News

The 'Silver Star', while underway in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait, was boarded by five perpetrators on April 6, 2025, at 11.50 p.m., about 2.3 nautical miles off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 4.76' N 103° 42.9' E. Nothing was reported stolen, and no injuries were reported.

The 'Upar' allided with the Panamanian navy patrol boat 'Senan-P 208', which was moored at the newly-built pier 3 of the Capitán de Fragata Noel Antonio Rodríguez Naval Base, just south of the PSA Rodman terminal in Balboa, on April 8, 2025, The tuna seiner made its way astern at a high speed when the ship was almost in the middle of the Panama Canal entrance amid heavy rain, and struck the patrol vessel. The contact was cushioned by fenders hung over the side. The crew of the patrol vessel abandoned ship onto the dock as a precautionary measure. the 'Upar' had started emitting audible signals, alerting the sailors on board that something was wrong. Moments later, the 'Upar''s stern allided with the concrete pier structure. There was no apparent damage to the hull of the 'Upar', and no injuries were reported. Harbour tugs arrived swiftly and helped maneuver the tuna seiner away from the pier. Both the 'P-208' and another nearby patrol boat started their engines and got under way from the base. The pier suffered slight damage. The cause of the incident was under investigation. The 'Upra' has been previously accused of irregularities, including harassing American sport fishing operators off Costa Rica and operating within protected waters near the Galapagos Islands. Report with photo and video: https://www.metrolibre.com/nacionales/buque-colisiona-con-el-recien-inaugurado-muelle-3-en-base-naval-del-senan-MO11686785 https://twitter.com/i/status/1909676387532754976

The 'Isle of Lewis', serving on the route Oban - Castlebay, had a medical emergency onboard on the morning of April 9. As a conseuquence, the 06:55 a.m. sailing had to return to Castlebay. In the follow-up,the vessel did not call into Craignure on the passage to the port of Castlebay. An update regarding the previously amended 1:10 p.m. service from Oban will be provided at approx. 10:00 a.m.

Salvage operations aboard the ‘MSC Baltic III’ were gaining momentum and progressing well due to better weather conditions with the heating and pumping of the fuel. No oil or fuel has yet leaked from the vessel. The Canadian Coast Guard continued on-water and shoreline assessments of the gronding site. Ongoing tank soundings have reduced the original estimate of heavy fuel and marine gas on the vessel from 1710 metric tons to 1600 metric tons. As of Aoril 4,184 cubic metres of fuel has been pumped into frac tanks onboard the container ship. MSC is planning to pump the fuel from the frac tanks onboard the 'MSC Baltic III' to frac tanks onboard a barge for removal from the site. This is because once the frac tanks onboard the vessel are full, they will be too heavy to lift onto the barge. The fuel isn't being pumped from the 'MSC Baltic III' directly into the frac tanks on the barge because the heating and pumping is a time-consuming process and requires the barge to be alongside the vessel for an extended period of time. This is challenging with the weather and sea conditions in the area. Environment and Climate Change Canada has installed a mobile weather station at the site to help provide improved weather service in the area. Floating docks have been installed to accommodate Canadian Coast Guard assets to reduce vessel congestion in the area. The Canadian Coast Guard maintains oversight of the operations to ensure a reasonable and appropriate response as there is still an on-going risk that pollution could enter the marine environment. Officials from the Coast Guard wanted to build a road to the vessel, which has to be taken apart and removed since there is too much structural damage to tow the ship. the Mayor of Lark Harbour, Wade Park, stated that plans to construct that road have hit a hurdle and they were trying to find out who owns a piece of land they need to cross. It is not owned by anyone in the town. Reports with photos: https://en.flows.be/shipping/2025/04/salvage-operation-msc-baltic-iii-gaining-momentum-due-to-better-weather/ https://www.frequencynews.ca/news/plans-to-build-a-road-to-a-stranded-cargo-ship-in-cedar-cove-have-hit-a-hurdle/

On the morning of April 4, 2025, the INS 'Trikand', operating in the Central Arabian Sea, provided urgent critical medical assistance to a Pakistani crew member of the fshing vessel 'Al Omeedi', which was operating approximately 350 nautical miles east of the Oman coast. The man had suffered severe injuries involving multiple fractures and blood loss. The ship intercepted a distress call from the Iranian dhow Al Omeedi, after the man had sustained severe injuries to his fingers while working on the engine and was in critical condition. He had been transferred to another dhow, the 'Abdul Rehman Hanzia', which was en route to Iran. The ' Trikand' immediately altered course to provide medical assistance to the victim. The crew of the 'Abdul Rehman Hanzia' consisted of 11 Pakistani and Iranian nationals. The Medical Officer of the 'Trikand', along with a team comprising MARCOS (Marine Commandos) and the boarding team, boarded the vessel to administer aid. After providing local anesthesia, the medical team performed suturing and splinting on the injured fingers. The surgical procedure which lasted for over three hours, was successfully completed, and bleeding was controlled in time, thereby preventing potential permanent loss of the injured fingers due to gangrene. Additionally, medical supplies, including antibiotics, were provided to the vessel to ensure the crew's well-being until they reached Iran.

