News

The 'Loch Striven', serving on the route Oban-Lismore, suffered a technical issue with the engine on March 18, 2025, which required further investigations. As a consequence, a number of scheduled sailings had to be cancelled. Affected were the departures from Oban at 06:45 a.m., 09:00 a.m. and 2.15 p.m. and and from Lismore at 07:45 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 3.15 p.m. To resolve the technical issue, additional spare parts were required, and all sailings for the remainder of the day had to be cancelled too. After the repairs were successfully completed, the ship returned to its schedule on the morning of March 19.

On the morning of March 19, the crew of the 'Salvamar Acrux' escorted a cayuco with 55 occupants on board, including one woman, which had been located 12 nautical miles east of La Restinga. The SAR helicopter Helimer 204 was also mobilized to assist. The response was coordinated by the Tenerife CCS of Salvamento Marítimo: Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1902279180823167328

Around 100 liters of fuel were spilled at the Taiwanese Keelung port during a bunkering operation of the 'Kanway Global on March 16, 2025, at around 5.40 p.m. The fuel leaked out during the connection procedure. The 'TS Pusan', 'TS Surabaya' and 'YM Immense ' as well as three pilot boats and mooring lines were contaminated, and cleaning and containment operations were commenced with pressure washers as a temporary solution. Oil containment booms and absorbent materials have been deployed to mitigate pollution and prevent further disruption to the port operations. The pilot vessels had to be drydocked for a thorough cleanup, whereas the other affected vessels have postponed their departures from the port.

On March 17, 2025, the 'Esbern Snare' was shadowing two Russian landing ships, which have been involved in the retrieval of military equipment withdrawn from Syria since Dec 2024. The "Aleksandr Oktrakovski" was sailing south of Bornholm and headed west. The reason was unclear. The operation in Syria is actually considered over. The ships are equipped with large anchors, which actually intended to make it easier for ships to leave the beach during amphibious operations. However, since traces of anchors have repeatedly been found in connection with severed submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, authorities have paid particular attention to the Russian Navy's large tank landing ships. According to maritime law, there is a specific corridor that Russian Navy ships are permitted to use through the North and Baltic Seas. However, this route passes very close to German and Danish wind farms, including various power and data cables, that's why Denmark's Navy paid particular attention to the "Aleksandr Otrakovski" and dispatched the frigate from Korsør to escort the ship from Bornholm. Off Rügen, the German task force vessel "Bamberg" participated in observing the Russian ship. The units moved behind the landing ship so that they could see the anchor at the stern using night vision technology. Off the Fehmarn Belt, the task force vessel "Bayreuth" replaced the "Bamberg," and the patrol boat "Rota-P 525'" took over the "Esbern Snare"'s duties on the Danish side. According to the Federal Police, there were no incidents. The landing craft passed Puttgarden on Fehmarn on Feb 18 at 6 a.m. It was the third Russian naval vessel within a few days. On March 13, the destroyer "Severomorsk" and on March 17, the research vessel "Admiral Vladimirsky," suspected of conducting hybrid warfare, were shadowed. The next Russian units in these sea areas are expected on March 20, including the landing craft "Ropucha" and the "Aleksandr Shabalin," which has been shadowed by the Federal Police ship "Potsdam" in the North Sea west of Sylt since the morning of March 18, which means that three of the Federal Police's seven ships are currently engaged with the Russian Navy, posing challenges for the police, which are being met jointly in close cooperation with neighbouring authorities and international partners in these. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russlands-marine-beschaeftigt-bundespolizei-zeitgleich-auf-nordsee-und-ostsee-SX264H6GIZBGBHD42VI3K7AL5I.html

