On Sep 6, 2025, the 'Thamesborg', enroute from Lianyungang to Baie Comeau, Quebec, with 16 people and a cargo of cargon blocks for industrial use on board, ran aground in the Northwest Passage within the Franklin Strait, in pos. 71° 21' N 096° 54' W. The Canadian oast Guard deployed the buoy lighthouse CCGS 'Sir Wilfrid Laurier' (IMO: 8320456) to assist, and also the cargo vessel 'Miena Desgagnes' (IMO: 9700380) diverted from its route from Montral to Becancour and was standing by at the grounding site off the southwest corner of Prince of Wales Island in the Peel Sound. There were no injuries to crew, and no pollution occurred as a result of the incident. The fuel tanks of the vessel and its cargo holds were all intact. The crew of the 'Thamesborg' was making a further assessment of potential damage to the ship, and salvage experts were discussing further steps for the safe refloating of the vessel.
News
FLANDERS
The Bell Island ferry 'Flanders' suffered engine issues and was sidelined in St. John's on Aug 29, 2015, for repairs. The ship was expected to be out of service for up to two months while it was undergoing an engine rebuild.
WON SHIN
The "Erik Izmir" was detained on Sep 4, 2025 in Yalova with 12 deficiencies, one of which being regarded as serious and ground for a detention: 1) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water Management System Malfunctioning The vessel was released again on Sep 5 and left the port enroute to to Marseille.
MSC BALTIC III
As the summer was drawing to a close, the crews salvaging the grounded MSC Baltic III were turning their focus to making a plan to winterize the 'MSC Baltic III'. Efforts have been ongoing ever since the grounding to assess the ship’s condition and remove any potential pollutants aboard. The bulk of the heavy fuel oil in the ship’s six primary tanks was safely removed earlier in summer. As of Sep 4, most of the residual heavy fuel oil left in those six tanks, which could not be removed by the heating and pumping process, had also been removed. the contractors now considered four of the six primary tanks to be adequately flushed off residual oil. There may be a requirement (for the salvage crew) to do more. The process being employed to cleanse the primary tanks of residual heavy motor fuel involves adding diesel fuel, or marine gas oil, from other, smaller tanks that are aboard the 'MSC Baltic II'I to dilute the heavier fuel oil. All of those other smaller tanks have all been cleansed and have been inspected to the approval of the federal standards required. One thing that is being done in preparation for the coming colder seasons is the construction of a cableway that will provide the crews access to the ship from the Cedar Cove shoreline. Essentially, the cableway will be a sort of zipline that will carry a caged box. It will only be used to transport personnel back and forth. Currently, crews access the 'MSC Baltic III' from either the starboard side by boat via a set of stairs or on the port side via the walk-to-work platform aboard the 'Eems Dublin', which that has been onsite to assist in removing cargo containers from the vessel. A stone pad has been constructed on the hill above the beach at Cedar Cove, from which the cableway system will travel out to the ship’s deck. While use of the cableway will still be weather-dependent, it should provide more consistent access than the two approaches that rely upon steadier sea states. Daily access and after September when the weather starts getting worse will probably drop back to 50 % or more. The 'Eems Dublin' will stay in the area to facilitate the transfer of personnel and containers. It will remain available, as weather permits, until all container operations are done and the cableway system is completed. While the Canadian Coast Guard is mostly concerned about the potential pollutants still aboard the 'MSC Baltic III', the salvage crews have switched their focus for the time being to the ship’s cargo. The 'MSC Baltic' was carrying 472 containers, around half of which were empty. As of Sep 4, 399 of these had been removed, leaving 73 to go. The remaining containers were all below deck and in holds that contained water. The cargo included some food items and some newsprint, some of which has been soaked and likely now too heavy to be lifted out by the ship’s cranes. The wet newsprint has swelled, while the food has been spoiled and continues to decay with each passing day. The rotten food has also generated gases that can make working in the area a challenge, with levels being monitored to determine if personal protection equipment and breathing apparatus might be required for crews. While the Canadian Coast Guard has asked the general public to stay away from the Cedar Cove area while the salvage operations were ongoing, they have not been forcing people to stay away from what has become a popular destination for sightseers. It was still too early to tell if the 'MSC Baltic III' can eventually be refloated and safely towed away from Cedar Cove. Regular dive surveys of the double-hulled ship continue to monitor the underwater, exterior condition of the ship and gather information to help with winterizing the vessel. A schedule for dive operations has been set for the coming months. and dives will likely take place after any significant storms or other events that might raise any cause for concern. The condition of the inner was is still a question that had yet to be answered. Its condition could determine whether or not the ship can be refloated. No tar balls have been found since July, although crews doing beach surveys continue to see and clean up small tar stains in Cedar Cove and nearby shorelines. Report wiith photos: https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/cableway-to-msc-baltic-iii
SARDINIA
MSC/GNV has bought the 'Mexico Star' from Baja Ferries and renamed the ferry 'Sardinia'. The vessel is currently on her way to Napoli. Baja Ferries had converted the former 'Stena Carrier' to carry 350 passengers, but it is actually registered as roro cargo ship only. The ship left Cristobal on Aug 20, 2025, enroute to Napoli with an ETA as of Sep 8.
