Israel plans to stop the ' Barcarole' (Madleen), which is trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and is bringing aid to the enclave, maintaining the 'maritime security zone' around Gaza. The ship left Sicily and is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), a network of activists that has previously sailed to Gaza on similar missions. There are 12 people on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan. According to the FFC, it is a peaceful act of civil disobedience. The crew is trained in non-violent resistance. The yacht is carrying urgently needed aid, such as baby food, rice, flour, diapers, sanitary towels, medical supplies and water supply kits. The organizers want to draw attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
News
NAVIMAR-3
Four vessels ran aground amid powerful monsoon winds iwith speeds of up to 64 km/h in the Bay of Bengal, which were accompanied by heavy rain and rough sea, on the night of May 29, 2025. All vessels had been anchored at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port, The 'Navimar 3', which was moored near Anwara due to unpaid fuel bills, was blown ashore along with the barge 'Mermaid 3' at the Anwara coast in the waters of Chittagong Port. Two years ago, stones were brought from India with the barge for the construction of the SS Power Plant in Banshkhali, Chittagong. At that time, fuel was supplied to the 'Navimar 3', but the owner of the tug did not pay any bill. nor did the local representative of the two ships, the Vision Shipping Company. At least five cases have been filed in this regard. As the case was not settled, the two vessels remained anchored in the waters of Chittagong Port. North of Chittagong, the tanker ''Al Herem' dragged anchor and was pushed onto the breakwater at the Pategna coast after losing control in the heavy seas. The LPG tanker 'B LPG Sophia', (IMO: 9175846), which had been anchored at the port of Chittagong since an explosion during fuel transfer and a subsequent fire in Oct 2024, also drifted ashore nearby. No injuries nor pollution were reported. Reports with photos and video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5aaRvCwSRY&t=8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMo-CAezLkA https://thedailymorningglory.com/2025/05/30/four-ships-wash-ashore-in-chattogram-amid-rough-weather/ https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/4-ships-washed-ashore-chattogram-amid-rough-weather-1155386 https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/i7vwypimtu https://thereport.live/national/rough-sea-4-ships-crash-into-shore-in-chattogram/35648
LOMAIVITI PRINCESS 2
The 'Lomaiviti Princess II' hit a reef near Ono-i-Lau island in Lau last week. On the night of June 1, 2025, the ferry has capsized in Suva harbour in the second ferry incident in these waters in just a few days. The ship had developed a list to starboard side with the stern submerged near the Suva jetty in the Walu Bay area and then rolled over and sank, with only the port side still protruding above the water surface. The Maritime Authority of Fiji has placed booms around the vessel to contain any oil spill. The ferries of the Goundar Shipping have encountered a procession of problems and controversies since the company was founded by George Goundar in 2010, including a grounding of the 'Lomaiviti Princess II' in the Maloi Passage in October 2024. Goundar has referred all queries about the latest incident to the Fiji Ports Corporation, while local interests were now calling for a thorough investigation of the Goundar Shipping by the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji. Although the immediate situation appeared to be under control, ongoing public concerns regarding Goundar Shipping’s safety record prompted MSAF to prepare for a comprehensive audit of the company’s fleet. This audit aims to scrutinize the operational aspects of all vessels operated by Goundar Shipping. “We are about to carry out an audit to review the operations of this shipping operator—all vessels,” emphasized Cawaki. The grounding of the ferry 'Lomaiviti Princess 6' acquired in 2019, also rendered as 'Lomaiviti Princess VI)'. The grounding had occurred near Ono-i-Lau en route to the Lau Group with passengers onboard, Despite a swift response from officials, villagers in the vicinity took it upon themselves to help ferry stranded passengers to nearby islands using smaller boats. The passengers were successfully transferred off the vessel without reported complaints. The incident has prompted the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) to initiate an investigation following a distress