News

On March 11, 2025, the NSS-lifeboat 'Det Norske Veritas II' was moblilized to assisted the 'Knappen' in Ålesund. The fishing vessel had reported an engine failure off Skarbøvik. It was taken in tow and safely pulled into the port in Søvik. Report with photos: https://x.com/NSSR/status/1899509396205396415

Beached at Aliaga 09.03. 25 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161211989735036&set=gm.10164371579998943&idorvanity=6884293942

During the night, the British Coast Guard has called off the search for a missing crew member of the on the whole 14 crew members of the 'Soliong' off Hull. On the whole 36 crew members were brought safely to shore. One crew member was taken to hospital with injuries. The two ships were still burning during the night, but had separated at 11.40 p.m., which would make the salvage less complicated. The "Stena Immaculate" was carrying aircraft fuel, among other things. The "Solong", belonging to the Hamburg shipping company Ernst Russ, was carrying several containers of poisonous sodium cyanide, among other things. It was yet unclear whether any of this got into the water. The environmental organization Greenpeace was extremely concerned about the various toxic dangers that these chemicals could pose to marine life. Kerosene leaked into the water near a resting place for porpoises. The Cuxhaven-based emergency command sent the multi-purpose ship 'Mellum' (IMO: 8301981) to provide support, which sailed from Heligoland on Feb 10 at 1.30 p.m. and is due to arrive in Kingston-upon-Hull on Feb 11 at noon. In addition to its crew, it has an employee of the emergency command and a specialist advisor from the Bremerhaven professional fire brigade on board. The emergency command also put a DO 228 aircraft, which is stationed in Nordholz (Cuxhaven district), on standby, which can use cameras and sensors to help identify pollutants in the water. The aircraft could take offon the morning if the weather conditions on site allow it to be used sensibly. The tugs 'Multratug 35' (IMO: 9964039) and 'Multratug 36' (IMO: 9985289) could attempt to take the 'Solong' in tow south of the accident site. Also the 'Eems Wrester' (IMO: 8843549) and 'Svitzer Castle' (IMO: 9316397) were attending on scene. The company Boskalis has been commissioned to salvage the 'Stena Immaculate' and has deployed four ships. The maritime service provider from Papendrecht signed a contract with the tanker owner during the night. The most important thing was to cool the sides of the tanker. Only when the temperature is below a certain level they cam start salvage work. The fire was still raging on board the 'Stena Immaculate' on March 11. As the tanker was at anchor when the collision occurred, it was not adrift. According to initial assumptions, the container ship was sailing at full speed into the tanker, and it was yet unknown, how extensive the damage is. Part of the damage was under water. Aerial images seemed to show that the tanker was no longer on fire, but salvage crews needed to get closer to be sure. It was hoped that later on March 11 they get close enough to the vessel to take temperature readings to determine if the fire is out. It would be premature to say the fire is out on before, because they don't know what is happening below deck. The tanker's built in firefighting systems appeared to be functioning. Reports with photos and video: https://bridlingtonecho.co.uk/north-sea-shipping-incident-updates-and-what-has-happened-so-far-11th-march-2025/ https://www.telegraaf.nl/video/2027756776/nieuwe-beelden-brandende-olietanker-op-noordzee-van-dichtbij-gefilmd https://ca.news.yahoo.com/north-sea-crash-tanker-ship-104737244.html Video of collision course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRPjnVwYysQ&t=326s

An electronic problem in a propeller on the 'Rusadir' caused delays on the Málaga-Melilla route on March 10, 2025, The shipping company mobilized the 'Dènia CC' as a replacement. The 'Rusadir' remained sidelined in Málaga as of March 11.

