News

The fire damaged ' Grande Brase'will not be repaired. The ship hasleft the port of Antwerp on April 19, being towed by the tug 'Eraclea' (IMO: 9499656), on its last voyage to breakers in Aliaga with an ETA as of May 16. During the preparatory work, the ship's horn was accidentally activated at 2 a.m. and could be switched off only at 7.30 a.m. The police in Beveren was besieged with complaints of the loud noise. The police and local political leaders continued to investigate the issue. While the ship was leaving port, it was assisted by the tugs 'Multragut 7' as steering tug and 'VB Jade' at starboard side. Report with photos and video: https://x.com/i/status/1913632529115914429 https://www.tugspotters.com/app/content/2025/04/eraclea-met-grande-brasile-naar-turkije/ https://www.shippingitaly.it/2025/04/22/in-rotta-verso-aliaga-turchia-la-nave-incendiata-grande-brasile-di-grimaldi/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ2HmlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnRK2uqS17OBaHdVPTOwi6NC9VeGMXZFaK2Rn0vwRqGOA8R42dURacXYwZsF_aem_tm7BUudKE4aHu0O5la81Hg

On April 22, 2025, at around 4 a.m., the container m/v 'Ever Memo' (IMO: 9935372) allided with the 'Wan Hai A09' in the Port of Savannah zpon its arrival from Cristobal.. The 'Ever Memo' was being turned by tugs in the turning basin when it made contact with the other ship with its stern. The 'Wan Hai A09' was in the middle of cargo operations with five cranes working. There was no serious damage, and the 'Wan Hai A 09' left the port again on April 23 en route to Cristobal. Video: https://www.instagram.com/salvage_and_wreck/reel/DIyK6fzy9eX/

The 7-meter sailboat 'Aurora' with three crew members on board requested assistance due to an engine failure on April 23, 2025, near the port of Estepona. The CCS Tarifa of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Gadir', which took the yacht in tow and pulled it safely to the port.

A Florida jury has awarded a cumulative $2,888,300 in damages to three former crew members of the 'Utopia IV', as a result of a lawsuit against the yacht and Utopia Yachting LLC. The plaintiffs, Eric Ward, Samuel Parrott and Fred Wennberg, filed suit under the Jones Act for negligence, unseaworthiness and failure to provide prompt and adequate maintenance, cure and wages following the collision with the tanker 'Tropic Breeze' (IMO: 8906315) on the night of Dec 23, 2021, approximately 15 miles north-northwest of New Providence Island. According to court documents, each plaintiff claims to have been injured in the collision, for which the defendants have "admitted liability". The complaint, which was initially filed on Nov 22, 2022, officially went to trial on March 24, 2025. with the jury set to decide whether each of the three Plaintiffs were injured in the collision, and, if so, the extent of their injuries and to then fairly compensate them for their injuries based on the testimony and evidence presented. An accident report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) previously found that the collision was caused by the yacht crew not maintaining a lookout. At the time of the accident, the 'Utopia IV' was carrying seven charter guests and 12 crew members. She was en route to Bimini Island when she hit the stern of the tanker at 10.00pm. The force of the collision pierced the hull, and the tanker sank at a depth of 2,000 metres. The 'Utopia IV' was sailing at 20 knots when she struck the tanker. The captain was not in the wheelhouse, having left 12 minutes prior to check on the guests.The bosun, who was left in the wheelhouse, was not certified as mate or captain and therefore was not allowed by regulations to perform watchstanding duties by himself. The bosun was multitasking and logging navigation data, and therefore was distracted from performing effective lookout duties. The tanker was sailing at a speed of five knots, carrying a cargo of marine gas oil and liquid petroleum gas. The captain of the 'Tropic Breeze' had also left the wheelhouse to use the restroom prior to the incident. None of the watchstanders on both ships reported seeing the other vessel on radar, which was set to a three-mile radius, while visibility was good, in spite of bow spray reported to have been collecting on the windshield of the 'Utopia IV'. Given the relative speed of both vessels, it was likely that none of the watchstanders had looked at the radar in the 12 minutes before the collision or completed a visual assessment of the surroundings. CCTV in the galley of the 'Utopia IV' captured the moment of the collision. Equipment and several of the yacht's crew were thrown to the deck or into bulkheads; three crew reportedly sustained minor injuries. Utopia IV’s captain was in the main dining area and was thrown into the forward bulkhead and door frame. The chief engineer of the 'Tropic Breeze' investigated the damage and discovered that the engine room was flooding rapidly. The captain made a VHF distress call and decided to abandon the vessel; a life-raft was launched. Meanwhile, the 'Utopia IV’s chief engineer restarted the yacht’s engines, which had shut down after the collision, and a distress call was made from the wheelhouse. The yacht attempted to rescue the crew from the tanker, but sea swells prevented them from boarding. The tanker crew were eventually rescued by the passing m/y 'Amara', which had heard the distress calls and diverted its course to assist. The 'Utopia IV’s chief stewardess told investigators she saw the 'Tropic Breeze’s navigation lights illuminated following the collision. According to the 'Utopia IV’s crew, Utopia IV’s lights were all on. 156,500 gallons of marine gas oil was lost with the tanker. The accident resulted in nearly $7.9 million in damages. As the 'Utopia IV' had approached the 'Tropic Breeze' from directly astern, the yacht as the overtaking vessel was required by 72 COLREGS to give way to the tanker. However, as the watchstanders on both vessels had failed to maintain a proper lookout, they were unable to identify the risk of collision and respond suitably. Although the Utopia IV bore responsibility as the overtaking vessel to manoeuvre away from the tank vessel, once the yacht’s intentions were unclear and a close-quarters situation had developed, the tank er should have taken action. The NTSB investigators concluded that the probable cause of the collision was the 'Utopia IV’s wheelhouse crew not maintaining a proper lookout and therefore not identifying the vessel they were overtaking, but with contribution from the 'Tropic Breeze’s bridge team also not maintaining a proper lookout, which is required by the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 and is essential in determining the risk of collision. Full report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2229.pdf

On April 22, 2025, at around 4 a.m., the cargo m/v 'Ever Memo' allided with the 'Wan Hai A09' (IMO 9555113) in the Port of Savannah zpon its arrival from Cristobal. The 'Ever Memo' was being turned by tugs in the turning basin when it made contact with the other ship with its stern. The 'Wan Hai A09' was in the middle of cargo operations with five cranes working. There was no serious damage, and the 'Wan Hai A 09' left the port again on April 23 en route to Cristobal. Video: https://www.instagram.com/salvage_and_wreck/reel/DIyK6fzy9eX/