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The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international NGO accused Malta on May 4 of impeding access to the 'Conscience' which was bombed by two drones two days before. Malta denied the claim, saying the crew had refused assistance. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said that Israel, which has blockaded Gaza in its war against Palestinian Hamas militants, was to blame for the incident. The 'Conscience', operated by the coalition, suffered damage to its front section including a loss of power when hit just outside Maltese territorial waters in the southern Mediterranean- It had been waiting to take on board 30 peace activists from around the world before trying to sail to Gaza to deliver food and medicines. Volunteers from 13 countries who tried to reach the ship from Malta on April 30 and May 1, were intercepted by the Maltese military, which had forced them back to Malta under threat of arrest. Maltese authorities had also prevented the ship from putting into port to repair the damage and get help for four people aboard whohad suffered cuts and burns in the drone attack. Prime Minister Robert Abela said Malta was continuing to offer assistance to the ship, but that Malta’s security needed to be safeguarded. He said the ship’s captain was continuing to refuse to allow a surveyor and Malta police on board. Once it was verified that the ship’s cargo was solely humanitarian, Malta would facilitate repairs so that it could continue its voyage to Gaza. Report with photo: https://gcaptain.com/ngo-says-malta-blocking-access-to-gaza-bound-aid-ship-hit-by-drones/

The former 'Moby Zaza' has been sold but will not be scrapped. It is in fact destined to be used as a floating hotel in a large port in the Far East. At the end of March, a public notice from the Port Authority of Livorno announced that the ship would leave the fleet controlled by the Onorato family. Now in fact the ship no longer flies the Italian flag but has been registered in San Marino, taking the name 'Zaza' and becoming the property of the company Dragon 1 Pte Ltd. The technical management has been entrusted to the Genoese company Venture Ship Management Europe Srl, the former Crystal Pool sold at the beginning of 2024 and now controlled by the Wah Kwong group of Hong Kong). The 'Moby Zaza' had joined the Moby fleet ten years ago and in recent months had served between Corsica (Porto Vecchio) and Sardinia (Golfo Aranci) as a replacement for the Giraglia, which had suffered a breakdown. On Dec 18, 2024, it was the victim of a blackout on board that had induced the crew to ask for the intervention of tugs to bring it back to the port of Olbia. In addition to this ship, the 'Moby Drea' should also soon be leaving Onorato's fleet.

On May 5, 2025, the 'Lisbon' was detained in Livorno with 13 deficiencies, three of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Life saving Appliances - Lifejackets incl provision and disposition Not as required 2) Emergency systems - Emergency fire pumps and its pipes Not properly maintained 3) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on May 7 and left the port en route to Sulina with an ETA as of May 13. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

Two incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (one CAT 21 incident and one CAT 4 2 incident) were reported to the ReCAAP ISC between April 22 and April 25, 2025. Both incidents occurred onboard while the bulk carriers were underway off Pulau Cula, in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The crew members were not injured in the incidents. The 'Panagia Force' was boarded by four perpetratos, armed with knives, on April 22 at 11: 00 p.m. in pos. 1° 5.4' N 103° 34.42' E, about 8.8 natucal miles from Pulau Calu. The intruders tied up the crew and stole engine spare parts and personal belongings.

Four incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (three CAT 41 incidents and one attempted2 incident were reported to the ReCAAP ISC between April 19 and May 5, 2025. All incidents occurred onboard ships while underway off Pulau Cula, Indonesia, in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The crew members were not injured in all four incidents. On May 2 at 6.30 a.m. the 'SMA' was boarded by six perpetrators about 4.9 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 3.78' N 103° 36.85' E. The intruders stole engine spares.

Three incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (two CAT 31 incidents and one CAT 42 incident) were reported to the ReCAAP ISC. All incidents occurred whle the ships were underway off Pulau Cula in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS) on May 7, 2025. The crew members were not injured in all three incidents. At 2.45 a.m. the 'Hui Shun No. 1' was boaded by two perpetrators, armed with knives, in pos. 1°3.58' N 103° 40.8' E, about 2.2 nautical miles off Pulau Cula. Nothing was reported stolen.

