A mission to salvage the RFMS 'Puamau' that ran aground on its maiden voyage after Australia gifted it to Fiji has begun, with efforts underway to minimise any environmental impacts including a potential oil spill. Fiji's navy said on June 15 that favourable weather conditions would assist the recovery of the RFNS 'Puamau', which hit a reef on Fiji's remote Lau group of islands during its first patrol. Australia has sent specialised recovery equipment that would be used to extract the patrol boat from the reef, with a second vessel set to transport the gear to the site. The Republic of Fiji Navy reaffirmed its commitment to minimising environmental impact during the de-fuelling process now underway. Measures to mitigate a potential oil spill have been deployed, and navy divers and engineers were on scene and continued to monitor the situation. The crew of the RFNS 'Puamau' returned to Suva after being collected by another vessel, the RFNS 'Savenaca', on the morning of June 15. Reports with photos: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-16/fiji-works-to-recover-patrol-boat-that-ran-aground/103983462 https://www.fijivillage.com/news/RFNS-Puamau-quickly-takes-in-water-and-faces-a-high-chance-of-sinking-f4rx58/
News
VOX MAXIMA
The oil slick in southern Singapore, which emerged after the 'Vox Maxima' hit the bunkter tanker 'Marine Honour' at starboard side and breached at tank, has spread further along the coast and wasthreatening a marine reserve. Authorities were therefore intensifying their efforts to clean up the oil. Oil was no longer leaking from the affected oil tank, but the released oil has spread along the coast due to the current in the sea. Three beaches were closed on June 15 because of the oil. It was not clear exactly how much oil was released. Report with photos: https://www.ed.nl/buitenland/enorme-olievlek-verspreidt-zich-verder-en-bedreigt-zeereservaat-na-botsing-met-nederlands-schip~a30fbc5a/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.de%2F
YAF HORIZON
There was no evidence that the fire aboard the 'Yaf Horizon' at the Port of Haifa on June 10 came under attack from Hezbollah and was hit by a drone or gunfire. The ship has a history of inspection violations, including issues with engine room cleanliness, fire damper operations and nonworking fire alarms. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVUdSWi-AjQ&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.polygraph.info%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title
SAMARIA I
On the morning hof Jun 15, 2024, the Port Authorities of Chania, Paleochora and Chora Sfakion were notified of a vessel with a sufficient number of passengers three nautical miles southwest of Gavdos. Immediately, a boat with officers from the Gavdos Coast Guard went to the position, where they spotted a wooden boat with 43 migrants, en route to the Karave port of Gavdos, accompanied by the boat. Subsequently, they boarded the 'Samaria I' and were initially transported to the port of Chora Sfakion and then to a temporary storage area, in the port of Souda. The Central Port Authority of Chania, which conducted the preliminary investigation, confiscated the wooden boat.
VENTA MAERSK
The 'Venta Maersk' was hit by GPS jamming on the night of April 27, 2024, north-east of Bornholm heading for Klapeida. Other ships in the area also lost the GPS signal as a result of Russian harassment. The sihp, however, has processes and equipment to navigate without connection to GPS. The Russians possess the necessary technology and have previously demonstrated the equipment in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. GPS jamming is being experienced more and more frequently in the Baltic Sea area, and André Ken Jakobsson, who researches hybrid warfare at the University of Southern Denmark, links the development to Western support for Ukraine, where Denmark is among the largest contributors.
QUEEN VICTORIA
On June 214, 2024, the 'Queen Victoria' sailing 100 nautical miles wast of Barcelona, en route from La Seyne sur Mer to Palma de Mallorca, requested the medical evacuation of a 32-year-old woman due to premature birth. The CCS Palma and CCS Barcelona of Salvamento Marítimo coordinated the response and mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 206, which hoisted the woman and transported her to the Son Espases hospital in Mallorca. The cruise ship arrived in the port on June 15 at 7 a.m.
VERBENA
The Iranian frigate 'Jamaran' did not respond to the distress call sent by the crew of the 'Verbena' on June 13 in the Gulf of Aden. The Iranian frigate was eight nautical miles away at the time of the distress call. Instead the 'Anna Meta' responded and recovered the sailors and brought them to safety.Due to the impossibility of putting out the flames, the ship has been abandoned by its crew and was sinking.