The 'De Zonnebloem' is being repaired at the at the Gerlien van Tiem shipyard in Druten and will beout of service for over two months. Sailings have been cancelled until the end of June.The collision with the 'Servia' has caused enormous damage to the ship, which was carrying 69 passengers, 65 volunteers and 15 crew members at the time of the accident. The damage to the ship amounts to approximately one million euros. The repair time partly depends on delivery times for new parts and the time it takes for the repair work,. The ship sails about 40 weeks a year and offers trips in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium for people with a (severe) physical disability. Report with photos and video: https://www.gelderlander.nl/druten/geramd-schip-de-zonnebloem-wordt-in-druten-gerepareerd-en-is-ruim-2-maanden-uit-de-vaart-vakanties-tot-eind-juni-afgezegd~aee7bf7b/

Sold to Breakers

The 'TS Nansha', while underway in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait, was boarded by four perpetrators. armed with guns and knives, on March 13, 2025, at 03.30 a.m. in the Phillip Channel in pos. 1° 6.6' N 103° 44.9' E. The crew was tied and locked up. The intruders stole engine spares and escaped. No injuries were reported.

Due to the ongoing technical issue with the main engine of the 'Loch Frisa' on April 8, the following sailings were cancelled: Departure Craignure - 07:10 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.; Departure Oban - 08:30 a.m. and 11:25 a.m. The ferry remained sidelined for troubleshooting. Also the departures from Craignure on April 9 at 07:10 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. as well as the sailings from Oban at 08:30 a.m., 11:25 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. were cancelled.

On the early morning of April 9, a medical evacuation of a crew member was requested from the ''AIDAcosma', en route from Cadiz to Alicante. The SAR helicopter Helimer 220 was mobilized by the CCS Tarifa of Salvamento Marítimo. The patient was hoisted off Algeciras and transported to the Jerez Airport, from where he was taken to a hospital for medical treatment on a higher level.

The 'European Causeway’ suffered a technical failure on April 5, 2025. She has a problem with her starboard rudder. After repairs, she started a trial in the afternoon, but had to return to Larne and berthed stern in. As of April 8, the work continued to try and sort the issue out. The ship remained stationary in Larne as of April 9.

A new hypothesis that could explain what happened to the "Bruma" emerged on April 6 amid the search efforts for the seven fishermen who disappeared a week ago off the coast of Coronel, in the Biobío Region. Echo sounders on codfish fishing boats detected an abnormality on the seafloor, which could indicate that the "Bruma" had been dragged after allegedly colliding with the vessel "Cobra." This hypothesis arose after 27 square kilometers of underwater soil were inspected during the weekend using two sonars that complement the search efforts led by the Navy. However, nothing was found. The idea came from the fishermen themselves when inspecting the echo sounders in the area. The Navy was to decide on April 7 whether to extend the search for another seven days. If it does, the maneuvers will face adverse weather conditions, as rough seas and bad weather are forecast for the area.

After the emergency services were able to prevent the 'Baltica' from sinking, the next steps for the ship must now be determined. The salvage operations was almost complete, according to the water police. However, the ship remains under observation for safety reasons on the morning of April 8. The leak has been sealed. The private diving and salvage company Baltic Taucher is now taking care of the next steps and has deployed the 'Flunder' (MMSI: 211223950) to the pier Kühlungsborn. The ship will now undergo an expert assessment. Whether it will be towed away on April 8 was currently unknown. The water police have not yet issued a towing permit. Hazardous substances have leaked from the ship during the incident. Report with photo: https://www.n-tv.de/regionales/mecklenburg-vorpommern/Bergungsarbeiten-an-Baltica-fast-abgeschlossen-article25687992.html

On April 3, the 'H&S Wisdom' left Guiness again and headed to Rotterdam, where it arrived on April 4. On April 7 it shifted to Dordrecht and was docked at the Shipyard Kooiman Hoebee BV for permanent repairs of the grounding damage suffered.

The 'Hafnia Hong Kong', while being underway in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait, was boarded by three perpetrators on April 7, 2025, at 03.45 a.m., about four nautical miles off Pulau Karimun Kecil, in pos. 1° 8.99' N E 103° 28.4' E. The intruders stole an air compressor and padlocks and escaped. No injuries were reported.

