The 'Gorch Fock' had to divert to the port of Brest on March 27, one week after leaving its homeport Kiel, due to a lack of diesel fuel. The ship had the wind ahead since and hardly chance to set sail. At the weekend it became clear, that the fuel would not last to reach the port of La Coruna. In the afternoon of March 26 the ship changed course in the English Channel and arrived in Brest on March 27 at 3 p.m. After the supply was completed, it left the port again at 7.40 p.m. the same day. The ship has an ETA at La Coruna as of April 3 and will continue its sail training voyage on April 7 to Cadiz. French report with photo: https://www.letelegramme.fr/finistere/brest/a-brest-le-grand-voilier-allemand-gorch-fock-dans-la-base-navale-27-03-2023-13305857.php
News
LIBERTY
The cargo m/v 'Gala A' (IMO: 8822040), while manoeuvring in the port of Ismajil, was in collision with the 'Liberty', which in turn came in contact with the dredger 'Pilgrim' (IMO: 7397593), on March 22, 2023 at 7 p.m. As a result, the embankment of the Izmail sea station was damaged.
Kerch
The Crimean Bridge across Kerch Strait suffered an explosion and fire in the morning of Oct 8, 2022. Two spans of the motorway bridge collapsed and fell into the water, the railway bridge above the motorway witha cargo train including railway car tanks with fuel, was on fire. All bridge traffic was suspended. The Crimean Bridge was more than a Bridge, both for Russia and Ukraine. For Russia it was a symbol of the Russian “victory” and historical justice. For the Ukraine, it was a symbol of the Russian aggression and Crimea occupation. The navigation span of the Bridge is yet undamaged, and therefore, the Kerch Strait Channel remained navigable. The Kerch Strait Transit is from now on, however, a risky undertaking, so all ship owners are advised to calculate risks and probably, change their ships voyages, avoiding Azov sea calls.
Felixstowe
Workers at Felixstowe have decided to go on a strike for the first time since 1989. Shipping firms and union leaders have warned that the actions could heavily impact the supply chains and also leave buyers waiting for their necessary goods and other commodities. Nearly 1,900 members of the Unite at Felixstowe have walked out in a dispute regarding pay in the most recent outbreak of industrial action to hit some sectors of the economy. Workers, including machine operators, crane drivers, and stevedores will take action after voting by more than nine to one in favor of strikes. The union said that the eight-day halt is likely to have a significant impact on the port that typically handles almost 4m containers in one year from about 2,000 ships. Felixstowe handles about half of the containerized freight that enters the country and the actions could indicate that vessels have to be diverted to ports in other places in Europe or the UK. Haulage majors have warned that the strike could have a serious impact on business, while trade organizations have said that the consumers could be affected by price increases. All through Suffolk, the bill could run into millions and all over the country a lot more. It is not going to impact the food supply chains as all fresh produces are in stock, but it will impact the supply chain in terms of fences, furniture, and bits and bobs. Maersk, one of the largest container shippers in the world, has said that the strike may cause delays and force it to make changes to its vessel lineup. In the meantime, consumers may be hit with price hikes and shortages of some products. Consumer prices are already rising owing to the increases in the shipping rates experienced since the middle of 2020. Further disruptions in the UK are going to add to the cost pressures, even though the temporary unavailability of some commodities may be the first noticeable impact on the consumers.
MONTARA VENTURE
The 'Montara Venture' has resumed its production on March 21, 2023, more than six months after it was forced to shut down production, following an oil leak. The repair of the vessel had faced numerous delays and challenges in the restart process that began in June 2022. The production recommenced from the H6 well on the Montara field with further wells to follow, including the first Skua subsea well which was to be brought online in the coming days. Jadestone completed an interim repair and subsequent restart of production, while they were working on a permanent repair to the tank. During preparations for that repair, an additional internal defect in a water ballast tank was also identified, which too required repairs. The company suffered problems associated with weather and delays in obtaining materials. They expect that production rates will increase with the systematic opening of additional wells, in line with the company?s restart plan. However, they have deferred from issuing production guidance for 2023 until the output of the 'Montara Venture' has been stabilized.
GALA A
The 'Gala A', while manoeuvring in the port of Ismajil, was in collision with the hopper barge 'Liberty' (IMO: 8728842), which in turn came in contact with the dredger 'Pilgrim' (IMO: 7397593), on March 22, 2023 at 7 p.m. As a result, the embankment of the Izmail sea station was damaged.
Odessa
For the fourth day in a row, Iranian-made drones attacked Odesa on Sep 26 in the morning, this time against military targets and without civilian casualties. On Sep 23, two civilians were killed during Russian drone attacks on the port city. On Sep 25, Odesa was attacked by three drones, one of which was reportedly shot down by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine has not officially identified the drones, but from the video footage below it appears, according to experts, that they are Iranian-produced Shakhed 136 drones.
Odessa
Russian missiles struck the port of Odessa on July 23, 2022, violating a deal signed a day earlier to curb grain exports from Black Sea ports and ease global food shortages caused by the war. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strike as blatant "barbarism" and that Moscow could not be trusted to implement the agreement. The Ukrainian military said that the missiles had not caused any significant damage and that preparations were underway to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports. The deal, signed by Moscow and Kyiv on July 22 and brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, has been hailed as a breakthrough after nearly five months of punitive fighting since Russia invaded its neighbor. By allowing grain exports from Black Sea ports, including Odessa, it is seen as crucial in curbing rising global food prices.
PILGRIM
The cargo m/v 'Gala A' (IMO: 8822040), while manoeuvring in the port of Ismajil, was in collision with the hopper barge 'Liberty' (IMO: 8728842), which in turn came in contact with the 'Pilgrim' on March 22, 2023 at 7 p.m. As a result, the embankment of the Izmail sea station was damaged.
FAST FERRIES ANDROS
The Port Authority of Andros was informed in the evening hours of March 27, 2023, by the Master of the 'Fast Ferries Andros' about a damage to the left auxiliary ramp of the ship en route from the port of Gavrion in Andros on the scheduled route to the ports of Tinos and Mykonos with 313 passengers and 44 crew members on board. The Port Authority of Andros, which conducted the preliminary investigation, banned the ferry from sailing until the presentation of a certificate of maintenance of class by the monitoring classification society.
Yaizu
Yaizu Port is one of the leading fishing ports in Japan. In August 2022, the VesselTracker AIS receiving station opened at Yaizu Port.