On Jan 5, 2021, the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) Director-General, Mr. Robert Njue dispatched a team of two officers with foodstuff to last one week onto the 'Jinan' which has been stranded at the port of Mombasa since 2019. The flag state Zanzibar whwithdrew the registration following successful lobbying by Kenyan authorities after conditions aboard the ship were found to be unbearable. 11 crew members have been living on handouts and donations from well-wishers since the owner of the vessel, Maher Lobadi, abandoned them despite their safe voyage from a Russian port to Mombasa where they delivered steel for construction. Initially, the crew consisted of 18 men, all Syrian nationals. Following their abandonment and at the height of Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 four crew members left before another three left for home after desperately waiting for their wages in vain.
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BADGER
The Ohio-based Interlake Holding Company announced on Dec 30, 2020, that it purchased the SS 'Badber', along with two other vessels and assets of the Pere Marquette Shipping Company and Lake Michigan Car Ferry Company. Besides the SS 'Badger', the deal included the acquisition of the Articulated Tug-Barge 'Undaunted-Pere Marquette 41' and the SS 'Spartan', a sister ship to the 'badber' that's currently not in operation. For more than 60 years, the 410-foot Badger — with room for 600 passengers and 180 vehicles — has steamed across Lake Michigan to and from Ludington and Manitowac, Wisconsin. Mark W. Barker, president of Interlake Holding was welcoming new employees, vessel lines and customers into the company's Great Lakes operation.
STRIL MYSTER
The former 'Stril Myster' passed Mekjarvik on Dec 23, 2020, under tow of the tug 'FFS Amaranth' (IMO: 9161912), from layup in Stavanger to Farsund. In Farsund she will be loaded onboard the heavy load carrier 'Hawk' (IMO: 8616556) for transport to her new owners. The vessel will be renamed 'Ocean Karadenis' and registered in Monrovia, with plans to be be rebuilt for the use as a floating power station. The new owners are Karpowershipyard Rauf Bey Co. (Karmarine Karadeniz Denizcilik ve Ticaret AS), Istanbul.
