News

The commander of the 'LS 920' along with 16 more crew members has been charged by the Piraeus Naval Court with causing the trawler 'Adriana' to capsize, which led to death of up to 650 people on June 14, 2023, in international waters within the Greek SAR zone near the town of Pylos. At least 82 bodies were recovered from the disaster, though up to 650 were feared dead. Hundreds of people, including women and children, were missing after being trapped below deck. Only 104 of an estimated 750 occupants had survived. Survivors of the shipwreck told media that a botched attempt by Greek coastguard to tow the vessel had caused it to capsize. The deputy prosecutor of the Piraeus Naval Court indicted 17 Hellenic Coast Guard members, including the captain of the 'LS-920'. The captain faces charges of “causing a shipwreck”, “dangerous interference of maritime transport” and “failure to provide assistance”. Other crew members were charged with “complicity” in acts committed by the captain. Reports by rights groups and watchdogs, based on survivors’ testimonies, pointed to the role of the Hellenic Coast Guard in precipitating the wreck, by first delaying its rescue response and then attempting to tow the 'Adriana'. The patrol vessel attached a rope to the fishing boat and moved off quickly, causing it to flip. Once the survivors had reached land, they were told to keep quiet about how events had unfolded. In February, leaked audio recordings revealed that Greek rescue coordinators instructed the captain of the 'Adriana' to tell an approaching ship that those on board did not want to go to Greece - contradicting the Coastguard’s account of the incident. The Coastguard has maintained that the people aboard were not at risk and did not request assistance and insisted they wanted to go to Italy and not Greece. The 17 men are set to be questioned in the coming weeks by the naval court’s deputy prosecutor. The court will then decide whether a full trial will go ahead, or if the charges will be dismissed. Reports with photos: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/greek-court-charges-17-coastguards-over-deadly-2023-pylos-shipwreck https://www.proasyl.de/news/pylos-chronik-einer-vermeidbaren-katastrophe/ https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1261695/ombudsman-report-reveals-coastguard-failures-in-pylos-shipwreck-response-including-missing-communication-logs/ https://sea-watch.org/gemeinsames-statement-zum-staatsverbrechen-von-pylos/

The victim of the explosion on the 'Hunt'S Point' has been identified as the veteran city engineer Raymond Feige, 59. He was a chief marine diesel engineer who worked at New Yorks Department of Environmental Protection for 33 years. He was killed in a methane explosion aboard the Department of Environmental Protection ship, while it was docked at the agency's wastewater facility on the Hudson River. The blast sent him tumbling off the ship on May 24 at around 10:30 a.m. The diesel engineer was pronounced dead at the scene after being found unconscious in the river. Another DEP employee was taken to the hospital, and a third at the scene refused medical treatment.The ship was carrying raw sewage at the time of the explosion, the cause of which was still under investigation. There has been no impact on plant operations or the environment. Report with photo: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/new-york-sewage-boat-explosion-victim-identified-veteran-city-engineer-rcna209087

The 'Panda Vega', which was formerly operated by Russia’s Panda Express Line has beem added tp the fleet of the Hong Kong-based Kawa Shipping and renamed 'Kawa Budapest'. It fetched a price from the Chinese buyer of just under $10m. $6m were obtained in October 2022 when the vessel was sold by the Brunei-based Amann Shipping. The ship has been deployed on Kawa’s expedited liner service from Asia to Germany, which Kawa launched late in 2024 with backing from the Zhejiang Seaport Logistics Group. The vessel had formerly operated in Panda’s direct service between China, South Korea and eastern Russia. Snce late 2024 it has been owned and managed by the Hong Kong-based Konteiner Logistic Asia. The company was one of a number of new Russian carriers created to fill the gap left by the departure of most global liners in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian carrier has, however, been retrenching in recent months with the closure in February of one of three services between Russia and China.

