News

The salvage teams working at the site of the 'MSC Baltic III' were continuing to make progress, while it remains an ongoing operation that is expected to take time. Weather which had been a factor during the winter and early spring has improved giving the teams easier access to the vessel. In addition, one of the local mayors reported a light vehicle road was expected to be completed this week to give access for personnel into the remote area on the western shore of Newfoundland. The road is not for the removal of material from the ship. The container removal has also given the teams more access including to fuel tanks that they have so far not been able to reach. Approximately half of the heavy fuel has been removed in a process of heating it and pumping it to storage tanks placed on the deck of the vessel. It is then pumped into tanks on a barge and moved to Corner Brook where it is being loaded onto other MSC vessels. The Coast Guard estimates the vessel had approximately 1,600 metric tons of heavy fuel and marine gas oil onboard. The 'Eems Dublin', an open hatch vessel, has provided a walk-to-work platform to reach the 'MSC Baltic III'. Also a crane vehicle has been put on the vessel that is being used to hoist containers from the 'MSC Baltic III' to the deck of the 'Eems Dublin'. As of June 13, over half the fuel from the main fuel tanks onboard the ship have been removed. 14 more containers were also removed with six of them having spoiled food products. Report with photo: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/salvage-teams-making-progress-removing-boxes-and-fuel-from-msc-baltic-iii

On June 13, 2025, shortly after 1 p.m. the ' St. Erik' with 123 people on board ran aground armt Knarrholmen in the southern Gothenburg archipelago. Five people suffered minor injuries when they fell in connection with the grounding. After the incident, the vessel was able to make it to Fiskebäck harbour under its own power, where the rescue service and ambulance were waiting. None of the injured were deemed to be in need of emergency medical care. The guests who were not injured have been evacuated and taken to central Gothenburg by bus. The rescue service has examined the ship for leaks, but without finding anything. The canal company will now take it to a shipyard to inspect it. The police will investigate the incident as negligence in maritime traffic and causing bodily harm. There is no suspect at this time. Report with video: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vast/skargardsfartyg-pa-grund-i-goteborg-flera-skadade

On June 12, 2025, a fire broke out aboard the 'Interasia Tenacity' with 21 Philippino crew members and 1387 containers on board, en route from Port Klang to the Nhava Sheva port. The fire in the cargo could be confined to one container by the crew, which brought the situation under control. No further assistance was needed. The ship was expected in the port of destination on the evening of June 13. Upom its distress call, the Indian Coastguard had deployed the ICGS 'Sachet' with fire fighting equipment, and launched an aircraft for surveillance.

On June 12, 2025, at 8:15 p.m., the 'Wilson Nanjing' allided with another ship during the departure maneuver from the Weserport Terminal 1 in Bremen's industrial ports en route to Delfzijl. The port side stern struck the foreship of a ship which was moored at the pier. Both vessels sustained minor damage. When the Bremen Water Police officers arrived to assess the accident, they immediately noticed the smell of alcohol on the 55 year old Russian captain. A voluntary breathalyzer test confirmed their suspicion and showed over 1.6 per mille. The police prohibited the man from continuing his journey. A blood sample was taken and a €5,000 security deposit was withheld. The investigation against the captain for endangering shipping was ongoing.

