The 'Akzdeniz', aimed to sail from Turkey to Gaza with humanitarian aid have been denied the right to sail. On the afternoon of April 25, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was contacted by the Guinea Bissau International Ships Registry (GBISR), requesting an inspection of the 'Akdenez', altihough the ship had already passed all required inspections. The inspector arrived on the evening. On afternoon of April 26, before the inspection was completed, the GBISR, in a blatantly political move, informed the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that it had withdrawn the Guinea Bissau flag from two of the Freedom Flotilla’s ships, one of which the cargo ship, already loaded with over 5000 tons of life-saving aid for the Palestinians of Gaza. The 'Akdeniz' remained stationary in Tuzla as of April 29. Report with photo: https://thehill.com/policy/international/4626240-gaza-humanitarian-aid-ships-turkey-denied-right-sail-flags-removed/
News
MEIN SCHIFF 1
On April 25, 2024, the bridge crew of the 'Mein Schiff 1' discovered a boat with two people in distress during a day at sea between the ports of Málaga and Alicante. The Spanish Coastguard was then immediately alerted. The speed of the cruise ship was reduced and a dinghy was lowered into the water, and the people were successfully rescued. After providing support, the 'Mein Schiff 1' continued the current cruise as scheduled.
ABEILLE NORMANDIE
On April 27 the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that some migrant boats were in difficulty off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. At around 3:00 a.m., the CROSS deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to check the situation on board a migrant boat, detected by the semaphore, which had stopped off the coast of Boulogne with 10 people on board. The tug launched the semi-rigid, which recovered the castaways who were dropped off on a pontoon at the marina of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken care of at the end of the night by the land rescue services and the border police. Shortly after, the 'Abeille Normandie' was again engaged by the CROSS Gris-Nez to assist another migrant boat reported in difficulty off the coast of Cap-Blanc-Nez and rescued 33 people. Several people still on board the boat refused the assistance offered by French means and continued their journey under appropriate surveillance. The people picked up by the 'Abeille Normandie' were dropped off at the dock in Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken care of by the shore based rescue services and the border police. In the middle of the day, a third migrant boat was reported in difficulty in the Canche Bay. The CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the 'Minck' to assist. Once on scene, the crew informed the CROSS that there were around 50 people on board and that three people were already in the water and that one of the tubes of the boat was punctured. The 'Minck' launched its semi-rigid boat to rescue the people. The CROSS also tasked the Coastguard launch 'DF37-Nordet', the BSAM 'Rhône' and the VCSM 'Maroni' to support the 'Minck' in the rescue operation. The 'Nordet' was the closest and arrived quickly. The 'Minck' indicates to the CROSS that the boat remained afloat despite the puncture and continued the recoveries with the support of the 'Nordet'. The recoveries took place quite quickly, and the CROSS disengaged the other ships to keep them at sea in other maritime sectors. 45 minutes after the start of recovery operations, 56 people were treated on board the 'Minck', including one person with a slight knee injury. All migrants were disembarked at Boulogne-sur-mer and taken care of at the dock.
SEHIT TEMEL SIMSIR
On April 27, 2024, a fire broke out aboard the Turkish flagged passenger m/v 'Sehit Temel Simsir' (IMO: 7638064), which was undergoing maintenance at the Ordu Shipyard in Unye. To tackle the fire, originating in the engine room, emergency services, including the Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department, Ünye Fire Department Group Chief, and 112 Emergency Health teams, were deployed. After approximately three hours of firefighting efforts, the flames were successfully extinguished. However, the ship suffered significant damage. An investigation into the incident has been initiated to determine the cause of the fire.
CLIPPER KYTHIRA
A fire broke out in a cargo hold of the 'Clipper Kythira' on the morning of April 28, 2024, at the bulk terminal opf the Southampton Docks off the Herbert Walker Avenu. Scrap metal was burning. The hold has been sealed and fire crews are cooling the outside of the ship with jets of water. Exterior scans showed that he temperatures within the hold were dropping as a consequence. Fire crews remained on scene and continue to cool the exterior of the vessel.
SALVAMAR ALPHERATZ
On the morning of April 29, the crew of the 'Salvamar Alpheratz' accompanied a canoe near Los Cristianos, south of. Tenerife, with 101 sub-Saharan migrants on board, among them four women. The fishing vessel 'Carmen Delia' had remained on standby until the arrival of the SAR boat. The response was coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo.