report from the shipping company. The incident occurred just as the MSAF began a safety audit of all Fiji-registered vessels and prompted the authority to launch a full review of Goundar’s safety protocols. In May, a local Ra chief was pleading with the Government to halt the registration and deployment of one of Goundar’s latest acquisitions, the high-speed catamaran 'Captain Inoke' due to safety concerns. Reports with photos: https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/public-call-on-msaf-to-act-on-continuous-ferry-saga/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKrgDZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnJhH9sbGkKjkWC4r-3Gx-I9e-sbiHz0223H5GU7TlS56pqDbs1Z4j1XVMc9_aem_h_ZS-zvstsuALxntVllKiA https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/lomaiviti-princess-ii-capsizes/
MT KEONAMEX VICTORY
An Italian court has ordered six members of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans to stand trial over a 2020 rescue operation involving 27 migrants stranded in the Mediterranean. This was the first time a criminal case against a sea rescue crew has moved to trial in Italy. In Aug 2020, the 'Maersk Etienne', now sailing as 'Keonamex Victory', rescued 27 people from a wooden boat about 70 nautical miles north of Libya, following instructions from the Maltese rescue authorities. The migrants had been attempting to reach Europe but were stranded when their vessel began sinking. Despite rescuing them, the 'Maersk Etienne' was not granted permission by Malta, Italy, or Libya to let the migrants disembark. As a result, they remained aboard the tanker for 38 days without access to proper care or facilities. The operator, Maersk Tankers, said the ship was not equipped to host that many people and urgently required assistance. The NGO ship 'Mare Jonio' was dispatched to provide help. The vessel had a doctor on board to offer basic medical attention. The migrants were transferred from the tanker onto the 'Mare Jonio' and then taken to Pozzallo, The talian prosecutors in Ragusa later accused six members of the NGO, including five men and one woman, of aiding illegal immigration. Those named in the case included the captain, a crew doctor, and Luca Casarini, one of the group’s founders and a well-known activist. They all said they were helping people in need and did nothing wrong. One of the main accusations from the prosecutors involved a payment of €125,000 (around $140,000) made by Maersk Tankers to Idra Social Shipping, the company that owns the 'Mare Jonio', a few months after the rescue. The authorities suggested that this was a financial transaction linked to the migrants’ transfer. According to Mediterranea Saving Humans, the payment was a transparent donation meant to cover operational costs. The lawyer Serena Romano, speaking on behalf of the NGO, said that no previous case against rescue crews in Italy had ever reached trial, stating that similar investigations had either been closed during the inquiry or dropped at the pre-trial stage. The court in Ragusa has scheduled the first hearing for Oct 21, 2025. Casarini said the trial would serve as an opportunity to examine the decisions made by authorities during the 38-day standoff.
ORANGE FROST
On May 30, 2025, the 'Orange Frost' has been boarded by pirates off southern Nigeria, about 110 nautical miles south of the coast, between Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe..The ship had sailed from Douala on May 29 en route to Matadi, when it was boarded by a group of seven armed pirates. The perpetrators boarded the vessel with what appeared to be guns. The majority of the crew mustered in the citadel, with the exception of the two sailors. One of them was injured during the attack, and the other, the 2nd engineer, a Russian national, was kidnapped. They were able to monitor the incident as it unfolded using the vessel’s CCTV system. The perpetrators left the vessel and by May 31 MDAT-GoG was reporting the ship had been searched and confirmed no boarders remained aboard. An inspection of the vessel showed that the perpetrators also damaged some of the equipment on the bridge. Local authorities boarded the ship to assist the crew and were escorting the ship to a port of refuge. This is the second attack in this part of Nigeria's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in five weeks. The previous attack took place on April 22, also about 100 nautical miles south of the Brass area in the Niger Delta. The pirates boarded a ship but were unable to enter the citadel, where the entire crew had taken refuge. This was the 5h piracy incident in the area since the beginning of the year.