On March 17, 2025, the 'Esbern Snare' was shadowing two Russian landing ships, which have been involved in the retrieval of military equipment withdrawn from Syria since Dec 2024. The "Aleksandr Oktrakovski" was sailing south of Bornholm and headed west. The reason was unclear. The operation in Syria is actually considered over. The ships are equipped with large anchors, which actually intended to make it easier for ships to leave the beach during amphibious operations. However, since traces of anchors have repeatedly been found in connection with severed submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, authorities have paid particular attention to the Russian Navy's large tank landing ships. According to maritime law, there is a specific corridor that Russian Navy ships are permitted to use through the North and Baltic Seas. However, this route passes very close to German and Danish wind farms, including various power and data cables, that's why Denmark's Navy paid particular attention to the "Aleksandr Otrakovski" and dispatched the frigate from Korsør to escort the ship from Bornholm. Off Rügen, the German task force vessel "Bamberg" participated in observing the Russian ship. The units moved behind the landing ship so that they could see the anchor at the stern using night vision technology. Off the Fehmarn Belt, the task force vessel "Bayreuth" replaced the "Bamberg," and the patrol boat "Rota-P 525'" took over the "Esbern Snare"'s duties on the Danish side. According to the Federal Police, there were no incidents. The landing craft passed Puttgarden on Fehmarn on Feb 18 at 6 a.m. It was the third Russian naval vessel within a few days. On March 13, the destroyer "Severomorsk" and on March 17, the research vessel "Admiral Vladimirsky," suspected of conducting hybrid warfare, were shadowed. The next Russian units in these sea areas are expected on March 20, including the landing craft "Ropucha" and the "Aleksandr Shabalin," which has been shadowed by the Federal Police ship "Potsdam" in the North Sea west of Sylt since the morning of March 18, which means that three of the Federal Police's seven ships are currently engaged with the Russian Navy, posing challenges for the police, which are being met jointly in close cooperation with neighbouring authorities and international partners in these. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russlands-marine-beschaeftigt-bundespolizei-zeitgleich-auf-nordsee-und-ostsee-SX264H6GIZBGBHD42VI3K7AL5I.html

The 'Venture' ran aground short time after leaving the Dradenau Port in Hamburg on the Falkenstein Shore of the Elbe, while sailing downstream on the river towards the Northsea in loaden condition, on March 18, 2025, at around 3.50 p.m. (Lat. 53.5587 Lng. 9.7904) The emergency services attended at the scene at around 4:15 p.m. Smoke was reported coming from the ship. Initially, it was thought the ship had caught fire, and accordingly two fireboats, a multi-purpose boat, and a small fire department boat were deployed. On scene, however, the 45 emergency services determined that the ship had run aground due to an engine damage. The suspicion of a fire was not confirmed. No pollutants were released. According to initial findings, mechanical problems were responsible for the accident. To stabilize the ship, the fire department's boats established a cable connection to the two tugs 'Fairplay 95' (IMO: 9964041) and 'VB Bison (IMO: 9701994). The 'Venture' could be refloated with the rising tide and was pulled back to the Dradenau Port in Hamburg at 5.20 p.m. UTC. After a final inspection, the ship was handed over to the water police at 6.45 p.m. Reports with photos and video: https://www.mopo.de/hamburg/polizei/einsatz-auf-der-elbe-schiff-auf-grund-gelaufen/ https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Frachtschiff-laeuft-vor-Hamburg-Blankenese-auf-Grund,venture100.html https://hamburg.t-online.de/region/hamburg/id_100642006/hamburg-frachtschiff-venture-havariert-auf-der-elbe.html

The 'Scillionian III', serving on the route Penzance - Isles of Scilly, will not return back to service on March 19, 2025 as originally anticipated. Since March 10, the vessel had to undergo repairs in Falmouth, with essential work still ongoing to address a port-side propeller shaft misalignment. Additional time was required to complete these repairs to ensure the vessel’s long-term reliability. Engineering teams, alongside specialist contractors, were working to complete the repairs as quickly as possible. All affected passengers were contacted directly by the Passenger Relations team and getting offered the following options: - Skybus Upgrade – Passengers can transfer to a Skybus flight at no extra cost. - Rescheduling – Passengers may choose to move their booking to a later sailing. - Day Trip Cancellations – Regrettably, all day trip bookings will be cancelled. Our team will be in touch to arrange a full refund or assist with rebooking for a future date. For those transferring to a Skybus flight, transport between Penzance and Land’s End Airport was provided where needed.