ANDROMEDA STAR
The Houthis launched two new attacks on April 26, 2024, the 26th, marking the third consecutive day of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. They claimed to have attacked the 'Andromeda Star' and 'Maisha'. The UK Maritime Organization also confirmed that the incident occurred 14 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukha, Yemen near the northern part of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The captain of the 'Andromeda Star' reported that two missile attacks caused minor damages to the vessel. Despite the attack, the vessel, en route from Primorsk to Vadimar, continued transmitting signals indicating it had no contact with Israel. Np one was injured in the attack, and the tanker continued its voyaage. The missile directed to the 'Maisha' exploded close to the vessel. The master of the vessel stated that the crew onboard felt the repercussions. The tanker was en route from Cochin to the Suez Canal. The case of the 'Andromeda Star' is of particular interest, as it belongs to the so-called shadow fleet hauling Russian oil around the world. The aframax was bought in Nov 2023 by the Seychelles company Algae Marine. After a collision with the Bulgarian cargo m/'Peace' in the Danish Strait, it turned out that the ship’s insurance documents were not valid and the vessel’s emergency generator was faulty, raising again concerns about the potential for an environmental catastrophe with a number of near-disasters reported among the ageing fleet of tankers of the shadow fleet
DALI
As of Apri 26, 137 containers of the estimated 180 necessary to access the portion of the bridge atop the 'Dali' have been removed. 171 commercial vessels have transited the four alternate channels, including five of the vessels waiting to depart the Port of Baltimore since March 26. More than 350 uniformed and civilian workers from 53 federal, state, and local agencies across the U.S. have been deployed to Baltimore for the ongoing recovery and salvage efforts. In addition, 553 contract specialists were actively involved in various roles related to dive, crane, and vessel operations. Over 1,000 individuals have contributed to the Key Bridge Response mission over the past month. To address the estimated 50,000 tons of wreckage at the Francis Scott Key Bridge site, the Unified Command has assembled a substantial fleet of diverse vessels and equipment which includes 36 barges, 27 tugs, 22 floating cranes, 10 excavators, one dredger, one skimmer, and three Coast Guard cutters. Progress in the salvage effort has been significant, with over 3,000 tons of wreckage and debris already removed from the site for disposal or recycling. 90 dive missions have been conducted by as many as seven dive teams, each consisting of four to five specialists. This tally does not include the numerous recovery-related dives undertaken within the initial 48 hours by over 60 divers from the Maryland State Police and other federal, state, and local agencies. Survey vessels deployed by the Unified Command have executed more than 60 missions to gather sonar and laser imagery, essential for mapping the wreckage of the 'Dali' and determining safe maritime navigation routes. This data, acquired day and night, is crucial for diver safety, enabling dive supervisors to guide underwater operations amidst the murky depths of the Patapsco River. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coast Survey completed nine hydrographic survey assessments to help establish the temporary channels by identifying obstructions for salvage teams to remove. Following obstruction removal, the NOAA hydrographic survey team returned and verified the temporary alternate channels were clear and safe for vessel navigation. Aerial efforts have also played a vital role, with more than 100 pilots and support specialists from over 35 agencies conducting 250 Unmanned Aircraft System missions and 60 manned helicopter and fixed-wing sorties. Serving as the literal eye-in-the-sky, the Air Operations branch has been instrumental from the early search and rescue phase to the ongoing salvage operations, providing essential oversight for Unified Command planners, operators, and leadership. Report with photo: https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/post/update-16-multimedia-release-unified-command-reflects-on-month-s-progress-during-joint-recovery-and
ABEILLE NORMANDIE
On April 26 the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty north of the Hardelot beach through various calls. telephone calls and deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to check the boat and rescue the people in difficulty. Once on scene, the crew of the 'Abeille Normandie' picked up the 54 people on board the boat. After an initial treatment on board, all migrants were dropped off a few hours later at the dock in Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken care of by the shore based rescue services and the border police.
ARTEMIS
On April 27, 2024, at noon, the Port Authority of Syros was informed by the Master of the 'Artemnis' about a malfunction of the stern ramp during the departure from the port of Parikia, Paros, en route to the port of Syros. The ship sailed safely to the port of Syros, where the 80 passengers disembarked, along with 16 vehicles, three trucks and six two-wheelers. The Port Authority of Syros banned the ferry from sailing until the damage was repaired and a certificate of class maintenance was presented by the monitoring classification society.
KIM THU
Rescue crews responded to fire on the ''Kim Thu', which docked at Pier 36 in Honolulu on April 26, 2024. Five people were injured. At about 3:34 p.m. the Honolulu Fire Department responded to the incident. Two people needed to be treated for fire-related injures.
COLOR FANTASY
On April 28 at 8.04 p.m. a rescue helicopter from Roskilde medically evacuated a patient from the 'Color Fantasy', en route from Kiel to Oslo, which was sailing near Sejerø at the time of the medevac request. The patient was flown to Skejby for further transport to hospital.
