The City of Baltimore on April 22 opposed capping the 'Dali's shipowner’s liability in the Key Bridge collapse. The companies’ actions leading up to the disastrous crash were “grossly and potentially criminally negligent,” the city’s lawyers wrote in a new filing. The 'Dali' was “clearly unseaworthy,” a claim that will have major implications for the companies’ efforts to limit their liability. “For more than four decades, cargo ships made thousands of trips every year under the Key Bridge without incident. There was nothing about March 26, 2024, that should have changed that. But Petitioners, Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, saw fit to put a clearly unseaworthy vessel into the water. Petitioners’ actions were grossly and potentially criminally negligent. In no way should their liability be limited.” The filing claims that the companies provided the vessel with an “incompetent crew that was inattentive to its duties” and “failed to comply with local navigation customs and/or usage,” failed to properly maintain the vessel and failed to comply with industry standards, among a long list of allegations. Baltimore hired a heavy-hitting lawyer with experience handling maritime disasters and structural collapses to handle its claims related to the Key Bridge collapse. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office also issued a request for proposals for assistant counsel to participate in Key Bridge litigation. The ship is owned by the Grace Ocean Private Limited and managed by Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., which both filed a “limitation of liability” action just days after the crash. The action was aimed at capping the amount of damages the companies could be forced to pay at about $43 million — the value of the 'Dali' and its cargo. The city’s filing ass the first among what were expected to be many objections to the limitation of liability action. The FBI was also conducting a criminal investigation into the accident. The ship reportedly experienced electrical issues before it left port but took off despite of that. Parties with claims against the 'Dali' will have until Sep 24 to file notice in federal court, though there was expected to be a lengthy court fight over whether the owner can successfully cap liability. If the owner had “privity or knowledge” of the issue that caused the crash, or if the ship wasn’t seaworthy before it left port, the limitation of liability action could fail, allowing claimants to pursue bigger monetary awards.
News
SALVAMAR ALPHERATZ
A boat arrived with 59 sub-Saharan migrants, among them 57 men, one woman and one minor, was in need of assistance in the night of April 21, three nautical miles south of Las Galletas. The 'Salvamar Alpheratz' was mobilized by the CCS of Salvamento Marítimo in Tenerife. The boat was escorted to the Port of Los Cristianos. Video: https://twitter.com/i/status/1782328647761723581
Marseille
On 27 June the Corsican Parliament officially approved the upcoming 15-month public ferry service between Marseille and the island, starting on 1 October 2019.
EF OLIVIA
The 'Hayriye Ana' (IMO: 9557953), en route from Istanbul to A Coruna, was in collision with the 'EF Olivia', en route from Hamburg to Augusta, 14 nautical miles from Capo Passero on the southeastern tip of Sicily south of the ports of Syracuse and Catania, on the morning of April 22, 2024. Both vessels suffered some minor damage. The hull of the container ship was holed midships at the waterline. Both ships diverted to the Sicilian coast, displaying messages of “restricted maneuverability.” The 'Hayriye Ana' has been cited for several deficiencies on recent inspections. In November 2023, the Chinese authorities listed a dozen deficiencies including issues with the vessel’s VDR, an issue also cited by Greek inspectors in January 2024. The Italian Coastguard mobilized an AW139 helicopter and an Atr42 aircraft as well as a patrol vessel to the scene to monitor the vessel’s progress. So far, no pollution has been reported. The 'EF Olivia' reached Augusta Anchorage at 8.50 p.m. UTC and moored in pos. 37° 12.32' N 015° 12.63' E. The 'Hayriye Ana' was underway to A Coruna with a speed of 5,8 knots at that time and an ETA as of April 29. Reports with photos and video: https://maritime-executive.com/article/video-italian-coast-guard-monitoring-after-vessels-collide-off-sicily https://www.fanpage.it/attualita/schianto-tra-nave-cargo-e-portacontainer-al-largo-della-sicilia-guardia-costiera-con-navi-e-aerei/
SALVAMAR ALGENIB
The pleasure boat 'Rosendo' was disabled and adrift 20 nautical miles northeast of Garrucha on April 22 and requested assistance. The 'Salvamar Algenib' was mobilized by the CCS Almería of Salvamento Marítimo. It took the boat in tow and safely pulled it to the port of Garrucha.
Port Hedland
Thirty-eight vessels at anchor off Port Hedland, waiting to load iron ore.
Agaete
In a ruling last week, the Court of Justice of the EU rejected an appeal presented by Fred. Olsen S.A. over a sentence dictated by the General Courts of the EU in March 2018, whereby the continued exclusive use of the Port of Agaete on the Island of Gran Canary, by Fred. Olsen, constituted a subsidy by the Government of the Canary Islands to said shipping line.
HAYRIYE ANA
The 'Hayriye Ana', en route from Istanbul to A Coruna, was in collision with the 'EF Olivia' ( IMO: 9252735), en route from Hamburg to Augusta, 14 nautical miles from Capo Passero on the southeastern tip of Sicily south of the ports of Syracuse and Catania, on the morning of April 22, 2024. Both vessels suffered some minor damage. The hull of the container ship was holed midships at the waterline. Both ships diverted to the Sicilian coast, displaying messages of “restricted maneuverability.” The 'Hayriye Ana' has been cited for several deficiencies on recent inspections. In November 2023, the Chinese authorities listed a dozen deficiencies including issues with the vessel’s VDR, an issue also cited by Greek inspectors in January 2024. The Italian Coastguard mobilized an AW139 helicopter and an Atr42 aircraft as well as a patrol vessel to the scene to monitor the vessel’s progress. So far, no pollution has been reported. The 'EF Olivia' reached Augusta Anchorage at 8.50 p.m. UTC and moored in pos. 37° 12.32' N 015° 12.63' E. The 'Hayriye Ana' was underway to A Coruna with a speed of 5,8 knots at that time and an ETA as of April 29. Reports with photos and video: https://maritime-executive.com/article/video-italian-coast-guard-monitoring-after-vessels-collide-off-sicily https://www.fanpage.it/attualita/schianto-tra-nave-cargo-e-portacontainer-al-largo-della-sicilia-guardia-costiera-con-navi-e-aerei/
SALVAMAR BETELGEUSE
The Spanish flagged fishing vessel 'Piringuela', with two crew members on board, suffered a mechanical breakdown near Pta. San Mamede (Ares and Betanzos estuary) on April 22, 204. The ship was adrift close to shore, and the fishermen dropped anchor. The CCS A Coruña of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Betelgeuse', which took the vessel in tow and safely pulled it to Sada.
Cancun
Two identical 37-metre, 459-passenger catamarans have been completed by Wight Shipyard Co (WSC). The Incat Crowther-designed vessels will be transported to Cancun, Mexico, for Ultramar early next month.
Rotterdam
The first paperless, instantly financed and fully door-to-door tracked container made its way from Korea to the warehouse of Samsung SDS in Tilburg via Port of Rotterdam on blockchain-based platform DELIVER. ABN AMRO, Port of Rotterdam and Samsung SDS demonstrated that blockchain technology enables interoperability, and that integrated container tracking and tracing, required cargo documentation processing and financing can all be done in a trusted, secure and paperless way.