The 'Wan Hai 503' remained adrift in pos. 10°11.08’N, . 075°32.06’E at a speed of 1,5 to 2 knots with about 40 % of the fire being suppressed, after an IAF MI 17 helicopter dropped off chemicals. Grey and black smoke was still emitted from the forward cargo hold, while boundary cooling was continued. Hydrocarbon vapors have been observed. Attempts were to be made to transfer the towing connection from a Coast Guard vessel th the tug 'Offshore Warrior' (IMO: 9315109), which has a stronger bollard pull. Also the tug 'Triton Liberty' (IMO: 9530266) has been mobilized from Kochi to assist with an ETA as of June 12, 9 p.m. Rough weather was expected off Kerala in the forthcoming days. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has warned the state government that an oil spill of about 100 tons from the f'Wan Hai 503' could reach the Kerala coast between Chavakkad and Kochi by June 14 and Ernakulam coast by June 15.The agency has warned the state government of potential shoreline contamination and ecological damage owing to the oil spill and has advised immediate response from local authorities. The directorate general of shipping (DGS) has issued a stern warning to Wan Hai International Pte Ltd. as the owner company, cautioning that criminal proceedings will be initiated if there is any further delay or negligence in launching effective firefighting and salvage operations. The directorate expresses its serious concern regarding the response initiated by the owners and the owner appointed salvors, the T&T Salvage, for the efforts to mitigate the imminent danger. No fire fighting (Fi-Fi) assets or tugs have been deployed, no equipment has reached the site, and the salvage assets still remained absent. The ‘Offshore Warrior' which has limited Fi-Fi capability and lacks foam and is inadequate to effectively address the rapidly evolving and critical nature of the situation. Furthermore it did not have adequate fuel on board to continue the operatipon and had to return to Kochi for replenishment.

The 'Vera Rose' has been banned from Paris MOU ports after failing three safety inspections in nine months. since August 2024 in Cyprus, followed by another one in Turkey in January 2024, and finally in Constanta on May 21, 2025. where the ship was detained for eight days due to 22 deficiencies, nine of which having been regarded as grounds for a detention. Hull corrosion was spotted bythe inspectors, and there were no certificates relating to seafarer rescue. The ISM code compliance document was not properly filled in, and the emergency generator was damaged. The crew lacked training in fire drills, and the heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems were not operational. The vessel was also missing charts and lacked loading information on stability and structural strength. Insurance is provided by Oslo insurer Hydor. The ship has been moored at the Tuzla shipyard area from June 1 to June 5, before proceeding to Iskenderun with an ETA as of June 15.

On June 11, 2025, the 'Maple Harbour' rescued the 23 crew members of the bulk carrier 'Run Fu 3' (IMO: 9138903), which had started sinking enroute from Tianjin to Lome, following a water ingress in the foreship approximately 500 nautical miles south of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean in pos. 09°04.48 S, 073°34.06 E, Upon receiving a distress signal at around 2.45 a.m. LT, the 'Maple Harbour, en route from Son Duong to Italy, diverted to the position to rescue the crew and reached the scene at 5:30 a.m. After unsuccessful efforts to contain the flooding, the crew abandoned the 'Run Fu 3' into life rafts at 8:15 a.m.. At around 1:20 p.m., the 'Maple Harbour' successfully had taken on board all crew members of the Run Fu 3', among them 21 Vietnamese nationals and two from Myanmar. They were provided with food, water, and a place to rest aboard the Korean vessel. Arrangements were underway to disembark the castaways safely at Port Louis, in coordination with the operator of the 'Run Fu 3' with an ETA as of June 16. Reports with photos: https://splash247.com/crew-rescued-from-sinking-bulker-in-indian-ocean/ https://maritimesutra.com/2025/06/12/crew-abandoned-the-vessel-bulk-carrier-run-fu-3-adrift-in-indian-ocean/

Just a few days after the tugs "Bülk" and "Kitzeberg" were put up for sale, there were interested buyers from abroad. The "Bülk" has already left Kiel and has berthed at a shipyard in Assens on May 5, 2025. The buyer is the shipping company Oceanteam from Trieste. They have already renamed the tug "Hulk." Many of their approximately 50 tugs were built or operated in Germany before. The shipping company operates in northern Italy, Slovenia, and Montenegro. The "Kitzeberg" found a potential buyer from Tanzania who are planning to operate the tug in West Africa under the name "Kitzeberg." The buyer was awarded the contract on May 19.