SCANLARK
Police units from Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein stormed the ' Scanlark' in the southern lock of the Kiel Canal in Kiel-Holtenau as a cross-state police operation. The "Scanlark," which was en route from Rotterdam to Fiejo. The ship was stormed by masked police officers immediately after docking in the south chamber at around 3 p.m. The visitor platform at the Holtenau Lock in Kiel closed. The reason for the operation was to avert danger, according to the State Police Office in Kiel. No further details were given. Meanwhile, at the lock, it is suspected that suspicion of sabotage could also be the reason for the action. The visitor platform and access to the lock were closed from 3 p.m. The webcam at the lock was also dimmed on police orders. The measures continued into the evening. Divers were also on site for the search throughout the night. The freighter's berth has been cordoned off. The ship was later shifted to the Voith Quay of the North Port of Kiel. Report with photo: https://www.kn-online.de/mediabox/kiel/kiel-schleusenkammer-wegen-razzia-gesperrt-S2SSERITDNANPLQIT5KFJ4YTPU.html
IDA
After the engine room fire on July 26 off the harbour at Bogø, the 'Ida' has now returned to the route between Stubbekøbing and Bogø. The hope was to find a quick, temporary solution so that the ferry could be re-launched during the high season without having to carry out a full repair immediately. The work was carried out at the Stege Skibs & Bådebyggeri ApS, where the ship had arrived on July 31, en route from Bogø, and on the afternoon of Sep 4, the ship returned on its route.
VSG GLORY
On Sep 5, 2025, the sunken 'VSG Glory', which has been resting below the surface, has unexpectedly floated back up. The bow re-surfaced for about 10 minutes, probably due to gases of rotting cargo. Eco & Heritage was closely monitoring the situation to check if there wee any leakages from the ship or if there were fragments of wreckage that might pose an environmental or navigational risks. Photos: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GFYEkXiji/
VOSKHOD
The sanctioned Russian 'Voskhod' has anchored at an LNG terminal in the port of Tieshan Xingang in the southwestern province of Guangxi on Sep 6, w025, loaded with a cargo of 150,000 cubic meters of LNG. The LNG tanker was loaded up at the Arctic LNG 2 facility in Gydan in northern Siberia on July 19. The cargo was the second from the sanctioned project to dock in China after the sanctioned tanker 'Arctic Mulan' arrived at the Beihai LNG terminal in late August. It’s cargo was the first from Arctic LNG to reach an end-user since it started up in 2024. The Arctic project began production in Dec 2023, but was behind schedule in supplying cargoes of the gas, because of shortages of ice-class gas carriers and Western sanctions over Russia’s war against Ukraine.