The Russian summer resort town of Anapa, a popular holiday town of some 80,000 people, is suing two shipping companies for $2.4 million after an oil spill devastated its local beaches. The office of the town's mayor, Vasiliy Shvets, announced on March 10 that it was seeking 211 million rubles from Volgatransneft and Kama Shipping, citing clean-up costs from the companies which owned and operated the 'Volgoneft 212' and 'Volgoneft 239', which had carried 9,000 metric tons of low-grade fuel, more than half of which leaked into the Kerch Strait between Russia and the Russian occupied Crimean peninsula. Anapa was hard hit by the spill, which contaminated over 30 miles of beach. The cleanup involved 10,000 people shoveling and scooping blackened sand and polluted water. The spill drew international attention amid concerns that Russia's sanctioned energy industry is using a shadow fleet of commercial ships to ferry oil and gas to foreign customers. Many such vessels are aging tankers pulled back into service that often prove difficult to track, prompting fears of further spillage and a lack of mechanisms to contain the damage. The grey-area status of Russia's dark vessels also underscores concern that they might not be properly insured to cover oil spills, leaving communities hit by such disasters to shoulder cleaning costs For Anapa, the $2.4 million is an incomplete tally of the money already paid under contracts to deal with the spill. The amount is not final, and in the future, the administration intends to increase the claims. Municipal filings for the arbitration court of the Krasnodar region showed that Anapa submitted its lawsuit on March 7. Judge Irina Bondarenko is listed as overseeing the case. Testing the beaches for contamination, publishing footage of excavators and bulldozers cleaning up the seaside started on March 8. The long-term environmental impact of the spill remains to be seen. Greenpeace said the oil could sink to the bottom of the deep sea, poisoning fish and vegetation there. The impact of the ecological disaster could persist for decades.

On the evening of Feb 9, 2025, the 'Samnøy', one of the ferries that operates the connection between Halhjem and Sandvikvåg ran aground on its way to the ferry pier at Halhjem. The ferry had 53 passengers on board, none of whom was injured, nor was there a damage to the vehicles on deck. However, the ferry suffered damage, but made it to the dock under its own power. It is now out of service for a few weeks and will have to be docked for repairs. As of March 11, the ship was stationary at the berth in Halgjemssjøen.

Several tugs have successfully towed the heavily damaged 'Sounion' through the Suez Canal, en route to Greece. it arrived in Ismailia on March 10. Before its transit through the canal, the Sue Canal Authority (SCA) oversaw the complex unloading operation at the Suez anchorage area. The salvage companies Ambery and MEga Tugs working under the SCA’s supervision, carefully transferred the remaining cargo to another tanker while adhering to strict environmental and safety protocols. To prevent pollution, the SCA’s Central Pollution Control Committee closely monitored the unloading operation, and the pollution control vessel 'Kashet 2' was deployed as a precautionary measure. Both companies worked as per a joint work plan in cooperation with and under the complete supervision of the SCA's maritime salvage team to drain the tanker's cargo into another similar tanker according to precise drainage rates and calculations to prevent any damage or split in the tanker's hull. The 'Sounion' was then moved through the canal as part of the southbound convoy, towed by the escorting salvage tug 'Aigaion Pelgaos' (IMO: 9477012). The vessel was piloted by the Authority’s largest tug, with the operation led by the SCA’s largest tug, the 'Baraka 1' (IMO: 9038361), supported by three other authority-owned tugs. The towage operation lasted approximately 24 hours, and 13 pilots participated in the process in the Anchorage areas and the Canal. The operation was executed in multiple phases, with waiting periods and pilot changes. The tanker was initially towed from the Suez anchorage on the evening of March 8, proceeding to the Great Bitter Lakes waiting area, and waited the transit of both the northbound and southbound convoys and the completion of pilots change before resuming the towage operation to the Ballah area, where another change of pilots took place, before towing it to Port Said, with continuous monitoring from the Navigation Control Center and the network of pilotage stations positioned along the canal.. The preparations for the towage operation entailed taking complex measures over the past months to drain the cargo of the tanker; 150000 tons of crude oil, before allowing it to transit through the waterway. The process of cargo discharge was a highly complex one, requiring meticulous calculations and coordination with multiple parties. Reports with photos: https://gcaptain.com/photos-mt-sounion-transits-suez-canal-six-months-after-houthi-attack/ https://en.amwalalghad.com/suez-canal-successfully-tows-damaged-oil-tanker-sounion/ https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/sounion-tanker-damaged-by-houthis-was-towed-through-suez-canal