arrived Aliaga Anchorage 09.06.25

The 'Fairplay', en route from Nürnberg to Linz with three crew members on board and a cargo of 1780 tons iron ore, drifted perpendicular to the fairway during a turning manoever, while trying ot enter the west port of Regensburg, and ran aground on the Danube river near the Schwabelweis district of Regensburg on June 11, 2025 (Lat. 49.0222 Lng. 12.1446), at around 9 a.m. The river was partially blocked at that position. Attempts to refloat the vessel with a pusher tug failed on that day, and were resumed on June 12, without success again. The water police indicatesdthat the ship could be passed on one side. The river is 220 meters wide, and the 'Fairplay' was lying at an angle, the navigable part was approximately 50 meters wide. The Water Management Authority planned to use a sounding ship to check the exact water depth at the location where the ship got stuck and remained in unchanged position as of June 13. If salvage attempts failed again on this day, the cargo should partially be lightered with a dredger, starting on June 16. Reports with photos and video: https://www.wochenblatt.de/lokales/regensburg-oberpfalz/frachtschiff-hat-sich-auf-donau-festgefahren-und-liegt-quer-im-wasser-18850901 https://www.nordbayern.de/oberpfalz/regensburg/polizeibericht/quer-im-fluss-guterschiff-steckt-in-der-donau-in-bayern-fest-bergung-gestaltet-sich-schwierig-1.14722134 https://www.sat1.de/serien/1730-sat1-bayern/videos/frachtschiff-auf-der-donau-bei-regensburg-schiff-bleibt-weiter-festgefahren-v_vegwoybzmj28 https://www.tvaktuell.com/mediathek/video/regensburg-frachtschiff-steckt-auf-der-donau-fest/

The Directorate General of Shipping has given the salvors and owners of the 'MSC Elsa 3' 48 hours to begin and complete the extraction of oil leaking into the sea, warning that failure to act would lead to civil and criminal charges. The notice was issued on the evening, of June 11. The ship had on board 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367.1 metric tonnes of furnace oil. Delays in starting saturation diving - the recommended method for safely removing the oil -have seriously disrupted the operation’s timeline. Given the seriousness of the environmental threat and the narrowing operational window due to the approaching monsoon, the salvors and shipowners have now been given a final ultimatum to begin and complete the oil removal. A failure to comply would result in both civil and criminal liability being imposed under applicable Indian laws, and legal proceedings will be initiated before the competent courts without further notice, The divers were working from the 'Seamec III' in round-the-clock shifts, but worsening weather due to the incoming monsoon is putting pressure on teams to complete the task swiftly. The dive team has been expanded to speed up the work, and more equipment was being moved in. Completing the sealing and quickly transitioning to oil extraction was now urgent, before rough seas make further diving impossible. The divers successfully sealed multiple bunker vents and surrounding pipes that were contributing to oil seepage, with no active overflow currently observed. Continuous monitoring was underway for minor seepage detected from the sounding pipe of Fuel Oil Tank No 22. Sounding pipe leaks have been contained using layered sealing (plastic and polyester materials), and an additional loosened cap was tightened and secured to halt minor leakage. Centre Tank No 24 has been confirmed secure; precautionary sealing will be undertaken to eliminate any residual risks.

