The 'Grand Princess' has helped save two people who were found clinging to a dinghy after their vessel took on water off Wilsons Promontory in Gippsland in South East Victoria on March 20, 2023. A 58-year-old man and 29-year-old woman had left Queenscliff early and were travelling to Port Albert, but by 10 p.m., they ran out offuel and got into difficulty just off Skull Rock in Wilsons Promontory/Yiruk and Wamoon in the Victorian National Park after its engines failed amid stormy weather conditions. The pair was forced to abandon the boat and get into a dinghy that had been attached to it, before setting off an EPIRB. A police helicopter team located the pair about midnight, and the 'Grand Princess', which was in the Bass Strait, was asked to send a rescue craft to the man and woman. The pair were then taken aboard the ship and both assessed by a medical team with no major injuries. Reports with photos and video: https://www.9news.com.au/national/wilsons-promontory-pair-rescued-by-cruise-ship-after-getting-into-trouble-boating-in-victoria/986ee0a9-07c1-4d6e-a55b-bbb579d1dcf6 https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/pair-saved-by-cruise-ship-at-wilsons-prom-after-abandoning-their-boat/news-story/913fd3185ea4b2bd8e401ae9996f46d5
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QUEEN OF SURREY
The 'Queen of Surrey' was scheduled to return to the Langdale terminal in Vancouver on March 21, 2023, but it won’t go back into active service until April 1,. The ship will remain docked after its arrival and in the week that follows, the final portion of the ship's refit work will take place. That will include sea trials and practice drills. On April 1, the ship is slated to recommence service on Route 3, starting with the 3:15 p.m. sailing out of Langdale.
Ulsteinvik
On June 8, 2021, the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC RESOLUTION (IMO 9880685) was docked out at the Norwegian Ulstein shipyard. Full article + photo gallery: https://www.cruisedeck.de/national-geographic-resolution-ausgedockt/
Thyboron
On May 6, 2021, at 10 a.m. a trawler newbuilding caught fire in Thyborøn. The 'L 120-Linette' was ablaze at the shipyard quay. The fire brigade, police and the lifeboat 'Martha Lerche' of the DSRS were on site. Bundles of flames shot out of the ship, and there was heavy smoke development. The fire had started in the cargo hold when insulation material went alight. Not until May 7 at 2 a.m. the emergency services managed to extinguish the flames on the vessel. The temperatures inside the ship were extremely high. The construction of the trawler began in 2020. Alfred Fisker Hansen and Tommy Svart had ordered the trawler in Vestværft design. The hull was built in Poland and then towed to Thyborøn where it was completed at the Thyborøn Skibs & Motor. The completion in June should now be obsolete. The predecessor ship of the same name is to go to Sweden. The new building is 28.6 meters long and 8.7 meters wide with a planned crew of eight with one trainee. Report with photo and video: https://www.tvmidtvest.dk/lemvig/skib-i-flammer-paa-havnen-i-thyboroen-politiet-opfordrer-til-at-lukke-vinduer-og-doere
CELESTYAL CRYSTAL
Celestyal Cruises has partnered with the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) to provide relief supplies to the residents of Turkey affected by the recent earthquake, which resulted in over 50,000 deaths and left more than one million people homeless. In response to this crisis, Celestyal has donated blankets and sleeping bags to help provide shelter for those in need. The supplies were transported aboard the 'Celestyal Crystal' on its first voyage of the season, which started on March 7, 2023, in Ashdod, and included a call to the port of Kusadasi. In addition to the donation of supplies, Celestyal Cruises will also donate a portion of the revenues from shore excursions in Turkey to the relief effort. The donation of supplies and revenues from shore excursions will make a significant impact on the relief effort and help provide much-needed support to the people of Turkey.
SOUNION
The 'Sounion', en route from Portland, Oregon, to Sao Francisco de Sul, took on board the crew of the 'Russian Ocean Way', which had issued a distress signal on March 16, 2022, while sailing 200 miles off the coast of Chile in the Pacific after the steering was broken and the yacht out of control. There were one Brazilian and two Russians on board, as well as a dog, who went around the world with their boat. They had just set off from Chile to cross the Pacific Ocean, with their first destination being Easter Island, when the problem occurred. They were rescued in good health, and the trimaran was taken in tow.
HMSPWLS
The repair costs for the HMS 'Prince of Wales' are now thought to be spiralling into the tens of millions of pounds. After the warship broke down off the Isle of Wight in August 2022, a propeller shaft was found to be considerably damaged, and the vessel was diverted to Rosyth, Scotland, in order to undergo repairs and once again be on its way. The aircraft carrier was initially supposed to be ready by the end of February 2023. The repairs will now be delayed by a further three months. This puts the restoration back until about May 23, as repairs are finalised and a period of suitable tides passes. Plans have been made to cater for the ship while it remains out of water because it can only sail in very specific periods of time due to its size. Very high water is needed to get over the sill, or doorstop, of the dry dock. The bill now overshadows previous repair costs which were put at £3million. The alliance of the companies involved in building the shi has now fallen apart so it will be hard to find someone to blame. The propeller shaft was out of line and was not corrected before it was delivered to the navy. The 'Prince of Wales' was built by the disbanded Aircraft Carrier Alliance, a partnership of the defence companies BAE Systems, Babcock International and Thales Group with the Ministry of Defence. Investigations into who will bear the brunt of the costs have now been launched.
RUSSIAN OCEAN WAY
The bulk carrier 'Sounion' took on board the crew of the 'Russian Ocean Way', which had issued a distress signal on March 16, 2022, while sailing 200 miles off the coast of Chile in the Pacific after the steering was broken and the yacht out of control. There were one Brazilian and two Russians on board, as well as a dog, who went around the world with their boat. They had just set off from Chile to cross the Pacific Ocean, with their first destination being Easter Island, when the problem occurred. They were rescued in good health, and the trimaran was taken in tow.
Ashdod
The Israel-Palestine conflict has crept into the maritime sector. The two Israeli ports Ashdod and Ashkelon had to be closed after rocket attacks on port infrastructure as well as other port complexes in the region. Vital Israeli port infrastructures in the Ashdod and Ashkelon area were hit in spite of the air defense system iron dome. The port of Ashdod siffered widespread damage. The cargo ships 'Mona' (IMO: 9101534) and 'Ahmet Onel' (IMO: 8420361), were nearly hit by rockets. In a separate incident, the military wing of Hamas - the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigade - has declared that they have bombed an Israeli Gas Platform off Gaza, which has been continuing to burn ever since.
Lüneburg
- there is an access control system for the port: registration at www.hafen-lueneburg.de - special services: drinking water, shore power, acceptance of domestic sewage, acceptance of washing water on request