The 'Loch Alainn', serving on the route Barra - Eriskay, suffered a Technical issue with the toilet on April 8. As a consequence, the scheduled departure from Barra at 3:45 p.m. and from Eriskay at 4:35 p.m. had to be cancelled. After the technical issue has been suceessfully resolved, the vessel will operate the additional sailings from Barra at 7:15 p.m. with an arrival at Eriskay at 7:55 p.m. and from Eriskay at 8:00 p.m., arriving at Barra at 8:40 p.m.

On April 8, 2025, at 05:30 a.m. LT the 'Hosel Crown', en route from the Chua Ve port (Hải Phòng) to the Philippines, was in collision with the Vietnamese fishing vessel 'Thanh Hoá-TH 92686 TS' in the Gulf of Bắc Bộ off Hải Phòng, causing it to sink. The wooden fishing boat had been collecting goods (buying fish at sea) since April 8 and was on its way back to Thanh Hoa. The crew was sleeping in the ship's hold when they heard the captain shouting that the ship was sinking. Everyone quickly jumped up and ran to the deck, put on life jackets, grabbed whatever they could and called for help so that the 'Hosei Crown' could hear them. The ship sank so quickly, that they ended up in the water. Upon receiving the distress information, the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (VMRCC) instructed the cargo ship to deploy buoys and begin the immediate search and rescue of the 12 crew members of the fishing vessel, and depöoyed the rescue ship 'SAR 411' from Haiphong to the scene. Nearby vessels were mobilized to assist in the the SAR efforts. In addition, local forces were asked for coordination and the National Civil Defense Steering Committee along with the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration notified to oversee and direct the ongoing SAR operation. At around 9:10 a.m., the search team rescued eight fishermen and recovered the bodies of four deceased crew members of the 'Thanh Hoá-TH 92686 TS', among them the captain. All were transported aboard the 'SAR 411' to Hai Phong’s Central Pier and handed over to the local authorities. The VMRCC has launched an investigation in collaboration with relevant agencies,in order to determine the cause of the collision. There were southeast winds of 3–4 Beaufort and foggy conditions in the area at the time of the incident. Reports with photos and video: https://vtcnews.vn/tau-ca-bi-tau-nuoc-ngoai-dam-chim-4-ngu-dan-tu-nan-ar936414.html https://vtcnews.vn/ngu-dan-thoat-nan-ke-phut-sinh-tu-khi-tau-ca-bi-dam-chim-4-nguoi-thiet-mang-ar936475.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24MB3tB7Mpo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s62eLs7J2fs&t=80s

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company was working to restore the 'Manannan' to full power after a problem with one of its engines was discovered on April 5, 2025. The vessel had just returned to service on the Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin routes following its routine winter overhaul. during a crossing on April 5, an issue with the control system on one of its four main engines was detected. For safety reasons, the engine had to be shut down. Since then, the crew and engineering team, alongside representatives from the control system’s manufacturer, have been carrying out round-the-clock tests to identify and resolve the fault.

The 'Tervel' was disabled due to a damage to a cylinder of the propulsion engine on April 3. After a tow lasting nearly 24 hours, has arrived safely in Brest on the evening of April 4, 2025. The emergency tug 'Abeille Horizon', which had picked the bulk carrier up in the southwest off the tip of Brittany, handed it over to port tugs, which brought the ship to repair dock number 3. Following, repairs, the 'Tervel' is scheduled to set sail for Flushing on April 9 at noon.

The sale of the 'Westerhamm', that was later scrapped in Alang, is unlikely to have any criminal consequences for the German shipping company Döhle. The Hamburg Regional Court rejected charges against two authorized signatories. The public prosecutor's office had accused the two defendants of selling the ship to a so-called cash buyer in Hong Kong in order to have it scrapped. The authorized representatives allegedly knew that the freighter would ultimately be scrapped in India under conditions that did not meet standard environmental standards. The ship had contained around 14,000 tons of hazardous waste. Another defendant is alleged to have organized the sale of the container ship and its transport to Alang . According to the indictment, he sold the shi at the end of 2016 for around $4.8 million. He is also alleged to have instructed the captain to drive the freighter onto the beach in Alang, where it was subsequently scrapped. Even if the prosecutor's account were entirely correct, the facts would not be punishable in Germany, the regional court ruled. The ship was transported from Italy to India. There was never even the intention of crossing a border into German territory. Even the conclusion of the contract in Germany does not change this. The public prosecutor's office is considering whether to appeal the non-opening of the case.