GRE 26 AVALON
On June 16, 2024, at around 7.30 a.m. LT a 26 year old deckhand fell overboard from the 'Avalon-GRE 26' in the mudflats southeast of Borkum island in the Easter Ems between Greetsiel and Memmert. The NRCC of the DGzRS in Bremen was coordinating the SAR opeation, in which almost 20 ships were taking part off Memmert. The lifeboats 'Hamburg' from the DGzRS station Borkum and 'Eugen' from Norderney, the lifeboat 'Hans Dittmer' from the Juist volunteer station as well as ten Greetsiel based cutters were underway in the Ley Bight off Greetsiel. Dutch rescuers were also on site with the lifeboats "Jan en Titia Visser" and "Veronica" from the Eemshaven station of the KNRM, and also government ships and a Dutch SAR aircraft. A helicopter was searching the sea area between Greetsiel and Juist from the air. The lifeboat 'Hamburg' had the on-scene command. Several fire brigades were searching the shoreline between the Leysiel barrier and the Campen lighthouse along the East Frisian coast. Drones are also used. Despite all efforts, the fisherman has not yet been found. The search was ongoing. The water at the accident site had a temperature of around 14 degrees.
CEG COSMOS
On June 13, 2024, at 9.28 p.m. the British Coastguard requested the Islay RNLI to launch to the 'CEG Cosmos', which was suspected of being aground in the Sound of Islay, en route from Kyle of Lochalsh. Following discussions with the Coastguard, Islay’s all-weather lifeboat 'Helmut Schroder of Dunlossit II' launched. The seven volunteer crew onboard the lifeboat made good speed down the sound in poor conditions with low visibility, strong winds and rain. The vessel was located close to McArthur’s Head on Islay’s eastern shore. Upon reaching the scene, the Islay Lifeboat found that the 'CEG Cosmos' was already back afloat after being grounded. The lifeboat crew then escorted the ship down the Sound of Islay, while the vessel's crew checked for any damage or water ingress following the grounding. The ship chose to proceed to its destination Ayr, and the Islay RNLI were stood down by the Coastguard. The 'CEG Cosmos' berthed in Ayr on June 14 at 5 p.m.
MARINE HONOUR
Cleanup operations were moving ahead at Pasir Panjang Terminal on Sentosa in Singapore after the Dutch dredger 'Vox Maxima' (IMO: 9454096) allided with the berthed 'Marine Honour' on the morning of June 14, 2024, resulting in an oil spill. A cargo tank of the 'Marine Honour', which was next to a container vessel berthed at Pasir Panjang Terminal, was breached and leaked oil into the sea. In the evening the affected oil tank has been isolated and the spill has been contained. The oil slick has affected three beaches. Floating barriers were laid out to prevent further spread of the oil. The clean-up work was in full swing. It was not clear how much oil has leaked. There was no impact to navigational safety and berthing operations. Reports with photos: https://www.destentor.nl/buitenland/stranden-in-singapore-kleuren-pikzwart-na-ongeluk-met-nederlands-schip-vox-maxima~a1977559/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.de%2F https://www.welingelichtekringen.nl/samenleving/olie-op-stranden-singapore-na-ongeluk-met-nederlands-schip
ARKLOW WIND
The chief of police on Svalbard has issued a fine of one million Norwegian crowns to the Irish shipping company which is behind the 'Arklow Wind' and called at Longyearbyen on June 6, 2024, to load a cargo of coal, carrying heavy bunker oil in the tanks. Since 2022, it has been prohibited to call at Svalbard with heavy bunker oil on board, due to the environmentally sensitive and difficult-to-access nature of the islands, in the event of a spill. It is the first time that the ban, which appears in section 82a of the Svalbard Environment Act, has been applied. In addition to the fine to the shipping company, the captain was fined 300,000 NOK. The Norwegian authorities had received a tip that the 'Arklow Wind' had heavy bulk oil in some of the ship's tanks, and therefore made an inspection on board the ship upon its arrival in Longyearbyen. Both the shipping company and the captain have refused to accept the fines, and the case is therefore now in court. The case is scheduled for the start of October at the Nord-Troms District Court in Tromsø.