The Norwegian Maritime Authority carried out a Port State control on board the 'NCL Salten' in Orkanger on the evening of May 27, a few hours after the ship was towed off the ground at Byneset. Throughout the entire salvage operation, the Norwegian Maritime Authority had an action inspector on board to assist the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the shipping company, the class and the salvage company. After the ship had docked in Orkanger, the Directorate's Port State inspector went on board to carry out a port state control. As a result of the grounding, the ship has suffered hull damage that makes it unseaworthy. The flag state of Cyprus must provide written confirmation that the ship can go to a repair yard for repairs. The conditions for sailing to a repair yard must be approved by the Norwegian Maritime Authority. The Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System (BNWAS) was switched off both before and during the grounding itself. This must be rectified before the ship can sail. The ship's ISM system (safety management system) does not comply with the requirements and must be rectified within three months. The escape routes on the ship do not comply with the requirements. The hatch to the emergency exit from the engine room is too heavy and is difficult to open from the inside. This must be rectified within 14 days. The Norwegian Maritime Authority has now completed its inspections and is now awaiting further plans for the ship, in dialogue with the shipping company and flag state. Report with photos: https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/18545184/inspeksjonsrapport-klar-etter-havnestatskontroll?publisherId=17849089&lang=no

On May 26. 2025, the 'Iver Huitfeldt' pursued the Russian destroyer "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" from Skagen to the Great Belt. In addition to the Danish Navy, the Federal Police patrol ships "Neustadt" and "Bamberg" shadowed the Russian destroyer on May 26, as well as a convoy of a Russian corvette and two Russian merchant ships on May 25, which also entered the Baltic Sea, bound for Kaliningrad. Units of the Russian Baltic Fleet, supported by the country's airforce and the Northern Fleet, will train for an emergency scenario. Russia plans to deploy 20 warships, 3,000 troops, and 25 aircraft and helicopters for the maneuvers. Almost simultaneously the destroyers "Severomorsk" and "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" had departed from their base in the Kola Fjord for an anti-submarine maneuver. On May 20, the Russian Armed Forces Press Service announced that the destroyers "Severomorsk" and "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" had completed their combat training in the Barents Sea. While the "Severomorsk" remained in the North Atlantic, the "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" headed south along the Norwegian coast, following the German frigate "Bayern." When the frigate set off from Torshvån in the Faroe Islands on May 23 for its transit through the Skagerrak to Warnemünde, the "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" was already there. The command of the "Bayern" was informed of its pursuer. The "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" belongs to the Russian Navy's "Udaloy" class of destroyers. Four ships of this type are stationed in the Northern Fleet. Report with photo: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/nato-baltops-2025-russland-provoziert-mit-parallel-manoever-FTPYT62E2RH5TGHT3NIPMP4HE4.html

The 'NCL Salten' was successfully pulled off the ground on May 27 at 10.40 a.m. with the rising tide by the salvage company Boa Offshore. The tugs 'Boa Brage '(IMO: 9551894) and 'Boa Brage' (IMO 9462342), the anti pollution vessel 'Stjernoy' (MMSI: 257058890), the workboat 'OV Hekkingen' (IMO: 9887607), the patrol vesssel 'Njord' (IMO: 9353357) and the RHIB 'Fox Thunder' (MMSI: 257046620) were on site on the foremidday. At 10. a.m. the towing wires were connected. The Norwegian Coast Guard supervised the salvage due to the small risk of pollution. Boa Offshore has been working since the May 25 to lighten the ship by transferring containers to a barge and taking the boxes to Orkanger. 1,300 tons of cargo were removed on this way to make the refloating as easy as possible. After the ship was pulled off the rocks, it was first inspected by divers, before it was towed to the port of Orkanger, assisted by a pilot where the remaining containers were to be unloaded and the ship be more thoroughly examined. The vessel has suffered damage to its bow and forward ballast tanks. It arrived in the port of Orkanger at around noon. The police have charged the ship's second officer, a 30-year-old Ukrainian, with negligence after he admitted to falling asleep at the helm. The officer has stated that none of the bridge alarms that could have prevented the grounding were triggered. The NCL company continued to support the police in their investigations and also proceeded with an own investigation. Reports with photos and videostream: https://play.adressa.no/video/3018311/direkte-i-dag-skal-de-trekke-skipet-av-grunn https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/05/27/noors-containerschip-ncl-salten-is-uit-tuin-bij-trondheim/ https://www.namdalsavisa.no/na-skal-de-prove-a-berge-skipet/s/5-113-721119 https://www.smp.no/nyheter/i/PpJ7w0/vellykket-sleping-av-grunnstoett-konteinerskip-er-dratt-av-grunn https://www.dagsavisen.no/nyheter/innenriks/2025/05/27/konteinerskipet-dratt-av-grunn-alt-gikk-etter-planen/