The 'Loch Ranza', serving on the route Tayinloan-Gigha had to undeergo essential investigations on the aft main engine since March 14, As a conseuence, the following sailings had to be cancelled: Departure Tayinloan - 12:00 p.m. Departure Gigha - 12:30 p.m The investigations required onthe engine were still going on throught to March 17, on which the following sailings were cancelled: Departure Tayinloan - 12:00 p.m. Departure Gigha - 12:30 p.m. The service was expected to resume with the 2:00 p.m. departure from Tayinloan. On March 18, the trouble has still not been resolved, and as a consequence the scheduled departures from Gigha at 07:35 a.m., 08:30 a.m., 09:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and from Tayinloan at 08:00 a.m., 09:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. had to be cancelled. After the repairs were completed, the ship returned to its schedule on March 19.

Beached at Alang 18.03.25

Around 100 liters of fuel were spilled at the Taiwanese Keelung port during a bunkering operation of the 'Kanway Global on March 16, 2025, at around 5.40 p.m. The fuel leaked out during the connection procedure. The 'TS Pusan', 'TS Surabaya' and 'YM Immense ' as well as three pilot boats and mooring lines were contaminated, and cleaning and containment operations were commenced with pressure washers as a temporary solution. Oil containment booms and absorbent materials have been deployed to mitigate pollution and prevent further disruption to the port operations. The pilot vessels had to be drydocked for a thorough cleanup, whereas the other affected vessels have postponed their departures from the port.

On March 17, 2025, the 'Esbern Snare' was shadowing two Russian landing ships, which have been involved in the retrieval of military equipment withdrawn from Syria since Dec 2024. The "Aleksandr Oktrakovski" was sailing south of Bornholm and headed west. The reason was unclear. The operation in Syria is actually considered over. The ships are equipped with large anchors, which actually intended to make it easier for ships to leave the beach during amphibious operations. However, since traces of anchors have repeatedly been found in connection with severed submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, authorities have paid particular attention to the Russian Navy's large tank landing ships. According to maritime law, there is a specific corridor that Russian Navy ships are permitted to use through the North and Baltic Seas. However, this route passes very close to German and Danish wind farms, including various power and data cables, that's why Denmark's Navy paid particular attention to the "Aleksandr Otrakovski" and dispatched the frigate from Korsør to escort the ship from Bornholm. Off Rügen, the German task force vessel "Bamberg" participated in observing the Russian ship. The units moved behind the landing ship so that they could see the anchor at the stern using night vision technology. Off the Fehmarn Belt, the task force vessel "Bayreuth" replaced the "Bamberg," and the patrol boat "Rota-P 525'" took over the "Esbern Snare"'s duties on the Danish side. According to the Federal Police, there were no incidents. The landing craft passed Puttgarden on Fehmarn on Feb 18 at 6 a.m. It was the third Russian naval vessel within a few days. On March 13, the destroyer "Severomorsk" and on March 17, the research vessel "Admiral Vladimirsky," suspected of conducting hybrid warfare, were shadowed. The next Russian units in these sea areas are expected on March 20, including the landing craft "Ropucha" and the "Aleksandr Shabalin," which has been shadowed by the Federal Police ship "Potsdam" in the North Sea west of Sylt since the morning of March 18, which means that three of the Federal Police's seven ships are currently engaged with the Russian Navy, posing challenges for the police, which are being met jointly in close cooperation with neighbouring authorities and international partners in these. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russlands-marine-beschaeftigt-bundespolizei-zeitgleich-auf-nordsee-und-ostsee-SX264H6GIZBGBHD42VI3K7AL5I.html

