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The 'Karar' which was boarded 300 miles from Lisbon and 400 from miles Vigo in April 2020 with 3,824 kilos of cocaine on board, remains idled in the port of Vigo. The ship has not moved from the berth next to A Laxe and occupies a complete side of the dock. With the judicial investigation completed and the indictment issued some weeks ago, there is still not the slightest hope that the 'Karar' will sail again, not even the Ría de Vigo, in the short or medium term. IT could be sought to determine whether the shipowner, or the owner company, would have a share in the transportation of the 3,824 kilos of coca. This possibility, since the indictment has already been issued and the instruction is finalized, was unlikely. The other option was that neither the shipowner nor the owners take charge of the hull. Both the new owner company and the shipowner are located in Panama. The omission of responsibilities of the shipowner and the owner was already clear a few weeks after the boarding of the ship. The crew, from Nepal and Bangladesh, entered the A Lama prison, after testifying before the judge without the legal cover of their bosses. They even turned to their respective embassies in Spain to find shelter. Meanwhile, the 'Karar' continued to deteriorate.

On April 18, 2021, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed by the ferry 'Spirit of France' that a migrant boat is in difficulty off Escalles. The 'Athos' was tasked to bring them assistance. The boat was located three nautical miles west of Cap Gris-Nez. The six castaways are taken care of by the 'Athos', which dropped them off at 2:29 p.m. in Boulogne-sur-Mer where they were taken care of by the border police.

The French container giant CMA CGM is working on a plan to rebuild the port of Beirut within three years. Political stalemate in Lebanon has meant that no decisions have been made after the huge explosion that killed 200 in 2020. CMA CGM first presented the plan to the Lebanese authorities in September, which includes the reconstruction of damaged quay facilities and warehouses, along with a port expansion and digitization. The total price was estimated to be between 400 and 600 million. dollar. Another offer was announced on April 9, 2021. German companies presented a multi-billion dollar plan to rebuild the port and surrounding districts, which was also devastated by the violent explosion.

The Meyer shipyard located in Papenburg, Germany, announced, they secured an order for a new cruise ship. The new customer is NYK who placed an order for a medium size cruise ship for their brand Asuka Cruises. Full article + image: https://www.cruisedeck.de/meyer-werft-sichert-sich-neubau-auftrag/

U.S. Seafoods issued an apology to Unalaska residents after crew members from the 'Seafreeze America' breached isolation protocols to visit a crowded local bar last weekend. The resulting widespread exposure forced the city to move from the “medium” to “high” coronavirus risk level after nearly a month and a half at the lower threshold. Dozens of locals who visited the Norwegian Rat Saloon have been asked to quarantine and test for the virus, if they haven’t been vaccinated. U.S. Seafoods were still trying to figure out exactly what happened that night, shortly after the 'Seafreeze America' arrived in port. The vessel was fishing for yellowfin sole in the Bering Sea last week when a few of the 51 crew members on board started feeling COVID-19 symptoms. The company tested them on board, and rerouted the vessel to Dutch Harbor to confirm the results and be closer to medical care. The ship was last in Dutch Harbor in late March when the company brought a group of new crew members on board. By the time they’d boarded, they had tested negative for COVID-19 two separate times, and gone through nearly 20 days of quarantine — though most of the quarantine was what’s known as “self-monitored,” without guards or security personnel ensuring compliance. The ship reached Unalaska on April 10, 2021, about 20 hours after crew members initially developed symptoms. Eight people onboard had tested positive at that point. All eight went immediately to Unalaska’s isolation bunkhouse while the rest of the crew stayed put. It appeared as many as four of the COVID-positive crew at Unalaska’s isolation facility decided to head to the bar just before midnight. Initial estimates from video footage indicated as many as 60 people could have been exposed at the Norwegian Rat that night. But some may not have been in close contact long enough to be considered at risk for catching COVID-19, and others may have been vaccinated. In the night of April 13, contact tracing from the bar was only about 40% complete. It was still too soon after the exposure to begin testing. The entire crew of the 'Seafreeze America' was ultimately tested or retested at the local clinic; 26 came back positive. Two were presumed positive but refused retesting. The U.S. Seafoods employees who breached isolation effectively fired themselves. The fishermen could face up to a $500 fine and even prison time. While the majority of COVID-positive crew have been flown on medical charters to Anchorage, the company was still working to figure out what’s next for the vessel and the crew still on board. Company officials are having almost daily calls with state and local officials to make a plan and keep them updated on the health status of remaining crew. They were also working to continue vaccinating the ship's crew. To date, just two of the 51 crew have been fully vaccinated and 14 have their first dose.

Scrapped at Valetta 04/2021 http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=3282639