The US Coast Guard decommissioned the 'Liberty (WPB 1334)' during a ceremony in Valdez on April 30, 205. Commissioned on Dec 19, 1989, the 'Liberty' was the 34th Island-Class cutter to join the fleet and the final Island-Class cutter to be decommissioned from Coast Guard service. The Coast Guard is replacing the aging Island-Class patrol boats with Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) which feature enhanced capability to meet service needs. There are currently four FRC's homeported in Alaska, with two more scheduled for delivery in the near future. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4170932/coast-guard-cutter-liberty-final-island-class-cutter-decommissioned-after-over/

On May 11. 2025, at midday, the 'CMA CGM Ermitage', enroute from Bremerhaven, allided with the wall of the Athabaska Qyay in Hamburg. The ship had to avoid colliding with a motor yacht. There was a river pilot aboard. The wall and a container gantry crane were damaged. The gantry crane was pushed off the rails. Furthermore, damage was caused to the pier, the bow, and the bridge of the 'CMA CGM Ermitage'. Among other things, a bridge window was broken. The dock crew was able to secure the ship to the pier. There were no injuries.The yacht remained unscathed. Port authorities were assessing the extent of the damage, and an investigation was launched. The authorities have gathered data from the radar, radio signals, and the AIS system to analyze the incident. The ship remained stationary as of May 13 and has been detained. Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJjIxQASpbP/?igsh=Mjc1MGxyaTcwMWFl

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.

The ' Jens Albrecht III' became stuck on a guide dam off Wittmund and was trapped there for more than nine hours on May 7, 2025, at 10,.10 a.m. After leaving the Wittmund-Harlesiel harbour on the morning, the ship's electrical system failed half a mile off the port, causing the steering system to fail. The ship ran aground on the dam. Another vessel removed seven of the 15 passengers from the ship. The other eight and the three crew members remained on board. The crew was unable to free the ship due to low tide and therefore had to wait for the next high tide. The ship refloated at 7.45 p.m. and was able to return to the Wittmund-Harlesiel harbour with own power. As a preventative measure, the BG Verkehr (German Transport Authority) - Ship Safety Department - issued a sailing ban. The vessel was expected to be inspected by the classification society for possible damage on May 9 and was not allowed to sail until then.

Two incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (one CAT 21 incident and one CAT 4 2 incident) were reported to the ReCAAP ISC between April 22 and April 25, 2025. Both incidents occurred onboard while the bulk carriers were underway off Pulau Cula, in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The crew members were not injured in the incidents. The 'ASL Trinity' was boarded by an unknown number of perpetratos on April 25 at 03: 00 a.m. in pos. 1° 2.3' N 103° 39.1' E,about 3.5 natucal miles from Pulau Calu. The intruders stole generator spare parts.

Four incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (three CAT 41 incidents and one attempted2 incident were reported to the ReCAAP ISC between April 19 and May 5, 2025. All incidents occurred onboard ships while underway off Pulau Cula, Indonesia, in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The crew members were not injured in all four incidents. At 2.55 a.m. the 'SMA' was boarded by four perpetrators about 4.9 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 3.28' N 103° 37.95' E. The intruders stole engine spares.

Three incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (two CAT 31 incidents and one CAT 42 incident) were reported to the ReCAAP ISC. All incidents occurred whle the ships were underway off Pulau Cula in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS) on 7 May 2025. The crew members were not injured in all three incidents. At 04.03 a.m. the Voirgo' was boaded by five perpetrators, armed with gn-like objects, in pos. 1°8.13' N 103° 29.32' E, about 8.9 nautical miles off Pulau Cula. The intruders stole engine spares.