On March 17, 2025, the 'Esbern Snare' was shadowing two Russian landing ships, which have been involved in the retrieval of military equipment withdrawn from Syria since Dec 2024. The "Aleksandr Oktrakovski" was sailing south of Bornholm and headed west. The reason was unclear. The operation in Syria is actually considered over. The ships are equipped with large anchors, which actually intended to make it easier for ships to leave the beach during amphibious operations. However, since traces of anchors have repeatedly been found in connection with severed submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, authorities have paid particular attention to the Russian Navy's large tank landing ships. According to maritime law, there is a specific corridor that Russian Navy ships are permitted to use through the North and Baltic Seas. However, this route passes very close to German and Danish wind farms, including various power and data cables, that's why Denmark's Navy paid particular attention to the "Aleksandr Otrakovski" and dispatched the frigate from Korsør to escort the ship from Bornholm. Off Rügen, the German task force vessel "Bamberg" participated in observing the Russian ship. The units moved behind the landing ship so that they could see the anchor at the stern using night vision technology. Off the Fehmarn Belt, the task force vessel "Bayreuth" replaced the "Bamberg," and the patrol boat "Rota-P 525'" took over the "Esbern Snare"'s duties on the Danish side. According to the Federal Police, there were no incidents. The landing craft passed Puttgarden on Fehmarn on Feb 18 at 6 a.m. It was the third Russian naval vessel within a few days. On March 13, the destroyer "Severomorsk" and on March 17, the research vessel "Admiral Vladimirsky," suspected of conducting hybrid warfare, were shadowed. The next Russian units in these sea areas are expected on March 20, including the landing craft "Ropucha" and the "Aleksandr Shabalin," which has been shadowed by the Federal Police ship "Potsdam" in the North Sea west of Sylt since the morning of March 18, which means that three of the Federal Police's seven ships are currently engaged with the Russian Navy, posing challenges for the police, which are being met jointly in close cooperation with neighbouring authorities and international partners in these. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russlands-marine-beschaeftigt-bundespolizei-zeitgleich-auf-nordsee-und-ostsee-SX264H6GIZBGBHD42VI3K7AL5I.html

On March 7, 2025, the 'Santiya' was detained in Huangpu (Guangzhou) with 11 deficiencies, four of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Fire safety - Fire detection and alarm system Inoperative 2) Fire safety - Fixed fire exthinguishing installation Not as required 3) Safety of navigation - Radar Not as required 4) Pollution Prevention - Sewage treatment Plant Not as required The vessel was released again on March 12 and left the port en route to Dongjiakou, where it arrived on March 18. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

Armed pirates boarded the 'Bitu River' off West Africa on March 17, 2025, at 9 p.m. GMT 41 nautical miles southeast of Santo Antonio, Sao Tome and Principe, and opened gunfire. The bitumen tanker was en route from Lome to Douala. The raid may have been a kidnapping, with as many as 10 seafarers abducted, but this remained unconfirmed. The ship was drifting in the area for about an hour when the attack took place. The crew had retreated to the citadel. The shipowner has lost contact with the master. The vessel's onshore security officer reported that the perpetrators were still on board, indicating that there are five pirates on the vessel. The tanker is controlled by the French Rubis Energiand managed by the Indian Maritec Tanker Management.

Beached at Aliaga 18.03.25

Around 100 liters of fuel were spilled at the Taiwanese Keelung port during a bunkering operation of the 'Kanway Global on March 16, 2025, at around 5.40 p.m. The fuel leaked out during the connection procedure. The 'TS Pusan', 'TS Surabaya' and 'YM Immense ' as well as three pilot boats and mooring lines were contaminated, and cleaning and containment operations were commenced with pressure washers as a temporary solution. Oil containment booms and absorbent materials have been deployed to mitigate pollution and prevent further disruption to the port operations. The pilot vessels had to be drydocked for a thorough cleanup, whereas the other affected vessels have postponed their departures from the port.