The 'Isle of Arran', serving on the route Kennacraig-Islay, suffered an issue with the gyro compass on May 27. The scheduled sailing from Port Ellen at 09:45 a.m. departed 35 minutes behind schedule. The sailing from Kennacraig was diverted to Port Askaig. Furthermore the ferry operated an amended timetable on May 28, and the sailings were restricted to daylight operations. As a result, an amended timetable was operated, departing from Port Askaig at 06:30 a.m. (early 07:00) - ( change of departure port to Port Askaig), from Kennacraig at 09:00 a.m. (early 09:45), arriving at Port Askaig at 11:05 a.m. and departing at 11:20 a.m.(early 12:15), arriving at Colonsay-at12:30 p.m. and departing at 12:45 p.m. (early 13:40). arriving at Oban-at 3:15 p.m. and sailing at 3:35 p.m. (early 16:30), arriving at Colonsay at 6:05 p.m. and departing at 6:20 p.m. (early 19:15), arriving at Port Askaig at :30 p.m. and departing at 7:50 p.m. (early 20:45), finally arriving in Kennacraig-at 9:55 p.m. The reservation system was updated to reflect these changes, so some sailings may be unavailable. Impacted customers were to be contacted by the operator CalMac directly.

Both of Tasmania's brand new Bass Strait ferries 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' and 'Spirit of Tasmania 'V' have technical issue with their LNG systems. The ferries have been built by the Rauma Marine Construction and have been undergoing testing and preparations to travel to Tasmania. The 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' was due to leave Leith for Tasmania on May 26.. On MAy 27, the Minister for Transport Eric Abetz said that the TT-Line had advised the government an issue with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) systems on board both ships had been identified. The issue needs further assessment and rectification, and as a result the ferry will not depart for Australia until the work is completed. The government was awaiting further details in relation to a new expected departure date, but it is understood that this work will take some time. Any necessary repair costs will be covered under warranty with RMC. TT-Line had representatives on the ground in Finland and was engaging with the company. The ship will be relocated to Hobart as soon as possible for final fit-out.

On May 8, 2025, the 'Hyundai Masan' allided with the dock at the Georgetown during the berthing manoever, delivering the first load of wind turbine components for the Eastern Kings wind farm. The allision caused a small hole in the hull of the ship, which stayed at the port for about six days, while the damage was repaired. There was no major impact on the daily operations of the port and no affect on the wind farm schedule of the PEI Energy Corporation. There was no damage to turbine components either. The vessel was fully offloaded on May 15, and the components were transferred to Eastern Kings. Report with photo: https://www.peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/ship-hits-the-dock-in-georgetown/article_15e53d22-e688-4470-94b7-0777f977efc4.html

The 'Shnigle', which was sunk in Killala Bay about four kilometres out from Enniscronea in a joint effort between Killala Bay Ships 2 Reef (KBS2R), the Revenue Commission and Mayo and Sligo County Councils to become Ireland’s first artificial reef and a diving hotspot, has broken up into three pieces. The wreck was badly damaged during Storm Éowyn on Jan 24, 2025. Recent underwater surveys have revealed that the bow and stern have come apart from the main structure. The sections have benn marked out with buoys. However, the goal of creating an artificial reef has been a success. There is fish life flocking to all three sites which is very positive. There has been a massive growth of barnacles and this has become a habitat for fish. The three parts of the ship are now deemed as wrecks and have been marked as ‘obstacles’ on the Commissioner of Irish Lights' admiralty charts. There is no risk to infrastructure in the nearby waters, such as the nearby subsea fibre cable that links the USA with Europe. The ship has moved 200 metres in the opposite direction of the cable and gone more towards Sligo. It was originally 500 metres from the cable.

The 'RPA 10' was deoloyed to assist after a fire broke out in a barge carrying household waste on Brielselaan in Rotterdam-Charlois on the morning of May 27, 2025. The bareewas moored at waste processing company Afval Verbranding Rijnmond (AVR). Rijnmondveilig advised to close windows and doors and to switch off the ventilation if residents were bothered by the smoke. Just after 12:30 p.m.the fire brigade announced that the fire was under control. This also reduced the amount of smoke and the stenc, after it initially had released a lot of smoke that drifted towards the residential area, on the other side of the Maashaven, in Katendrecht. The Shipping Firefighting Team was also on site quickly. Several goods exploded on the barge. The fire brigade tried to extinguish the fire from above using the ladder truck. Fire brigade personnel were also present on the 'RPA 10'. AVR personnel tried to get the burning part to the side with a push boat. The barge was thentowed to the AVR in Rozenburg where the cargo will be unloaded. Reports with photos: https://www.dehavenloods.nl/nieuws/algemeen/58879/brand-in-duwbak-met-huisvuil-bij-avr-brielselaan-aan-maashave https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/2018014/brand-in-schip-met-huisvuil https://www.ad.nl/112-nieuws-rotterdam/brand-in-binnenvaartschip-met-huisvuil-overlast-in-de-buurt-door-rookontwikkeling~a84b2bbb/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F https://binnenvaartkrant.nl/brand-op-duwbak-in-maashaven-geblust