MSC ELSA 3
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stated that Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) that owned the #MSC Elsa 3# was expected to clarify on the contents of the hazardous cargo in the 13 of the 640 containers. An order dated May 27, issued by the Principal Bench of the tribunal in New Delhi pointed out that there were chances of serious impact to the marine and coastal environment affecting the biodiversity and water quality of the area as the sunken ship was carrying hazardous materials such as calcium carbide, oil and other undisclosed items. the incident violated the provisions under the Biodiversity Act, 2002; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The order was issued after the tribunal took suo motu cognisance of the report titled Containers from sunken ship likely to drift towards Alappuzha, Kollam Coasts in 48 hours: INCOIS published in The Hindu. On account of wave, wind and current actions of the waters, these pollutants can travel to other coastal parts of the country, including Lakshadweep islands, affecting them. The impact on the Lakshadweep island will be severe as the island coastal water has high bio-diversity with corals. The Bench has asked the Member Secretaries of the Central Pollution Control Board, Lakshadweep Pollution Control Committee, Kerala State Pollution Control Board; Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Director General, Indian Coast Guard: and Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to submit their responses on the shipwreck one week before the next hearing on July 30. An expert team from Gujarat recovered a container that was washed ashore in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, on May 31. The container washed ashore at Vaniyakudi fishing village, about one km from Colachel. It was hauled up onto the shore by a team from Gujarat which also included experts from the Marine Engineering Resources Centre, Porbandar, and those from district fisheries department officials.
GUARDAMAR POLIMNIA
Salvamento Marítimo rescued 44 people aboard a small boat, which was sailing approximately 50 nautical miles off Lanzarote, on June 1. At around 7:00 a.m., the MRCC in Las Palmas received a phone call with a position at sea, with no other information. Later, another call indicated that it was a small boat, close to a ship. The 'Guardamar Polimnia' was moblilized, which shortly afterward received confirmation of the sighting of the small boat, 50 miles off Lanzarote, from the m/v 'Hyperion Ray,' which escorted it until the lifeboat arrived. Minutes before 11 a.m. its crew spotted the boat and proceeded minutes later to rescue the 44 people on board, all of them of sub-Saharan African origin and in apparent good health. The vessel arrived in Arrecife, at around 1:30 p.m.
BLUE STAR CHIOS
On June 1, the 'Blue Star Chios', on a scheduled route from Rhodes to Piraeus, rescued 75 migrants, among them 43 men, 14 women and 15 minors, from a sinking sailboat southeast of Karpathos, which had issued a distress call approximately 14.4 nautical miles off the southeastern coast of the island in the Aegean Sea, prompting a swift response from Greek Maritime Authorities. The MRCC of the Greek Coast Guard launched an SAR operation and dispatched a liefeboat. Nearby vessels also responded promptly to the distress alert. The ferry, which was carrying approximately 200 passengers, altered its course and took on board all migrants. No injuries were reported. The migrants were taken to the port of Piraeus. The Central Port Authority of Piraeus, which was conducting the preliminary investigation, identified three of the rescued, all Iranian nationals, aged 27, 37 and 28, as human traffickers. They were arrested for violating article 83 of Law 3386/2005 "Illegal entry into the country", article 25 of Law 5038/2023 "Facilitating", article 45 of the Criminal Code "Abetment" and article 306 of the Criminal Code "Report". According to a statement by the rescued, they set off on the afternoon of May 31 from the wider area of Bodrum, paying amounts of money ranging from 2,000 to 8,000 euros for their transport to Greece. During their transport, the yacht suffered water ingress, resulting in it sinking.