SALVAMAR ADHARA
The 'Salvamar Adhara' rescued 109 migrants within a few hours on April 29. In thenight the Guardia Civil noticed a cayuco 12 nautical miles from La Restinga with 69 people on board. The SAR boat escorted it to the port. Some hours later a cayuco with 40 people on board was notices three nautical miles from La Restinga and also accompanied to the port. The resonses were coordinated by the RCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Tenerife. Report with photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1784519557714940002
MSC PASSION III
The Port of Baltimore welcomed the 'MSC Passion III', being the first commercial container ship to enter the port, on April 28, 2024m since the suspension of vessel traffic following the Francis Scot Key Bridge collapse on March 26. The ship berthed at Ports America Chesapeake’s Seagirt Terminal via the newly opened 35-foot-deep alternative channel. Approximately 1,000 containers were handled by around 80 workers from the International Longshoremen Association. The 'MSC Passion III' was preceded by the barge 'Columbia Freedom' at the terminal, which saw loading and discharging of 442 containers. Report with photos: https://www.worldcargonews.com/news/2024/04/1st-container-ship-docks-at-baltimores-seagirt-terminal-since-bridge-collapse/?gdpr=accept
MINCK
On April 27 the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that some migrant boats were in difficulty off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. At around 3:00 a.m., the CROSS deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to check the situation on board a migrant boat, detected by the semaphore, which had stopped off the coast of Boulogne with 10 people on board. The tug launched the semi-rigid, which recovered the castaways who were dropped off on a pontoon at the marina of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken care of at the end of the night by the land rescue services and the border police. Shortly after, the 'Abeille Normandie' was again engaged by the CROSS Gris-Nez to assist another migrant boat reported in difficulty off the coast of Cap-Blanc-Nez and rescued 33 people. Several people still on board the boat refused the assistance offered by French means and continued their journey under appropriate surveillance. The people picked up by the 'Abeille Normandie' were dropped off at the dock in Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken care of by the shore based rescue services and the border police. In the middle of the day, a third migrant boat was reported in difficulty in the Canche Bay. The CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the 'Minck' to assist. Once on scene, the crew informed the CROSS that there were around 50 people on board and that three people were already in the water and that one of the tubes of the boat was punctured. The 'Minck' launched its semi-rigid boat to rescue the people. The CROSS also tasked the Coastguard launch 'DF37-Nordet', the BSAM 'Rhône' and the VCSM 'Maroni' to support the 'Minck' in the rescue operation. The 'Nordet' was the closest and arrived quickly. The 'Minck' indicates to the CROSS that the boat remained afloat despite the puncture and continued the recoveries with the support of the 'Nordet'. The recoveries took place quite quickly, and the CROSS disengaged the other ships to keep them at sea in other maritime sectors. 45 minutes after the start of recovery operations, 56 people were treated on board the 'Minck', including one person with a slight knee injury. All migrants were disembarked at Boulogne-sur-mer and taken care of at the dock.
MOSTRILLO
On the morning of April 22, the 'Mostrillo' began to take on water as it was approaching the port of San Benedetto in very rough seas. The captain and owner managed to get the ship to the quay, where it tilted on its side and settled on a water depth of about three metres. The three crew members could be brought to safety. Recovery operations began on April 26 at 10.30 a.m. with two large mobile cranes from the Pepa transport company of Porto Recanati which operated simultaneously to hoist the vessel onto the quay, supported by divers from the Teramo firefighters. The work was coordinated by the San Benedetto harbour master's office. Reports with photos and video: https://www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/ascoli/cronaca/affondato-peschereccio-comandante-mette-salvo-equipaggio-74b23e7f https://www.veratv.it/articoli/id-3065/recuperato-il-mostrillo-si-indaga-sulle-cause-dell-affondamento
KMP MISHIMA
On the afternoon of April 26, 2024, the KMP 'Mishima' allided with the wooden fishing boats KML 'Tunas Muda' and KML 'Dia Harapan'in the Bone Regency, South Sulawesi (Sulsel). The ferry had experienced electrical trouble and lost rudder control when leaving the port en route to Kolaka Port, Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra) at around 1.30 p.m. WITA. Tere were no casualties in the incident. However, all passengers were transferred onto other ships., as the 'Mishima' was removed from the schedule. The worst damage was to the KML 'Tunas Muda'. Reports with photos and video: https://www.rri.co.id/bone/daerah/656333/kmp-mishima-tabrak-2-kapal-kayu-di-pelabuhan-bajoe https://sultra.tribunnews.com/2024/04/26/kmp-mishima-batal-ke-kolaka-sulawesi-tenggara-usai-tabrak-kapal-kayu-di-bajoe-kecelakaan-viral?page=1# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM_FGH7bs_Y
CAPTAIN ANTONIS
The 'Captain Antonis' ran aground on April 26, 2024, en route from Montevideo near the Vung Tau estuary on April 26 with a cargo of more than 68,000 tonnes of corn and wheat, while moving to the anchorage to wait for quarantine procedures at 15:30 p.m. The Maritime Administration of Vung Tau and local authority immediately mobilised salvage teams to the scene. After 10 hours the ship was refloated and safely berthed in the SP-PSA International Port of Phu My on April 28 at 6 a.m. UTC.
MAISHA
The Houthis launched two new attacks on April 26, 2024, the 26th, marking the third consecutive day of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. They claimed to have attacked the 'Andromeda Star' and 'Maisha'. The UK Maritime Organization also confirmed that the incident occurred 14 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukha, Yemen near the northern part of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The captain of the 'Andromeda Star' reported that two missile attacks caused minor damages to the vessel. Despite the attack, the vessel, en route from Primorsk to Vadimar, continued transmitting signals indicating it had no contact with Israel. Np one was injured in the attack, and the tanker continued its voyaage. The missile directed to the 'Maisha' exploded close to the vessel. The master of the vessel stated that the crew onboard felt the repercussions. The tanker was en route from Cochin to the Suez Canal.