On May 8, 2025, the 'Chieftain', serving on the route Gourock-Kilcreggan, suffered a technical issue with the vessel's generator. As a consequence, the scheduled 06:40 a,m. departure from Gourock was delayed. After the technical issue has been resolved, the ferry finally departed from the port of Gourock at 06:55 a.m., 15 minutes late.

On May 10, 2025, at approximately 1:30 a.m. LT, the 'Bijou Du Rhône' , with 127 German passengers and 39 crew members on board, collided with a barge on the Rhône river near the commune of Sablons, about 50 kilometers south of Lyon. No injuries were reported among the people onboard. The impact caused a significant hole in the ship’s hull above the waterline, but did not pose an immediate risk of sinking. The barge also suffered damage. Emergency services responded quickly and were still on site at 8:00 a.m. to disembark the passengers and transport them to their destination by bus. An evacuation of the 39 crew members took place on Ma 11. The 'Bijou Du Rhône' was banned from sailing for inspection and safety assessments. Report with photo: https://www.leprogres.fr/faits-divers-justice/2025/05/10/un-bateau-de-127-passagers-et-une-barge-entrent-en-collision-au-sud-de-lyon

On April 16, 2025, the ' Ocmis Adventure' was detained in Algeciras with 15 deficiencies, 11 of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Structural conditions - Ballast, fuel and other tanks Holed 2) Safety of navigation - Charts Not updated 3) Safety of navigation - Voyage or passage plan Missing 4) Safety of navigation - Lights, shapes and sound-signals Inoperative 5) Radio communications - Operation of GMDSS equipment Lack of familiarity 6) Radio communications - Reserve source of energy Inoperative 7) Labour conditions - Insulation Inoperative 8)) Labour conditions - Galley, handlingroom (maintenance) Not hygienic 9) Fire safety - Ready availability of fire fighting equipment Inoperative 10) Other - Other (Solas operational) Other 11) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on April 30 and left the port en route to Ceuta, where it arrived on May 2. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

On the morning of May 1, 2025, the 'Cement Trader', en route from Setubal to Terneuzen, ran aground just before the entrance of the Western foreport of Terneuzen with a draft of 07.10 metres. It got stuck between the Dow Schelde jetty and the foreport. The tugs 'Multratug 16' and 'Multratug 13' as well as the 'VB Triumphante', which joined later to assist, and the 'Patrol' were on scene soon after and managed to refloat the ship, which was then moored at the poles in the Western foreport of Terneuzen for inspections. The ship left the port again on May 5, headed back to Setubal, where it arrived on May 9. Report with photos: https://www.tugspotters.com/app/content/2025/05/multratugs-trekken-vastgelopen-cement-trader-terug-vlot-na-stranding-op-westerschelde/

Four incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (three CAT 41 incidents and one attempted2 incident were reported to the ReCAAP ISC between April 19 and May 5, 2025. All incidents occurred onboard ships while underway off Pulau Cula, Indonesia, in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The crew members were not injured in all four incidents. On May 5 at 03.30 a.m. the 'SW Legend' was boarded by two perpetrators about 5.1 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 7.00' N 103° 45.00' E. The intruders stole engine spares.

Four incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (three CAT 41 incidents and one attempted2 incident were reported to the ReCAAP ISC between April 19 and May 54, 2025. All incidents occurred onboard ships while underway off Pulau Cula, Indonesia, in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS). The crew members were not injured in all four incidents. On April 19 at 1 a.m., the 'Perlas' was subject of a boarding attempt by four perpetrators about 2.3 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 3.73' N 103° 41.04' E. Nothing was reported stolen.

Three incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia (two CAT 31 incidents and one CAT 42 incident) were reported to the ReCAAP ISC. All incidents occurred whle the ships were underway off Pulau Cula in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of Singapore Strait (SS) on 7 May 2025. The crew members were not injured in all three incidents. At 3.20 a.m. the 'Elm Galaxy' was boaded by a perpetrators in pos. 1°5.32' N 103° 35.3' E, about 7.9 nauutical miles off Pulau Cula. Nothing was reported stolen.