Two men, Pascal Bosman of the Netherlands and Martire Cabrera of the Dominican Republic, who arrived in Tortola aboard the 'Norwegian Sky' on April 19, 2024, have been reported missing, as neither man returned to the cruise ship for departure. Local authorities were asking for the public’s help in locating the missing men, and have noted that neither one has departed the territory in any legal means that would involve their paperwork being officially documented. The Government of the Virgin Islands Immigration Department has asked the public for assistance in locating the men. Anyone with information about either man should contact the Department of Immigration or the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force. No details about the men or the circumstances by which they are now missing have been released, other than the fact that Cabrera is carrying a St. Kitts & Nevis passport. The 'Norwegian Sky' was in Tortola from approximately 6:30 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. on April 19. The British Virgin Islands was the last port of call before the ship returned to La Romana in the Dominican Republic, where the vessel had set sail from on April 10 for the 10-day Caribbean cruise. The ship had previously visited a variety of destinations, including Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua. There have been no reports from family members or other concerned individuals about either of the missing men, and it was not known whether or not they were traveling together or had some other connection to one another. The men debarked the ship in Tortola, but failed to return to the vessel before its scheduled departure. In the days since, they have not been seen nor have they been recorded leaving the island by any other legal means, such as via air travel. Just a month ago, also in Tortola and also from Norwegian Sky, three passengers – two women and one man – failed to return to the ship and were reported missing in the same manner. While all three were from Colombia, it is not known whether they were traveling together or involved with one another. Report with photos: https://www.cruisehive.com/two-cruise-passengers-reported-missing-in-the-british-virgin-islands/129774
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YM PIONEER
The 'YM Pioneer' ran aground on the night of April 23, 2024, at the height of buoy 8, in the outer area of the access channel to the Port of Bahía Blanca, en route to Port Klang with a cargo of corn. The vessel was obstructing the navigation channel, prompting the Coastguard to restrict the traffic between buoy 11 and buoy 1. Initial efforts during the morning high tide to refloat the ship by the tugs 'Tocanado', 'Ona Paz' and 'Svitzer Endeavour' failed. Another attempt was to be made during the next high tide which was expected in the afternoon. After the ship moved on April 24, as of April 25, the ship was stationary in pos. 39° 05.40' N 061° 47.64' W. The grounding was caused by a navigational error.
Lisbon
The Alcantara container terminal in Lisbon announced this week plans to invest 122 million euros (137.4 million U.S. dollars) by 2038 to modernize and streamline the operational activity of its port infrastructure.
Basrah Offshore Oil Terminal
July 16: A fire at Iraq’s southern Basra offshore oil export terminal briefly halted crude loading operations on Tuesday but was put out and loading resumed, Iraqi oil officials said. The fire occurred in a residential section of the terminal accommodating workers and did not directly damage oil infrastructure, a port official and sources in the Basra Oil Company said. “Fire erupted at around 5 am (0200 GMT) and it was put out in two hours. We had to halt crude loading operations for three hours for safety issues,” said a port official who was speaking from the Basra port. Basra port has restored full operations with no stoppage at the oil exports jetties, said a statement from the state-run Basra Oil Company. Four workers suffered minor injuries, it added.
