the port of Valencia. Her lawyer, Diego Leis, has confirmed that they will appeal the dismissal of the case before the Provincial Court of Valencia.
GRANDE AMBURGO
After the arrival of the “Grande Amburgo” at the O'swald Quay in Hamburg en route from Santos, three tons of cocaine with a value of around 150 million euros, the majority of it having been destined for the German market, were found by the police. The local authorities had received a tip about a drug mafia gang member who was a sailor on the ship. Police found that more than 400 kilograms of cocaine were hidden a the fire truck. The sailor was arrested in the harbour. Crew members had apparently made further cocaine discoveries on the ship. They collected more than 500 kilograms and locked the coke in the workshop to later hand it over to the police. For the removal, the investigators needed a forklift, which was guarded at the quay by heavily armed police officers. A total of three tons of coke were seized by police and customs.
PETREL
An autopsy will determine the cause of death of a 31-year-old Galician sailor who died on Feb 20, 2024, aboard the 'Petrel', which had left Vigo for Malvinas on Feb 9. The native of Ribeira (A Coruña), was in the Atlantic two days' journey from the coast of Brazil. The body arrived aboard the ship on Feb 21, 2024, at the port of Recife (Brazil). In the absence of autopsy results, it was believed that the young man suffered some type of cardiovascular accident, such as a stroke, according to information provided by the Medical Radio Center in La Mar. The Vigo shipowner was working on the repatriation of the body of the ship's chief engineer.
INDIGO JUGEM
A minor fire occurred aboard the 'Indigo Jugem' in the morning pf Feb 16, 2024, which had berthed at the Quay de la Relaunch in the Pointe-Noire sector in Sept-Îles with a cargo of alumina´, en route from Gladstone. Smoke from an electrical component of the vessel triggered the intervention of the teams on site, but also the Sept-Îles firefighters, which, however, did not have to intervene. When they arrived, the fire had already been put out using a fire extinguisher. They carried out the usual checks with a thermal imaging camera. Transport Canada carried out an inspection. The ship left Pointe Noire again on Feb 20 at 8 a.m UTC, en route to Saint John with an ETA as of Feb 23.
LIANGHUI688
On Feb 22, 2024, five people were killed after the 'Liang Hui 688' allided with a bridge over the Hongqili Waterway in the Pearl River Delta near Guangzhou city, causing part of the bridge to break off, plunging vehicles into the water. The vessel was en route from Foshan city to a southern district of Guangzhou when it crashed into the bridge at 5:30 a.m. (9.30 p.m. GMT). The ship first hit the 18th pylon of the Lixinsha Bridge in Nansha District, then hit the bow against the 19th pylon, resulting in a crack in a crucial part of the bridge. It was lodged between two columns of the Lixinsha Bridge with part of the bridge's two-lane road deck missing. All road traffic on the bridge was halted. Four vehicles and an electric motorbike fell off the bridge. Two vehicles, which included a bus, plunged into the water and three other vehicles ended up on the barge. The bus was carrying only its driver. The administration has set up a special task force to investigate the incident, collect evidence and cooperate with the police to identify those responsible for the accident. The captain of the vessel had been detained. The two injured were in a stable condition and treated in a local hospital. Rescuers recovered the two vehicles that had fallen into the river, and three of the victims were retrieved from one of the vehicles. The other deceased was the motorbike rider. A total of 122 rescuers and 15 vessels, plus advanced rescue equipment, including marine robots and underwater sonar equipment, have been sent to the scene to assist. The China Southern Airlines sent two helicopters to help transport the injured. The Guangzhou Bureau of Transport would be carrying out on-site inspections on the bridge. Human error was thought to have caused the accident. The severely tilted No. 19 pylon and other structures at risk of instability will have to be demolished to eliminate any possible danger. To serve the approximately 9,100 people residing on an island connected by the bridge, boats and buses have been arranged to facilitate transportation. In addition, water and food were being provided, and work was being done to repair the water pipe damaged by the crash. Reports with photo and video: https://container-news.com/two-dead-three-missing-after-container-ship-hits-bridge-in-chinese-port/ https://www.reuters.com/world/china/two-killed-after-barge-hits-bridge-near-chinas-guangzhou-plunging-vehicles-water-2024-02-22/ https://splash247.com/barge-rams-bridge-in-guangzhou/ https://news.sky.com/story/china-five-killed-after-barge-crashes-into-bridge-as-vehicles-plunge-into-water-below-13078478 https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202402/22/WS65d767eea31082fc043b89cf.html
SALVAMAR ADHARA
On Feb 23 at dawn the 'Salvamar Adhara' was deployed to assist a cayuco with 21 men and one woman of sub-Saharan origin of El Hierro. The boat was escorted to La Restinga. The response was coordinated by the MRCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Tenerife. Video: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1760939108036153389
SUKHOTHAI
The Thai and US navies on Feb 22 started the salvage of the HTMS 'Sukhothai' in the Gulf of Thailand off Prachuap Khiri Khan. The United States has deployed the supply ship 'Ocean Valor', which is also being used in the ongoing Cobra Gold multinational military exercises. TDivers on Feb 22 would retrieve the nameplate of HTMS Sukhothai and over the next five days would be photographing the whole ship and looking for missing personnel. Photographs already showed a rupture in the bow of the ship but it did not result from any substandard maintenance. More information from the mission is needed to support a conclusion on what caused the sinking. The navy had received a 200-million-baht budget for the salvage operation. The mission with the US will cost 110 million baht and the navy would return 90 million baht to the government. The corvette was still upright on the seabed and has attracted a lot of marine life.
CLARA INSIGNIA
After the refloating of the 'Clara Insignia' near Ramallo, ships have again arrived at the ports in the area of influence of Rosario after the Chamber of Port and Maritime Activities had received notification from authorities that ships could go up the Paraná again to the Rosario terminals.. However, they must load less cargo than usual due to dredging tasks carried out in that sector of the river. As the Rosario agricultural port hub is located at kilometer 410 of the Paraná, due to the accident the vessels could not reach the terminals in that area, nor could those that were docked in the Rosario ports return to international waters.