SALVAMAR ACRUX
On the night of June 2, the 'Salvamar Acrux' has rescued 41 people from an inflatable boat, which had been located by a Sasemar 102 aircraft about two nautical miles northeast of Lanzarote. The migrants were being transferred to Arrecife. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1929615868608008567
COSTAMAR
On May 29, 2025, the "Costamar" was detained in Muuga with seven deficiencies, four of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Life saving Appliances - Lifeboats Not ready for use 2) Life saving Appliances - Launching arrangements for rescue boats Not properly maintained 3) Radio communications - Maintenance/duplicat of equipment Not as required 4) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on June 1 and left the port en route to Kokkola with an ETA as of June 3. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591
RON JEREMY
The 'Ron Jeremy', was located at a depth of almost 40 meters. The Coast Guard was working to stop a diesel spill. Cooperation was taking place with the Police Authority, on and below the surface. Divers from the Coast Guard and the Police were trying together to seal the parts of the ship where diesel was leaking and at the same time search for the crew member who was still missing. The Coast Guard vessel 'KBV 181' is currently involved in the operation. Additional resources are being added as needed. There are approximately five tons of diesel on board the wreck, of which a smaller amount has leaked into the water. There is currently no indication that the oil will reach land. Work at the scene is being complicated by the fact that the barge with timber still appears to be stuck in the tugboat, combined with bad weather on June 2. The owner of the cargo planned to transport it further.
SW BLY
In a midnight rescue opration, the Indian Coast Guard Station Kakinada coordinated a life saving medical evacuation operation. from the 'SW BLY'. The 'ICGS 430' wass mobilized on May 30, 2025, at 01.10 a.m. after the captain had suffered a heart attack. The patient was disembarked and safely brought to shore. He was shifted to the Apollo Hospitals in Kakinada for further medical treatment. Report with photos: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-coast-guard-evacuates-heart-attack-stricken-captain-from-foreign-vessel-at-sea-101748700180286.html#google_vignette
MARTIN I SOLER
The crew of the 'Martin I Soler', which connects Mallorca with Menorca and Barcelona, upon arriving in Ciutadella, encountered a locked cabin on the moprning of May 31, 2025. The crew was alerted because the guest who had spent the night in the cabin refused to leave despite repeated requests. When the door was opened, they crew discovered the lifeless body of a man. The deceased was a 58-year-old Spanish truck driver. An ambulance from Emergency Service 061 was immediately dispatched and could only confirm the man's death. The truck driver had apparently died several hours earlier.
B-LPG SOPHIA
Four vessels ran aground amid powerful monsoon winds iwith speeds of up to 64 km/h in the Bay of Bengal, which were accompanied by heavy rain and rough sea, on the night of May 29, 2025. All vessels had been anchored at the outer anchorage of Chattogram Port, The tug 'Navimar 3' (IMO: 9526045), which was moored near Anwara due to unpaid fuel bills, was blown ashore along with the barge 'Mermaid 3' at the Anwara coast in the waters of Chittagong Port. Two years ago, stones were brought from India with the barge for the construction of the SS Power Plant in Banshkhali, Chittagong. At that time, fuel was supplied to the 'Navimar 3', but the owner of the tug did not pay any bill. nor did the local representative of the two ships, the Vision Shipping Company. At least five cases have been filed in this regard. As the case was not settled, the two vessels remained anchored in the waters of Chittagong Port. North of Chittagong, the tanker ''Al Herem' dragged anchor and was pushed onto the breakwater at the Pategna coast after losing control in the heavy seas. The 'B LPG Sophia', which had been anchored at the port of Chittagong since an explosion during fuel transfer and a subsequent fire in Oct 2024, also drifted ashore nearby. No injuries nor pollution were reported. Reports with photos and video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5aaRvCwSRY&t=8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMo-CAezLkA https://thedailymorningglory.com/2025/05/30/four-ships-wash-ashore-in-chattogram-amid-rough-weather/ https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/4-ships-washed-ashore-chattogram-amid-rough-weather-1155386 https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/i7vwypimtu https://thereport.live/national/rough-sea-4-ships-crash-into-shore-in-chattogram/35648
NIEUW STATENDAM