NORWEGIAN PRIMA
An accident report by the traffic accident investigation committee found out that the 'Norwegian Prima' with 4,600 passengers on board was only about 10 meters away from running aground off the island of Viðey on May 26, 2023, after it had gone off course in a storm and the captain had apparently underestimated the situation. The crew of the tug 'Magni' did everything in their power to prevent a major accident. According to the report, the ship had left the Sundahöfn cruise port in Reykjavík on the evening with the assistance of the tug 'Magni'. A strong wind was blowing from the southwest. The pilot recommended that the captain delayed the departure. The captain decided to stick to the schedule, despite the weather and against the pilot's recommendation. The ship had to be turned around before it could head out to sea. Shortly after the turn, strong gusts of 50 knots came in from the west. At the same time, the captain increased the speed. The ship drifted with the wind eastwards toward the shallows while the tug pulled against it at full speed. At the outer edge of the shipping channel, the 'Norwegian Prima' drifted over a buoy, and it was very lucky that a chain hanging from the buoy did not get entangled in the ship's propeller. It was already clear that the ship was way off course and was in great danger of running aground. The captain, who was sailing into Reykjavík harbor for the first time, tried to countersteer with the ship's propellers, but that wasn't enough. The report stated that only ten meters separated the ship from shoals that would have left less than half a meter of space for the keel. The tug had to be repaired after the incident, but the cruise ship remained undamaged. The report contains recommendations on how such incidents can be prevented. Among other things, there is a recommendation for the shipping company to evaluate all information to supplement its own risk assessment. It is also recommended that the Port of Faxaflói update its workflows to ensure good communication between tugs and pilots. This communication must be in English and understandable to everyone. The government is being asked to extend the powers of pilots so that they can refuse ships to leave under certain circumstances. Finally, the report proposes a risk assessment for all ports where passenger ships anchor. Full report with photos: https://www.rnsa.is/media/5200/hs-norwegian-prima-msi-report.pdf
MSC VERACRUZ
On April 24, 2024, a ship stated an explosion in the water around 72 nautical miles southeast of Djibouti. A Houthi Spokesperson through the official channel took responsibility for the attack, claiming attacks on the 'Maersk Yorktown' and the 'MSC Veracruz'. They referred to the MSC vessel as an ‘Israeli ship’ and also alleged that a U.S warship was involved in the attack with the 'Maersk Yorktown' under contract with the U.S military. The U.S Central Command confirmed that they prevented one anti-ship ballistic missile, launched from an area controlled by Houthi in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden.The missile was likely aimed at the 'Maersk Yorktown', which whad 18 US- and four Greek crew members on board. The US central Command also confirmed the destruction of four airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. On April 13, one anti-ship ballistic missile was fired by the Houthis from the Gulf of Aden.
Sydney
Australia’s biggest port operator DP World is telling dock workers that 200 jobs will be made redundant in Sydney and Melbourne as the company grapples with stalled union negotiations and growing commercial pressures. DP World Australia’s chief operating officer Andrew Adam told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that the company had no choice but to shed 200 staff – 100 in Melbourne (on top of 50 stevedores who will leave the business this week) and 100 in Sydney. About 1800 stevedores work at the company. “It’s a decision not taken lightly, but we’ve lost volume and market share since last year,” Mr Adam said.
Manzanillo
The Mexican government is upgrading the Port of Manzanillo, one of the country’s main Pacific Ocean ports, with four new terminals. The terminals will include a specialized container facility with capacity to handle 1.75 million TEUs per year, another for agricultural bulk, one more for mineral bulk and one specialized for hydrocarbons.
SALVAMAR SPICA
The pleasiure boat "Estelle", with one crew member, requested towing assistance in front of the Almería thermal power plant on April 24, after having suffered an engine breakdown. The CCS Almería of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Spica', which took the yeacht in tow and safely pulled it to the Club de Mar in Almería. Photos: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1783136991179121112
MAERSK YORKTOWN
On April 24, 2024, a ship stated an explosion in the water around 72 nautical miles southeast of Djibouti. A Houthi Spokesperson through the official channel took responsibility for the attack, claiming attacks on the 'Maersk Yorktown' and the 'MSC Veracruz'. They referred to the MSC vessel as an ‘Israeli ship’ and also alleged that a U.S warship was involved in the attack with the 'Maersk Yorktown' under contract with the U.S military. The U.S Central Command confirmed that they prevented one anti-ship ballistic missile, launched from an area controlled by Houthi in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden.The missile was likely aimed at the 'Maersk Yorktown', which whad 18 US- and four Greek crew members on board. The US central Command also confirmed the destruction of four airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. On April 13, one anti-ship ballistic missile was fired by the Houthis from the Gulf of Aden.
Tanger-Med
Nippon Express France, S.A.S. (hereinafter, “NEF”), a subsidiary of Nippon Express Co., Ltd., has opened a Tanger Med Logistics Center in the Moroccan port of Tanger Med, and this Center began operations on Wednesday, June 26, as NEF’s second location in Morocco.
Sohar
US-based McDermott International has received a contract to provide front-end engineering design (FEED) services for the Sohar LNG Bunkering Project in Oman. The project has an aim of establishing Oman as a regional LNG bunkering hub capable of supplying LNG as a fuel to marine vessels. Under the deal, awarded by Total Oman E&P Development B.V. in partnership with Oman Oil Company S.O.A.C., the scope of work during the FEED phase includes fully defining the onshore mid-scale LNG facilities and preparing a competitive tender for the engineering, procurement, supply, construction and commissioning phase.