The CROSS La Garde reported the French yacht 'Arvi' with rudder problems in the Gulf of Roses. The CCS Barcelona mobilized the 'Salvamar Lyra', which took the ship in tow and safely pulled it to Roses at low speed due to the weather conditions and the rudder problem.
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AR MILINO
A fisherman went over board when the 'Ar Milino' was hauling in the nets approximately 10 nautical miles northwest of Perros-Guirec early on May 14, 2024. An SAR operation was launched at 1:30 a.m. The CROSS Corsen immediately mobilized significant, involving an H160 helicopter of the French Navy and a Dragon 29 of civil security, two SNSM lifeboats, a customs launch and eight fishing vessels. As of 9:40 a.m., the fisherman had not yet been found.
USNS ALAN SHEPARD
The USNS 'Alan Shephard', which ran aground in Bahrain on July 15, 2023, ran aground while the master briefly stepped away for dinner, a summary of a service investigation revealed. The Military Sealift Command vessel was on its way for repairs ahead of sea trials when it got stuck near Khalifa Bin Salman Port, according to the report, which a spokesperson from Naval Forces Central Command shared with Military Times on May 8, 2024. The investigation, which wrapped up in August 2023, found that within roughly 20 minutes of the ship’s master leaving to eat, a loss of situational awareness and poor procedural compliance led to the grounding. With a crew composed of civilian mariners licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard, the vessel continued its transit from a repair yard to the Bahraini port after the ship’s master left the bridge for a meal, leaving another officer at the helm. But just minutes later, in order to avoid hitting a fishing vessel, that junior officer turned the ship into a shoal, grounding it on the soft bottom. The officer “was not cognizant of the ship’s position in relation to the shoals and shallow water while he was maneuvering the vessel to avoid the contact,” the report noted. The master’s failure to be present on the bridge, as required, whenever the ship is operating in restricted waters also played a role in the incident. The ship was refloated on the morning of July 16 with assistance of Bahraini tugs and the rising tide. No injuries were reported, and there was no operational impact. A diver inspection and American Bureau of Shipping evaluation revealed only minor scratches to the paint on the hull of the ship, and no other damage.
LASCAUX
The 'Lascaux' has rescued the two crew members of the 15,75-m-sailing yacht "Alborán Cognac" on May 12, 2024, en route from Gibraltar to Banco del Hoyo. The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 519 charter yacht had been struck by orcas at around 9 a.m., about 26 kilometers off Cape Spartel at the southern entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, The rudder blade and the hull was damaged. When water entered the boat, the sailors made an emergency call. Salvamento Marítimo urged the crew to put on their life jackets and activate the AIS, as well as have the radio beacons ready in case of need for location. A helicopter took off from Spain, and the tanker, which was sailing nearby, was asked to divert to the stricken ship. One hour after the emergency call, the shipwrecked people were safely taken on board by the tanker and dropped off in Gibraltar at 10.30 a.m. The yacht sank while it was being towed by a Moroccan patrol boat towards the port.
GEO BARENTS
On the morning of May 13, the 'Geo Barents' has rescued 43 migrants, who were adrift in a wooden boat in the waters of the central Mediterranean while fleeing from Libya. The Italian authorities, within their policy of assigning ports distant from humanitarian vessels, forced the ship to disembark the castaways in the port of Civitavecchia, about a thousand kilometers from the place where the rescue took place, with an ETA as of May 16. The 'Geo Barents' was blocked a month ago in the port of Marina de Carrara for 20 days despite a Civil Court in Calabria lifting an administrative blockade suffered by the ship.