In aa high-risk operation on June 11 at around 3 p.m. an ICG Chetak helicopter winched five salvage team members and one aircrew diver onto the 'Wan Hai 503', which secured a towline to pull the ship to a safer area away from the coast in an operation, jointly undertaken by the Indian Coast Guard and the Marine Emergency Response Centre, approximately 95 kilometres off the Kerala coast. A specialised salvage team from Porbandar was airlifted to the site and managed to board the ship amidst intense smoke and fire risks. The salvors were from the Marine Emergency Response Centre of Vishwakarma Mechanical Works, Gujarat. The MERC team boarded the ship with great difficulty in order to tie a heavy-duty rope on the forward deck. The operation was made possible after Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels managed to douse the fire on the forward section of the ship earlier in the day, so that the crew could access the deck. The inner decks of the 'Wan Hai 503' remained on fire, posing a challenge to the agencies engaged in firefighting operations, near the fuel tanks with over 122 metric tonnes of fuel. So far, the outer fires have largely been brought under control, with only smoke now visible from the cargo holds. Five Coast Guard ships, among them the 'Samudra Prahari', 'Sachet', 'Vikram' and 'Samarth', two Dornier aircraft, a helicopter, and two support vessels from the Directorate General of Shipping were actually involved in the firefighting operations, The sea remained rough, adding to the challenges. An Mi helicopter of the Indian Air Force took off from Kozhikode on the morning of June 12 with 2,600kg of fire retardant dry chemical powderto aid the operations. In a high-stakes firefighting operation, the crew sprayed the dry chemical powder on the ship. The authorities expressed hope that the flames would be fully extinguished by the evening. Salvage Master observations confirmed an ongoing hydrocarbon release, with potential involvement of fuel tanks. The tug 'Saroja Blessing' (IMO: 9299070) was en route to the spot with an additional 1,000 kg foam firefighting compound. The ship carried 1,754 containers of which 1,083 were in the cargo holds under deck and 671 on the deck. 143 containers carried dangerous cargo, including flammable liquids and solids, substances that can emit flammable gases, and toxic substances. Efforts are on to retrieve and identify any containers lost overboard. The search for four crew members, including two Taiwanese, who went missing, would continue for at least 10 days. The 'Arnvesh', 'Rajdoot' and 'Kasturba Gandhi' were undertaking search operations for them. The fire was believed to have originated in a container situated midship, and it is suspected that the seafarers were in the vicinity at that time. The tug 'Offshore Warrior' (IMO: 9315109) has returned to the shore due to some technical snags. Report with photo and video: https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/chemical-powder-sprayed-to-douse-fire-on-wan-hai-ship-daring-mission-underway-to-tow-it-into-deep-sea-j9jeqa6d

An agent for the owner of the 'Hein' said on June 12 that the vessel has been repacked on June 11, was afloat, and was waiting on the bad weather to end before anchoring in Port of Spain. Because of the rainy weather, we decided not to move the ship until the low visibility has improved. There was no major fuel spill from the vessel. The President of the TT Marine Services Association (MSATT) Jesse James said as of June 12, everything was fine with the ship. The company Capital Signal had dispatched the tug 'C Prowle' along with a barge equipped with a crane to aid in stabilizing the 'Hein'. Report with photo: https://newsday.co.tt/2025/06/13/guyana-vessel-waiting-for-bad-weather-to-stop/

The U.S. Coast Guard, British Virgin Islands Royal Marine Police, and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard air and surface units rescued the French skipper Frank Rouvray, 58, of the 'Topaze' in Eastern Caribbean waters northeast of Anegada, British Virgin Islands, on June 10, 2025. He was on a voyage to the island of Saint Martin when the vessel became demasted. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a distress alert on the morning from a 406 MHz EPIRB. The alert was located approximately 33 nautical miles northeast of Anegada. The weather on-scene was reported as seven to nine-foot seas with 21 knot winds. Watchstanders issued an UMIB and an Enhanced Group Call to alert any vessels to be on the lookout for a possible distress. A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen responded to search for any signs of a possible distress, while a Royal Marine Police surface unit also responded. Once in the vicinity, the Coast Guard aircrew detected the location of the distress signal and was able to establish communications with Rouvray aboard the sailing vessel, who indicated the vessel had also run out of fuel. Despite a language communication barrier with the mariner, the Coast Guard aircraft remained on-scene, until it was temporarily relieved by a Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard fixed-wing aircrew to refuel. After refueling, the Coast Guard aircrew returned and reestablished air coverage of the 'Topaze' until the Royal Marine Police surface unit arrived on scene. The Royal Marine Police crew successfully established a towline for the vessel and safely towed the yacht to a safe harbour in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4213393/coast-guard-dutch-caribbean-coast-guard-british-virgin-islands-royal-marine-pol/