There are still flames visible on the main deck of the 'Solong', as salvage operations are being arranged for both vessels. A tug line is now in place in an effort to hold the 'Solong' in a safer position offshore. Firefighting is focusing on the main deck. A salvage plan is being developed. For the 'Stena Immaculate', which remains at anchor, the fire on the vessel is greatly reduced with no flames visible. A comprehensive counter pollution response is in place, as the threat from the previously identified Dangerous Goods on board has reduced significantly. The Coastguard continues to engage actively with Humberside Police, salvors, the port authorities and other agencies to protect the public and the environment as far as possible while continuing to respond to the developing situation. The 59 year old captain of the container ship was arrested by the Humveraide police, the owner of the 'Solong', the German firm Ernst Russ. They say that he, along with the rest of the crew, are assisting the investigation. Reports with photo and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t https://www.dw.com/en/north-sea-ship-collision-man-arrested-over-gross-negligence/a-71891930

Beached at Alang 10.03.25

In a joint operation with Sea-Watch, the 'Sea Eye 4' brought 122 people to safety in four rescues beween the evening of March 7 and the morning of March 9. The 'Sea Eye 5' rescued 56 people in extreme weather conditions, including a three-day-old baby. They had been on an inflatable boat for at least 12 hours and were now able to receive medical treatment. The 'Sea Eye 4' responded to a total of four emergency calls. During the rescue operations, the crew, consisting of members of Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye, took 122 people in distress on board. The ship was now on its way to Vibo Valencia after the Italian authorities assigned it the port, which is around 460 kilometers away. The rescue was carried out in a joint operation by the two organizations. On the early morning of March 10, the crew of the 'Sea Eye 5' also rescued 56 people from an inflatable boat. Among the people was a three-day-old baby. The people seeking protection had gotten into distress at sea in strong winds and high waves. Due to the difficult weather conditions, the operation lasted over two hours; at around 3:00 a.m. the crew was then able to bring everyone safely on board. A medical evacuation by the Italian Coastguard was organized for the baby, who had to be treated for an infection, and his family, to Lampedusa. The migrants had been travelling on a rubber dinghy for at least 12 hours. They were wet, seasick and dehydrated. Many were weak and exhausted.

Red Funnel was running a reduced timetable until the end of March 12 with only the 'Red Osprey' remaining on the route and the 'Red Eagle' out of action for maintenance. More than half of the sailings scheduled to depart from East Cowes have been cancelled. The 'Red Falcon' has suffered a suspected failure on an inlet valve, which has caused damage to the main engine’s turbocharger. Components have been sent off for further investigations, and in the meantime, the ship was withdrawn from service. The revised timetable is as follows: - Departure Southampton: 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11.55 p.m. - Departure East Cowes: 7.30 a.m., 10.30 a.m., 1.30 p.m., 4.30 p.m., 7.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m Red Funnel was moving traffic and contacting affected customers with changes to their travel times. To increase available deck space, Red Funnel will also run additional sailings on the freight ferry 'Red Kestrel'.

On March 9, 2025, a crew member aboard the 'Molly Schulte', en route from Manzanillo to Puerto Quatzal, fell into the sea 26 miles off the coast between the ports of Lázaro Cárdenas and Zihuatanejo. The man of Filipino origin, identified as Carpio Carmelo Parongenable, was last seen at around 5:45 a.m. The help of the maritime, port and fishing community, as well as ship captains, was requested. Fishing vessels in the port of Zihuatanejo and the municipality of La Unión were also asked to be on the alert to try to locate the person. The 'Molly Schulte' was in pos. 17° 14' N 101° 40' W as of March 11 with the status of restricted movement.

An incident of armed robbery aoccurred onboard a barge towed by the 'HK Tug 9', while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait, approximately 6.1 nautical miles off Tanjung Pergam, in pos. 01° 17.53' N 104° 20.55' E on March 7, 2025, at 8:08 p.m. Three unarmed perpetrators boarded the barge and stole scrap metals. No injuries were reported.