MOBY DREA
The 'Moby Drea' was returning under tow to Crotone, being pulled by the tug 'Protug 75' (IMO: 9559781), operated by the Greek company Promarine, with an ETA as of Sep 7. The ship's future plans will be made public as soon as they are finalized. The return to Italy was coordinated and agreed upon with the General Command of the Port Authority. The Croatian Ministry of Transport's request, issued following protests from local residents, for the vessel to leave the port of Split and with no work, specifically, the disposal of asbestos panels, having been carried out at the Brodosplit shipyard, has thus been satisfied. In recent days, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform had intervened in the matter. The civic initiative 'Zdravi Split' lead protests demanding the ship leave Croatia, amid fears that the removal of 400 tons of asbestos would be carried out locally at the Brodosplit shipyard, exposing workers and residents to risks. For this reason, requests for its removal have been made. The open letters to the government emphasized that asbestos removal constitutes a ship recycling operation, strictly regulated by European Union law (Regulation 1257/2013) and the Basel Convention. The Brodosplit shipyard was not authorized to carry out demolition operations, therefore the ship should never have been authorized to enter Croatia for that work, according to the NGO. Two official inventories of hazardous materials dated Sep 10, 2024, and Jan 20, 2025, have further undermined trust. The first declared the presence of 64.30 tons of asbestos on board, while the second estimated almost 400 tons. This huge discrepancy raised serious concerns about oversight and transparency and reinforced the feeling that the 'Moby Drea' case was mishandled from the beginning. The platform warned that Turkey, a likely destination for demolition, could not be considered a responsible option, as Turkish ship recycling yards have repeatedly been criticized for unsafe practices, particularly in the handling and disposal of toxic substances like asbestos. Sending a ship with nearly 400 tons of asbestos to such facilities would endanger the health of workers and the surrounding communities. The shipowner and the Italian authorities, as the flag state, now have the responsibility to ensure that the ship is recycled in a certified European facility capable of managing its hazardous materials in full compliance with the law.
VERDEL
The fire on the "Verdel"; could be brought under control by the Argentina Naval Prefecture firefighters on the afternoon of Sep 4. The operatio included specialized firefighting teams. The fire began on the starboard side near the bow and spread to several internal compartments. It also reached the connecting corridor on the main deck. The situation required the immediate evacuation of all personnel on board, while a security cordon was established in the port area to prevent further risks. Two ambulances remained on site as part of the emergency protocol, although no injuries were reported. The firefighters quick response prevented the fire from affecting other sensitive areas of the vessel. After several hours, they managed to extinguish the blaze. Now the attention was focused on the forensic investigation being conducted by law enforcement officers. The objective is to precisely determine the origin of the fire, which could have been linked to an electrical fault or a failure in internal systems. The successful operation highlighted the importance of port security protocols, where coordination between the Coast Guard, firefighters, and health personnel allowed the emergency to be contained without casualties. The procedure, carried out in an area with constant fishing activity, tested the teams' response capacity in a high-risk scenario. With the fire now extinguished and the crew safe, the "Verdel" remained under observation until the forensic work has been completed. Meanwhile, the port of Mar del Plata resumed normal operations. Reports with photos: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/noticias/bomberos-de-prefectura-sofocaron-incendio-en-un-barco-y-peritan-para-determinar-el-origen https://lu17.com/contenido/97346/incendio-en-el-buque-pesquero-verdel-bomberos-de-prefectura-controlaron-las-llam
PETROBRAS 79
Rodrigo Reis Barreto, a Petrobras employee, who fell from the 'Petrobras 79' on Sep 3, 2025, at 11.56 a.m., whose construction he was overseeing at thr Hanwha Ocean yar, has died. The Brazilian national, a member of the shipowner’s supervision team, fell into the sea at around 11 a.m. LT, when a structure, which was undergoing a load test on the upper deck of the newbuilding, collapsed. The supervisor fell into the sea and was initially reported missing. The body was later found after Hanwha Ocean launched an emergency maritime search in cooperation with external agencies, including the police, fire department, and the Coast Guard. The 39-year-old man was in cardiac arrest and received cardiopulmonary resuscitation while being taken to hospital. Two others, who also had fallen into the sea, were rescued. The accident occurred during an offloading hose reel road test on the stern deck. The 312-tonne load test was not completed as when the weight was lifted to 280 tons, the deck collapsed and the structure fell into the sea. There were no other missing persons and no further injuries. The shipyard suspended all related work following the accident and said it would carry out a four-hour comprehensive special safety training session on the morning of Sep 4. The operations at Hanwha Ocean resumed on the afternoon. Reports with photos: https://www.reddit.com/r/CatastrophicFailure/comments/1n7lowp/today_petrobras_fpso_p79_had_a_catastrophic/ https://splash247.com/petrobras-employee-dies-after-falling-from-fpso-at-korean-yard/ https://oilandgas.world/viewtopic.php?t=2177