Around 100 liters of fuel were spilled at the Taiwanese Keelung port during a bunkering operation of the 'Kanway Global on March 16, 2025, at around 5.40 p.m. The fuel leaked out during the connection procedure. The 'TS Pusan', 'TS Surabaya' and 'YM Immense ' as well as three pilot boats and mooring lines were contaminated, and cleaning and containment operations were commenced with pressure washers as a temporary solution. Oil containment booms and absorbent materials have been deployed to mitigate pollution and prevent further disruption to the port operations. The pilot vessels had to be drydocked for a thorough cleanup, whereas the other affected vessels have postponed their departures from the port.

On March 17, 2025, the 'Esbern Snare' was shadowing two Russian landing ships, which have been involved in the retrieval of military equipment withdrawn from Syria since Dec 2024. The "Aleksandr Oktrakovski" was sailing south of Bornholm and headed west. The reason was unclear. The operation in Syria is actually considered over. The ships are equipped with large anchors, which actually intended to make it easier for ships to leave the beach during amphibious operations. However, since traces of anchors have repeatedly been found in connection with severed submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, authorities have paid particular attention to the Russian Navy's large tank landing ships. According to maritime law, there is a specific corridor that Russian Navy ships are permitted to use through the North and Baltic Seas. However, this route passes very close to German and Danish wind farms, including various power and data cables, that's why Denmark's Navy paid particular attention to the "Aleksandr Otrakovski" and dispatched the frigate from Korsør to escort the ship from Bornholm. Off Rügen, the German task force vessel "Bamberg" participated in observing the Russian ship. The units moved behind the landing ship so that they could see the anchor at the stern using night vision technology. Off the Fehmarn Belt, the task force vessel "Bayreuth" replaced the "Bamberg," and the patrol boat "Rota-P 525'" took over the "Esbern Snare"'s duties on the Danish side. According to the Federal Police, there were no incidents. The landing craft passed Puttgarden on Fehmarn on Feb 18 at 6 a.m. It was the third Russian naval vessel within a few days. On March 13, the destroyer "Severomorsk" and on March 17, the research vessel "Admiral Vladimirsky," suspected of conducting hybrid warfare, were shadowed. The next Russian units in these sea areas are expected on March 20, including the landing craft "Ropucha" and the "Aleksandr Shabalin," which has been shadowed by the Federal Police ship "Potsdam" in the North Sea west of Sylt since the morning of March 18, which means that three of the Federal Police's seven ships are currently engaged with the Russian Navy, posing challenges for the police, which are being met jointly in close cooperation with neighbouring authorities and international partners in these. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russlands-marine-beschaeftigt-bundespolizei-zeitgleich-auf-nordsee-und-ostsee-SX264H6GIZBGBHD42VI3K7AL5I.html

Next week, DFDS will take over the ferry service to Jersey from the Condor Ferries. On the route between Jersey and Portsmouth, the 'Stena Vinga', which has a capacity of 1,538 lane meters, will be deployed, which was recently sailing on the route between Frederikshavn and Gothenburg, a.o. Right now, the 'Stena Vinga', chartered to DFDS, was practicing port maneuvers in Portsmouth and Jersey from March 18-20, 2025, so that it is ready to begin operations on March 28, 2025. Report with photo: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04z2r2pnwdo

On Feb 21, 2025, the 'Suez Canal' was detained in Qingdao with 12 deficiencies, five of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Life saving Appalinces - Embarkation arrangement survival craft Not as required 2) Life saving Appliances - Lifeboats Not properly maintained 3) Fire safety - Fixed fire exthinguishing installation Inoperative 4) Water/Weathertight - Ventilators, air pipes and casings Not as required 5) ISM - ISM certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Feb 23 and left the port en route to Shanghai, where it arrived on March 1. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591