66 migrants of sub-Saharan origin were rescued from a cayuco, which had been spotted by the Sasemar 102 aircraft 45 nautical miles southeast of El Hierro on March 10. The CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Guardamar Talía' from La Gomera, which transferred them to La Restinga. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1899163101288653136

There are still flames visible on the main deck of the 'Solong', as salvage operations are being arranged for both vessels. A tug line is now in place in an effort to hold the 'Solong' in a safer position offshore. Firefighting is focusing on the main deck. A salvage plan is being developed. For the 'Stena Immaculate', which remains at anchor, the fire on the vessel is greatly reduced with no flames visible. A comprehensive counter pollution response is in place, as the threat from the previously identified Dangerous Goods on board has reduced significantly. The Coastguard continues to engage actively with Humberside Police, salvors, the port authorities and other agencies to protect the public and the environment as far as possible while continuing to respond to the developing situation. The 59 year old captain of the container ship was arrested by the Humveraide police, the owner of the 'Solong', the German firm Ernst Russ. They say that he, along with the rest of the crew, are assisting the investigation. Reports with photo and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t https://www.dw.com/en/north-sea-ship-collision-man-arrested-over-gross-negligence/a-71891930

During the night, the British Coast Guard has called off the search for a missing crew member of the on the whole 14 crew members of the 'Soliong' off Hull. On the whole 36 crew members were brought safely to shore. One crew member was taken to hospital with injuries. The two ships were still burning during the night, but had separated at 11.40 p.m., which would make the salvage less complicated. The "Stena Immaculate" was carrying aircraft fuel, among other things. The "Solong", belonging to the Hamburg shipping company Ernst Russ, was carrying several containers of poisonous sodium cyanide, among other things. It was yet unclear whether any of this got into the water. The environmental organization Greenpeace was extremely concerned about the various toxic dangers that these chemicals could pose to marine life. Kerosene leaked into the water near a resting place for porpoises. The Cuxhaven-based emergency command sent the multi-purpose ship 'Mellum' (IMO: 8301981) to provide support, which sailed from Heligoland on Feb 10 at 1.30 p.m. and is due to arrive in Kingston-upon-Hull on Feb 11 at noon.. In addition to its crew, it has an employee of the emergency command and a specialist advisor from the Bremerhaven professional fire brigade on board. The emergency command also put a DO 228 aircraft, which is stationed in Nordholz (Cuxhaven district), on standby, which can use cameras and sensors to help identify pollutants in the water. The aircraft could take offon the morning if the weather conditions on site allow it to be used sensibly. The tugs 'Multratug 35' (IMO: 9964039) and 'Multratug 36' (IMO: 9985289) could attempt to take the 'Solong' in tow south of the accident site. Also the 'Eems Wrester' (IMO: 8843549) and 'Svitzer Castle' (IMO: 9316397) were attending on scene. The company Boskalis has been commissioned to salvage the 'Stena Immaculate' and has deployed four ships. The maritime service provider from Papendrecht signed a contract with the tanker owner during the night. The most important thing was to cool the sides of the tanker. Only when the temperature is below a certain level they cam start salvage work. The fire was still raging on board the 'Stena Immaculate' on March 11. As the tanker was at anchor when the collision occurred, it was not adrift. According to initial assumptions, the container ship was sailing at full speed into the tanker, and it was yet unknown, how extensive the damage is. Part of the damage was under water. Aerial images seemed to show that the tanker was no longer on fire, but salvage crews needed to get closer to be sure. It was hoped that later on March 11 they get close enough to the vessel to take temperature readings to determine if the fire is out. It would be premature to say the fire is out on before, because they don't know what is happening below deck. The tanker's built in firefighting systems appeared to be functioning. Reports with photos and video: https://bridlingtonecho.co.uk/north-sea-shipping-incident-updates-and-what-has-happened-so-far-11th-march-2025/ https://www.telegraaf.nl/video/2027756776/nieuwe-beelden-brandende-olietanker-op-noordzee-van-dichtbij-gefilmd https://ca.news.yahoo.com/north-sea-crash-tanker-ship-104737244.html Video of collision course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRPjnVwYysQ&t=326s