MARINE HONOUR
The oil slick in southern Singapore, which emerged after the dredger 'Vox Maxima' hit the 'Marine Honour' at starboard side and breached at tank, has spread further along the coast and wasthreatening a marine reserve. Authorities were therefore intensifying their efforts to clean up the oil. Oil was no longer leaking from the affected oil tank, but the released oil has spread along the coast due to the current in the sea. Three beaches were closed on June 15 because of the oil. It was not clear exactly how much oil was released. Report with photos: https://www.ed.nl/buitenland/enorme-olievlek-verspreidt-zich-verder-en-bedreigt-zeereservaat-na-botsing-met-nederlands-schip~a30fbc5a/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.de%2F
PUAMAU
As the Republic of Fiji Navy welcomed RFNS 'Savenaca' along with the crew of RFNS 'Puamau' on the night of June 14, salvage works in Lau seemed impossible as the patrol boat was partially submerged and flooded. The oncoming salvage operations, set against a backdrop of favourable weather forecasts for the next few days, will prioritise safety, fuel extraction, and the careful recovery of the vessel from the reef, with a steadfast commitment to minimising environmental impact. The Crisis Management Team and contracted salvage subject matter experts, have also mapped out contingency plans to tackle potential issues, while also recognising the challenging conditions surrounding the passage at the reef. The logistical challenges , including the distance of Fulaga from Suva, interim measures will be implemented post-reef recovery until a dedicated salvage vessel arrives in the country. Report with photo: https://www.fijivillage.com/news/RFNS-Puamau-slowly-takes-in-water-on-the-reefs-in-Fulaga-f548xr/
BOEMLAFJORD
A 31-foot fishing vessel took in water in the Bømlafjorden in Vestland with one person on board on June 14, 2024, at 5 p.m. and asked for assistance. An ambulance boat and a boat from the defense which was nearby were sent to tthe scene. The first ship on site was the 'Bømlafjord', which launched its MOB. It reached the casualty just before 5.30 p.m. The skipper has left the boat, and had boarded a smaller dinghy. He was then taken aboard the ambulance boat 'Rosedoktoren'.
VOX MAXIMA
Cleanup operations were moving ahead at Pasir Panjang Terminal on Sentosa in Singapore after the 'Vox Maxima' allided with the berthed Singapore-flagged bunker tanker 'Marine Honour' (IMO: 9422811) on the morning of June 14, 2024, resulting in an oil spill. A cargo tank of the 'Marine Honour', which was next to a container vessel berthed at Pasir Panjang Terminal, was breached and leaked oil into the sea. In the evening the affected oil tank has been isolated and the spill has been contained. The oil slick has affected three beaches. Floating barriers were laid out to prevent further spread of the oil. The clean-up work was in full swing. It was not clear how much oil has leaked. There was no impact to navigational safety and berthing operations. Reports with photos: https://www.destentor.nl/buitenland/stranden-in-singapore-kleuren-pikzwart-na-ongeluk-met-nederlands-schip-vox-maxima~a1977559/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.de%2F
TUTOR
The 'Tutor' which was hit by a surface drone and a missile in the Red Sea, was drifting downwind abandoned by its crew and slowly taknig on water on June 14. The 21 surviving Pinoys were rescued by by Helicopters from the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 74 and transfered onto the USS 'Philippine Sea (CG 58)' and then to the USS 'Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)' for medical evaluation before transporting them ashore for further treatment. The rescue took place between 10:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. One crew member was seriously injured in the attack, while another crew member was still missing. It was feared that the missing crew member, who comes from the Philippines, was trapped in the flooded engine room. The fire on board that arose as a result of the attack has been extinguished, but the damage is so great that the ship cannot be maneuvered and the crew has not returned. The Tsavliris Salvage Group has been hired to salvage the 'Tutor'. The company has two tugs on their way to the position, but the first of them will not arrive until June 17. REport with photos: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/two-bulkers-in-danger-of-sinking-after-houthi-attacks