On June 1, 2025, at 3.45 a.m. the KNRM was alerted for the medical evacuation of a passenger from the 'Nieuw Statendam', en route from Rotterdam to South Queensferry, UK, off Hoek van Holland, who had suffered a heart attack on board the cruise ship. The medical staff of the vessel took immediate action. After they had telephone contact with the doctor of the radio medical service of the KNRM, it was decided that the victim had to be transferred to a hospital as soon as possible. The lifeboat 'Jeanine Parqui' rendezvoused with the ship at the Berghaven, and two rescuers were first transferred with the stretcher. The victim was prepared for transport. In addition to the victim, a doctor and nurse from the cruise ship also were transferred to continue the medical care on board the lifeboat. The victim was quuickly transferred to a waiting ambulance. Report with photos: https://www.knrm.nl/nieuws/knrm-reddingstation-hoek-van-holland/medische-evacuatie-vanaf-cruiseschip-bij-hoek-van-holland
MARE JONIO
An Italian court has ordered six members of the NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans to stand trial over a 2020 rescue operation involving 27 migrants stranded in the Mediterranean. This was the first time a criminal case against a sea rescue crew has moved to trial in Italy. In Aug 2020, the 'Maersk Etienne', now sailing as 'Keonamex Victory', rescued 27 people from a wooden boat about 70 nautical miles north of Libya, following instructions from the Maltese rescue authorities. The migrants had been attempting to reach Europe but were stranded when their vessel began sinking. Despite rescuing them, the 'Maersk Etienne' was not granted permission by Malta, Italy, or Libya to let the migrants disembark. As a result, they remained aboard the tanker for 38 days without access to proper care or facilities. The operator, Maersk Tankers, said the ship was not equipped to host that many people and urgently required assistance. The NGO ship 'Mare Jonio' was dispatched to provide help. The vessel had a doctor on board to offer basic medical attention. The migrants were transferred from the tanker onto the 'Mare Jonio' and then taken to Pozzallo, The talian prosecutors in Ragusa later accused six members of the NGO, including five men and one woman, of aiding illegal immigration. Those named in the case included the captain, a crew doctor, and Luca Casarini, one of the group’s founders and a well-known activist. They all said they were helping people in need and did nothing wrong. One of the main accusations from the prosecutors involved a payment of €125,000 (around $140,000) made by Maersk Tankers to Idra Social Shipping, the company that owns the 'Mare Jonio', a few months after the rescue. The authorities suggested that this was a financial transaction linked to the migrants’ transfer. According to Mediterranea Saving Humans, the payment was a transparent donation meant to cover operational costs. The lawyer Serena Romano, speaking on behalf of the NGO, said that no previous case against rescue crews in Italy had ever reached trial, stating that similar investigations had either been closed during the inquiry or dropped at the pre-trial stage. The court in Ragusa has scheduled the first hearing for Oct 21, 2025. Casarini said the trial would serve as an opportunity to examine the decisions made by authorities during the 38-day standoff.
ISLE OF CUMBRAE
The 'Isle of Cumbrae', serving on the route Largs-umbrae, suffered an issue with the aft ramp on June 2. As a consequence, the vessel is currently unavailable for service. All sailings of the 'Loch Shira' were operated as normal.
BARCAROLE
One month after the first attempt to sail to Gaza was stopped when the 'Consicence' was attacked, the activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition has launched a second attempt with the 'Barcarole', named 'Madleen' for Gaza’s first and only fisherwoman, which set out from the port of Catania on June 1, 2025, with the declared intent to challenge Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza as “a peaceful act of civil resistance. All the volunteers and crew aboard the Madleen are trained in nonviolence. They are sailing unarmed", as the group said in a statement, while understanding the risk of interception by Israeli naval forces. The Coalition says they put aboard an advanced tracking system which currently shows them sailing at 5.7 knots. As such, it would take them a week to complete the 1,000-nautical mile trip to Gaza. On board, are volunteers from multiple countries, among them a member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, climate justice activist Greta Thunberg, and according to some reports the Irish actor Liam Cunningham. The ship is carrying urgently needed supplies for the people of Gaza, including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children’s prosthetics. Report with photo: https://maritime-executive.com/article/ngo-launches-second-attempt-to-sail-to-gaza-without-its-damaged-ship