In a joint operation with Sea-Watch, the 'Sea Eye 4' brought 122 people to safety in four rescues beween the evening of March 7 and the morning of March 9. The 'Sea Eye 5' rescued 56 people in extreme weather conditions, including a three-day-old baby. They had been on an inflatable boat for at least 12 hours and were now able to receive medical treatment. The 'Sea Eye 4' responded to a total of four emergency calls. During the rescue operations, the crew, consisting of members of Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye, took 122 people in distress on board. The ship was now on its way to Vibo Valencia after the Italian authorities assigned it the port, which is around 460 kilometers away. The rescue was carried out in a joint operation by the two organizations. On the early morning of March 10, the crew of the 'Sea Eye 5' also rescued 56 people from an inflatable boat. Among the people was a three-day-old baby. The people seeking protection had gotten into distress at sea in strong winds and high waves. Due to the difficult weather conditions, the operation lasted over two hours; at around 3:00 a.m. the crew was then able to bring everyone safely on board. A medical evacuation by the Italian Coastguard was organized for the baby, who had to be treated for an infection, and his family, to Lampedusa. The migrants had been travelling on a rubber dinghy for at least 12 hours. They were wet, seasick and dehydrated. Many were weak and exhausted.

The Russian summer resort town of Anapa, a popular holiday town of some 80,000 people, is suing two shipping companies for $2.4 million after an oil spill devastated its local beaches. The office of the town's mayor, Vasiliy Shvets, announced on March 10 that it was seeking 211 million rubles from Volgatransneft and Kama Shipping, citing clean-up costs from the companies which owned and operated the 'Volgoneft 212' and 'Volgoneft 239', which had carried 9,000 metric tons of low-grade fuel, more than half of which leaked into the Kerch Strait between Russia and the Russian occupied Crimean peninsula. Anapa was hard hit by the spill, which contaminated over 30 miles of beach. The cleanup involved 10,000 people shoveling and scooping blackened sand and polluted water. The spill drew international attention amid concerns that Russia's sanctioned energy industry is using a shadow fleet of commercial ships to ferry oil and gas to foreign customers. Many such vessels are aging tankers pulled back into service that often prove difficult to track, prompting fears of further spillage and a lack of mechanisms to contain the damage. The grey-area status of Russia's dark vessels also underscores concern that they might not be properly insured to cover oil spills, leaving communities hit by such disasters to shoulder cleaning costs For Anapa, the $2.4 million is an incomplete tally of the money already paid under contracts to deal with the spill. The amount is not final, and in the future, the administration intends to increase the claims. Municipal filings for the arbitration court of the Krasnodar region showed that Anapa submitted its lawsuit on March 7. Judge Irina Bondarenko is listed as overseeing the case. Testing the beaches for contamination, publishing footage of excavators and bulldozers cleaning up the seaside started on March 8. The long-term environmental impact of the spill remains to be seen. Greenpeace said the oil could sink to the bottom of the deep sea, poisoning fish and vegetation there. The impact of the ecological disaster could persist for decades.

The 'Doña Josefina' suffered a technical breakdown that forced it to interrupt its voyage from Valparaíso to Talcahuano on the early morning of March 10. There was an increase in the temperature of the exhaust gases from the main engine. As a preventive measure, it was decided to stop in order to carry out an investigation. As the origin of the technical problem could not be immediately identified, it was decided to anchor in Caleta Chanco for a detailed and thorough evaluation in order to define the steps to follow. The 'Doña Josefina' was expected to resume the voyage during the afternoon.

The 'Joseph Napier' transferred 32 migrants to the Dominican Republic Navy vessel 'Aldebaran' on March 8, following the interdiction of an overloaded makeshift vessel in Mona Passage waters near Dominican Republic on the night. A forward-deployed Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew on a routine maritime border security patrol had detected the 25-foot makeshift vessel in international waters, approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Punta Can. Sector San Juan watchstanders diverted the 'Joseph Napier' to interdict the boat. Shortly thereafter, the cutter arrived on-scene and deployed the over-the-horizon small boat, which stopped the vessel. Following the interdiction, the patrol vessel 'Aldebaran' arrived on-scene and embarked all 32 refugees for their return to the Dominican Republic. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4114351/coast-guard-interdicts-transfers-32-aliens-to-dominican-republic-navy-authoriti/