On May 24, 2025, at approximately 6 p.m., the "Elbe Express" collided with the bunker tanker "Mersey" (IMO: 9170420) while entering the old south lock of the Kiel Canal in Brunsbüttel. The sailing vessel was caught in the tanker's propeller current and rocked. It then caught on the tire fenders at the tanker's hull, breaking the mast halfway up. The falling debris severely injured the 55-year-old skipper of the yacht. The backstay stretched across her chest, pinning her between the railing and the radar mount. She lost consciousness. The crew was quickly able to free her and make an emergency call by cell phone. The skipper had also regained consciousness by then. Firefighters with turntable ladders and paramedics worked for an extended period to rescue her. She was then taken to a Hamburg hospital by rescue helicopter. The on-site examination revealed a broken fifth rib. The woman was supposed to be released quickly. However, because she also complained of neck pain, she was kept in the hospital for observation. The other crew members were unharmed. The tanker sustained scratches on the roof of the bridge and the railing, but was able to continue its journey from Kiel to Hamburg after the investigations were finished three hours later, during which the lock chamber remained barred for shipping. The 'Elbe Express' moved under its own power to the Brunsbüttel marina. Subsequently, the Cuxhaven Water Police prohibited further sailing. It was now awaiting a new rig. The yacht was a Varianta 37, a training boat from the Eichler Yacht School, which uses it for training cruises on the Elbe. It was on its way out of the canal into the Elbe with the instructor and a customer crew. The training trips had to be suspended until further notice. Report with photos: https://www.yacht.de/special/seenot/kollision-in-brunsbuettel-mastbruch-in-schleuse-skipperin-verletzt/

The 'Elyana' has been anchored off the port of Tobruk for the last three weeks. The ship is linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), which is subject to secondary sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and has been specifically sanctioned by name. The ship has an established history of shipping arms for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In June 2024, the vessel unloaded an Iranian-origin cargo in Latakia. IRGC cargos destined for Hezbollah and the Syrian regime were shipped into the port of Latakia. On its last voyage, the 'Elyana' set off from Bandar Abbas on April 18, making a port call in Jebel Ali - notwithstanding the ship’s sanctioned status - and continued the voyage on April 21. It took the ship 13 days, which normally takes six days, to reach the southern end of the Suez Canal without making any declared port call. Being quipped with deck cranes, the 'Elyana' would be capable of offloading cargo at unsophisticated ports en route, potentially being able to do so in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen or in Sudan. After transiting the waterway, the 'Elyana' headed to Tobruk, which is managed by the forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who controls Eastern Libya and the country's oilfields. The cargo consignor has been approved by or is sponsored by the IRGC.

The 'Clansman', serving on the route Oban-Coll-Tiree, needed essential repairs on the bow visor on May 28. As a consequence, an amended timetable was operate:d. The scheduled departure from Oban to Colonsay at 4:20 p.m., departing frmo there at 6:50 p.m. and arriving at Oban at 9:05 p.m., has been cancelled. All impacted customers have been contacted.

The 'Belgica remains stuck in the port of Zeebrugge due to an ongoing legal dispute between the Belgian government and the French company Genavir that operates it. While the ship remains under the command of three Belgian military officers, ongoing technical issues have triggered a legal dispute between Genavir and the Belgian state. Genavir has cancelled the contract and initiated legal proceedings against the government. Since then, the French company has only carried out the minimum necessary maintenance to prevent the ship from sinking. The 'Belgica' was at sea for 248 days for scientific purposes in 2023, but only for 29 days in 2024. No missions are scheduled for 2025. The legal procedure are still ongoing. There appeared to be delays in the French-speaking court of first instance in Brussels. Even if a new operator were selected soon,, the tendering process alone would take at least a year, so the 'Belgica' will almost certainly remain inactive until late 2026.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1595240021122187