ANTAQ expects 18 port auctions in 2021 With total investments of R$ 4 billion, 18 port auctions are expected to be held in 2021. The information was confirmed by the general director of ANTAQ, Eduardo Nery. Also in April, bids are expected for four areas at the Port of Itaqui/MA for the handling of fuels; and one at the Port of Pelotas (Rio Grande do Sul) for general cargo, especially wood. These five auctions alone are expected to reach approximately R$ 610 million in investments. According to Nery, tenders are essential to increase port infrastructure, in view of the country's multimodality. "Improving the port infrastructure is fundamental, since the movement of cargo in organized ports and in authorized and leased terminals has a high bias", said. The development of multimodality is also part of ANTAQ's planning. "It is important to identify logistical corridors, economic scenarios, origins and destinations of cargo," said the director-general, stressing that there is a need for a governance structure so that the country can take advantage of multimodality in transport. Another point defended by the director was the government program entitled "BR do Mar", whose objective is to increase the supply of cabotage, encourage competition, create new routes and reduce costs. The bill is about to be voted on in the National Congress. The importance of waterways and the country's potential for inland navigation was also highlighted. Source: ANTAQ / Federal Government Auction for terminals in the Port of Itaqui is scheduled for April this year With the forecast of moving more than R $ 30 billion in investments in the port sector by 2022, the Federal Government expects to carry out about 30 tenders and sign 60 contracts for the adhesion of private use terminals, continuing the revolution that the segment is going through in the country . The auction of the Porto do Itaqui terminals in São Luís (MA) is scheduled for April 9, 2021. In Maranhao, four more fuel terminals will be leased at the Port of Itaqui: IQI03, IQI11, IQI12 and IQI13, responsible for the handling and storage of liquid bulk, mainly fuel, in addition to other complementary facilities. The complex works as a distribution hub for the north and northeast regions, serving Maranhão, Tocantins, Pará and Mato Grosso, in addition to other nearby states by coastal shipping. The leases have already been authorized by TCU and notices published with a date scheduled for auction on 04/09/2021. Currently, the portfolio of the Ministry of Infrastructure has the largest concession program in the world, with a forecast of R$ 264 billion in investments. The idea of ​​the Ministry of Infrastructure is until the end of 2022, to deliver a properly organized port sector, with legal certainty and without expired contracts. Source: Blog Isaías Rocha Sent - shipping.sao luis@gac.com

The coast guard found signs of an accident on the British oil tanker Orange Victoria which was seized in COCHIN after the accident involving a fishing boat on the coast of Vizhinjam The Fort Kochi Coastal Police and the Marine Mercantile Division conducted an inspection of the ship anchored in the open sea on Saturday morning .The paint on this part has been collected by scientific experts for scientific examination . Captain Nikhil told the Coastal Police that they were not aware that the ship had collided with the boat . There are 23 sailors on board . The ship while en route from Singapore to Indian port, presumably struck fiberglass fishing boat 46 nm off COCHIN at night Mar 18. boat was damaged, all 6 crew safe. Hull paint samples are taken, to conduct lab analysis

On April 18, 2021 at 3:10 a.m. the CROSS Jobourg was informed by the Toulouse maritime medical consultation centerthat a crew member of the 'Mont Saint-Michel' was injured at the shoulder. The ship was 32 nautical miles north of Barfleur in the bay of the Seine. The CROSS then initiated a conference call with the maritime medical consultation center in Toulouse and the maritime medical coordination service in Le Havre. A medical evacuation was recommended. The CROSS ideployed a Cayman helicopter of the French Navy base in Maupertus to carry out the operation. At 4:57 a.m., the victim was hoisted aboard the helicopter and dropped off at Le Havre hospital at 5:16 a.m. where he was taken care of by medical teams.

The wreck removal operation of the 'Streamline' has been completed on April 15, and the vessel's registry status changed from 'live' to 'dead'. Subsequently, the incident file has been closed by Harbour Master.

Heavy rains put pressure on Itaqui and Ponta da Madeira terminal Heavy rains in state of Maranhão have put pressure on the shipment of iron ore and soybeans. Climatologically, the month of March is one of the rainiest months of the year in the region of São Luís, capital of Maranhão. However, we are facing the second rainiest March in 15 years, having already accumulated more than 686mm. During this week, the region reported a line up of 70 vessels. In addition, an accident with one of the eight conveyors belt that load the iron to the ships at the beginning of the year made the productivity projections more distant from being reached. According to José Reinaldo, ex-governor and ex-minister of Transport, a way to minimize the problems would be to start the transition from the Ponta da Madeira Terminal to receive other cargo, especially from agribusiness. It is worth mentioning that the completion of the North-South Railway and its connection with Fico (Central-West Integration Railway), scheduled for the next three years, will cause the volume of agribusiness loads to rise and the EFC (Railroad) Vale's Carajás), in addition to the ports in Maranhão, could become bottlenecked for the flow of these new volumes. To avoid the bottleneck, Reinaldo suggests the construction of a railway extension from the EFC to the TPA (Alcântara Port Terminal), a private terminal already approved by ANTAQ. The new terminal negotiates with Vale to make the handling of ore cargo feasible. TPA draft is superior to that of Ponta da Madeira and would expand the Brazilian ore shipping capacity. It is estimated that TPA's handling capacity could reach 560 million tons per year, which would make it the largest iron ore port on the planet. Companies should be aware of potential disputes with demurrage claims and cargo (soy) quality due humidity. With informations from Agência INFRA. Our team is closely monitoring the situation. For any questions please direct to shipping.saoluis@gac.com

Crew change have resumed at the port of Chittagong, albeit to a limited extent. In case of joining, covid negative certificate is required. In case of sign off, the crew will have to undergo a covid test at a local government approved hospital. Which takes a total of 3 days to stay in a hotel. Then he has to show immigration and airlines authorities when he gets on the plane.  We've learned from talking to a crew service provider that this process is safe for all parties. NC Shipping's operations manager said Chittagong port service is now much more efficient and less time consuming. All rules are governed by international standards. "Even in the covid pandemic lockdown, we get international quality service from Chittagong port which has played a positive role in the operation of our ships and maintaining the dynamism of the maritime trade," he added. He thinks crew change approval is part of a continuous process. This is a valiant decision of the government and port authorities