The ' Kitzeberg' has been renamed ' Bara' as of June 13, and registered in its new home port Tanzania, while being prepared for the delivery voyageat the SFK base in Kiel.

arrived Bhavnagar Anchorage 13.06.25

On Juen 13, 2025, the motorboat 'Nereo' was disabled and adrift south of Palma de Mallorca after suffering a mechanical failure, and requested assistance. The 'Marta Mata' took it in tow and safely pulled it to Cala Gamba.

The Kerala High Court has ordered the arrest of the 'MSC Manasa F' along with its hull, tackle, engine, machinery spares, gear, apparel, paraphernalia, furniture, etc. at Vizhinjam Port. The order will remain in effect until a total of Rs 6 crore is deposited by the company in the High Court. Justice MA Abdul Hakhim issued the order on the admiralty suit filed by five exporters who lost their consignment following the shipwreck of the 'MSC Elsa 3'. The advocate Joy Thattil Ittoop, counsel for the petitioners, submitted that each of them has lost certain containers. The shipping company MSC did not have any movable or immovable properties within the territory of India, and hence, they were entitled to invoke the admiralty jurisdiction of the court for the arrest and detention of the vessel. They submitted that if adequate safeguards were not made until the furnishing of the security, they would be put to irreparable loss and injury. The court made it clear that the Warrant of Arrest would be withdrawn, and the conditional order of arrest would automatically be vacated once the amount is deposited or security is furnished by the company in the court, without any further order.

Eight hours before the 'Dali' allided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the master Chandrashekar Sabhapathy spoke with its chief engineer. while the vessel, was berthed at the Port of Baltimore on March 25, 2024. It had just experienced two blackouts, and the captain wanted the engineer to comprehensively complete an incident report for the ship’s office. “For now, put the data reporting date as the28,” the captain told the engineer, which was was three days after the incident. Filing a written report days after an incident is permitted; the U.S. Coast Guard allows five days for a ship to report a marine casualty. The Department of Justice alleged in its lawsuit in 2024 that the 'Dali' did not notify the Coast Guard immediately after addressing the safety concerns, violating federal regulations. Reporting the in-port blackouts could have prompted a Coast Guard inspection. The Coast Guard was conducting a thorough review of all events preceding the allisiion. Some experts said that the crew acted appropriately by creating a comprehensive report that it would later file. Others saud that evidence shoed that an important safety step was skipped prior to the departure from Baltimore. The recently released NTSB documents shed light on the previous afternoon, 10 hours prior to the accident, when the ship twice lost power at the Seagirt Marine Terminal. Alarms sounded intermittently for more than 30 minutes beginning at 2:20 p.m. “Something is missing,” one crew member said in Hindi. “Look there — close to that,” another said. At one point, the alarms ceased, and it was quiet enough for a recording to pick up the sound of a utensil stirring coffee in a ceramic cup. Then, the sirens picked back up. At 5:49 p.m. the master instructed the chief engineer to fill out an “incident report,” and that he wanted the engineer to do so because the “incident was related to the engine room", stressing that he wanted that information as soon as possible but the report itself could be submitted at a later date. The 'Dali' left Baltimore on MArch 26 at around 12:30 a.m. and lost power again four minutes before crashing into the Key Bridge. A dozen members of the crew remained in the Baltimore area, while the federal investigations continued. Chandrashekar Sabhapathy was deposed by the federal government on Feb. 17 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront.

On June 13, two Chinese-flagged vessels have been called by the Authorities for the refloating operation of the 'Amory', which has been stranded since June 8 at the entrance to the Diego Bay, near the Emerald Sea. According to the Diana governorate, the effective start of the salvage work was pending on the results of technical surveys conducted by specialized experts.