All sunken containers from the 'MSC Elsa 3' will be retrieved, and all floating containers will be brought ashore, accodding to the The Director General of Shipping, . Currently, 108 personnel from the salvage company T&T Salvage were working to contain the fuel leak and recover the containers. The Indian Coast Guard continued monitoring and managing the oil slick. A total of 50 containers have washed ashore as of May 27. The salvage operation was expected to be completed by July 3. The ship carried 13 hazardous containers, 12 of which held calcium carbide. Five of these 13 containers have fallen into the sea and haven't reached the shore yet. Scanning was underway to determine if they have sunk to the seabed. The calcium carbide was stored in the ship's cargo holds, which is why it sank with the vessel. The 13th container held rubber chemicals. A preliminary assessment suggested a failure in the balance management system might have caused the accident, possibly due to a technical malfunction. Investigations will examine the ship's balance mechanism, including the possibility of a valve failure. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) was tasked with providing protocols for handling debris washing ashore as part of the Chief Minister's emergency directives. Volunteer forces, supervised by the Fire and Rescue Department, have also been organized for efficient waste management.

On May 26. 2025, the Danish frigate 'Iver Huitfeldt' pursued the Russian destroyer "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" from Skagen to the Great Belt. In addition to the Danish Navy, the Federal Police patrol ships "Neustadt" and "Bamberg" shadowed the Russian destroyer on May 26, as well as a convoy of a Russian corvette and two Russian merchant ships on May 25, which also entered the Baltic Sea, bound for Kaliningrad. Units of the Russian Baltic Fleet, supported by the country's airforce and the Northern Fleet, will train for an emergency scenario. Russia plans to deploy 20 warships, 3,000 troops, and 25 aircraft and helicopters for the maneuvers. Almost simultaneously the destroyers "Severomorsk" and "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" had departed from their base in the Kola Fjord for an anti-submarine maneuver. On May 20, the Russian Armed Forces Press Service announced that the destroyers "Severomorsk" and "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" had completed their combat training in the Barents Sea. While the "Severomorsk" remained in the North Atlantic, the "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" headed south along the Norwegian coast, following the German frigate "Bayern." When the frigate set off from Torshvån in the Faroe Islands on May 23 for its transit through the Skagerrak to Warnemünde, the "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" was already there. The command of the "Bayern" was informed of its pursuer. The 'Bayern' berthed in Rostock on May 26. The "Vice-Admiral Kulakov" belongs to the Russian Navy's "Udaloy" class of destroyers. Four ships of this type are stationed in the Northern Fleet. Report with photo: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/nato-baltops-2025-russland-provoziert-mit-parallel-manoever-FTPYT62E2RH5TGHT3NIPMP4HE4.html

On May 24, 2025, at approximately 6 p.m., the German sailing yacht "Elbe Express" (MMSI: 211723160) collided with the "Mersey" (IMO: 9170420) while entering the old south lock of the Kiel Canal in Brunsbüttel. The sailing vessel was caught in the tanker's propeller current and rocked. It then caught on the tire fenders at the tanker's hull, breaking the mast halfway up. The falling debris severely injured the 55-year-old skipper of the yacht. The backstay stretched across her chest, pinning her between the railing and the radar mount. She lost consciousness. The crew was quickly able to free her and make an emergency call by cell phone. The skipper had also regained consciousness by then. Firefighters with turntable ladders and paramedics worked for an extended period to rescue her. She was then taken to a Hamburg hospital by rescue helicopter. The on-site examination revealed a broken fifth rib. The woman was supposed to be released quickly. However, because she also complained of neck pain, she was kept in the hospital for observation. The other crew members were unharmed. The tanker sustained scratches on the roof of the bridge and the railing, but was able to continue its journey from Kiel to Hamburg after the investigations were finished three hours later, during which the lock chamber remained barred for shipping. The 'Elbe Express' moved under its own power to the Brunsbüttel marina. Subsequently, the Cuxhaven Water Police prohibited further sailing. It was now awaiting a new rig. The yacht was a Varianta 37, a training boat from the Eichler Yacht School, which uses it for training cruises on the Elbe. It was on its way out of the canal into the Elbe with the instructor and a customer crew. The training trips had to be suspended until further notice. Report with photos: https://www.yacht.de/special/seenot/kollision-in-brunsbuettel-mastbruch-in-schleuse-skipperin-verletzt/

Repairs to the ramp of the 'Loch Buie' have been successfully carried out. and the vessel returned to normal service on MAy 27 with the2:15 p.m. sailing departing Fionnphort. While the repair works were carried out on the ferry, a passenger charter vessel operated the sailings between Fionnphort and Ione between 12:30 p.m. and 2:00. p.m.