The 'Léon Thévenin' has arrived at the site of one of four major undersea fibre cable breaks. A second ship, Global Marine’s 'C.S. Sovereign', was en route too after after a suspected submarine landslide that knocked out four undersea cables on March 14, 2024, causing severe Internet disruptions in South Africa and all along Africa’s Western coast near Abidjan, breaking the West Africa Cable System (WACS), Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and SAT-3. Due to the location and depth of the breaks, the cable owners have ruled out sabotage, stray boat anchors, and other human activity as possible causes for the outages. This left a submarine landslide as the most likely explanation. The cable breaks caused a roughly two-hour outage on Vodacom’s data network in South Africa. It also took down Microsoft’s locally hosted cloud services, preventing people from accessing their email, Teams meetings, and other Microsoft 365 services. The Microsoft Azure region in South Africa was also offline for several hours, leaving companies like payments provider Yoco unable to function. Services were restored after the impacted companies secured additional capacity on undersea cables that were still operational, like Google’s Equiano. Vodacom and Microsoft have not yet explained why a lack of international bandwidth also disrupted their local connectivity. Network infrastructure company WIOCC, an investor in WACS, has provided an update on the repairs to the four broken submarine cables. The 'Léon Thévenin'Ä set sail on March 19 from Cape Town. However, it will only attend to the SAT-3 break and reached the fault area on March 29. WACS is the more important cable for most South African network service providers, as the Telkom-controlled SAT-3 offers much less capacity. Regardless, it was expected that repairs to SAT-3 will be completed by the second week of April, barring any unforeseen circumstances. The 'C.S. Sovereign' will work on MainOne, WACS, and ACE with an ETA as of April 8. She had sailed from London on March 21, stopped in Brest on March 22 and sailed again on March 24. It paused again at Santa Cruz de Tenerife on March 3ß before leaving on April 1. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the expected restoration dates for the remaining cables are as follows: - ACE by April 17; WACS by April 28 and MainOne by May 9- While a submarine landslide was the suspected cause of the breaks, WIOCC said that no formal diagnosis of the cause has been possible.
News
FV BREIZ
The trial against five following the sinking of the 'Breiz' ends on April 5 at the maritime court in Le Havre. On April 4, twelve months of suspended imprisonment were requested against the skipper of the SNSM lifeboat, while extreme tension invaded the courtroom with the pleadings of the four lawyers of the civil parties. Tension was also increased in the afternoon with the requisitions of the public prosecutor, Bruno Dieudonné. For two hours, he denounced that everyone avoids their responsibilities. He also dissected a chain of negligence and faults where everyone failed in their mission, especially regarding two agents of the Departmental Directorate of Territories and the Sea (DDTM) of Calvados. He denounced serious misconduct for having registered Quantin Varin as master of the 'Breiz' when he did not have the qualification. He requested principle sentences against the two officials at the discretion of the President of the court. He also requested six months suspended imprisonment for the co-owner and the maritime surveyor as well as €30,000 for the latter's company: "You should have banned Quentin Varin and his two sailors from going to sea...The major problem on this trawler was the weight and that the waterline height mark was systematically submerged." Finally, the prosecutor spoke to the master of the SNSM boat in Ouistreham. With the support of an expert, he denounced "a trailer too short, speed too high, lack of exchanges with Breiz, and a sudden change of course". He asked for twelve months of imprisonment with a suspended sentence and a ban on sailing for two years. The bitterness of the many rescuers present on site to support their colleague was strong. Defense arguments continue on April 5. The decision will be deliberated.
DALI
The Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command continued dive and salvage operations on the 'Dali' on April 4. The information collected will be used during salvage operations and is conducted by divers contracted under the Navy’s supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV). The divers’ primary objectives were to assess any damage suffered by the vessel and pinpoint the exact locations where it was grounded. By identifying any potential damages and determining the precise grounding site, the Unified Command can prioritize the necessary actions to mitigate risks and ensure the safe recovery of the vessel. Dive teams from the Maryland State Police were standing by to assist with the recovery operation as soon as it was safe to do so. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced a tentative timeline for reopening the federal Fort McHenry Channel and restoring navigation in and out of the Port of Baltimore. The USACE plans to open a limited access channel to the Port of Baltimore within the next four weeks, or by the end of April. This 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep channel will support one-way traffic for barge container service and some roll on/roll off vessels. Alternatively, USACE engineers are aiming to reopen the permanent, 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation channel by the end of May, restoring port access to normal capacity. Reports with photos and video: https://gcaptain.com/baltimore-bridge-salvage-and-wreck-removal-megathread/ https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/post/video-release-unified-command-divers-from-partner-agencies-continue-a-comprehensive-inspection-of-t
SC MONTANA
The 'SC Montana', which lost power on the evening of April 2 and drifted into Cayman waters, has been towed about 25 miles off the coast of the island in the night of April 3. On April 4 at 10:00 a.m., it was drifting away from Little Cayman into the open ocean, while some engine power has been recovered to help the vessel avoid any collisions. Cayman Islands officials contacted the shipping company’s main office in Greece, and a tug was expected to arrive in the afternoon of April 5 to tow the ship to Jamaica.
KONOSHA
On April 4, 2024, the 'Konosha' was in collision with the cargo m/v 'Soormovskiy 3067' (IMO: 8704559), on the Don River. The “Sormovsky-3067” suffered hull damage which amounted to more than 1.7 million Russian rubles. The 'Konosha' was breached and dented at the port side foreship above the waterline. The transport investigation department has opened a criminal case due to violations of traffic safety rules and operation of water transport as a consequence. REport with photos: https://rostovgazeta.ru/news/2024-04-04/v-rostovskoy-oblasti-teplohod-protaranil-stoyaschiy-na-meli-sormovskiy-3067-5046304
WARSHIP
The Mumbai police arrested nine pirates who were brought to Mumbai on April 3, five days after the Indian Navy caught them for hijacking the Iranian fishing vessel 'Al Kambar 786' with 23 Pakistani crew members on board off the Somalia coast after more than 12 hours of intense coercive tactical measures as part of an anti-piracy operation on March 29. At the time of the incident, the vessel was approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of Socotrain the Indian Ocean. The operation involved the INS 'Sumedha' and the guided missile frigate INS 'Trishul'.
JENNIFER
The sea convoy, consisting of the 'Jennifer' and the 'Open Arms' with 240 tons undelivered food for Gaza returned to Larnaca on April 3 after the killing of aid workers of World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an Israeli airstrike on the evening of April 1. The 'Jennifer' dropped anchor just outside the port. The 'Open Arms' had already arrived earlier. The undelivered aid was part of a consignment of about 340 tonnes sent to Gaza from Cyprus on March 30. The aid workers killed in Gaza had just finished work unloading 100 tonnes from a barge, also sent from Cyprus. The WCK, active in Gaza since October, has paused operations in the territory after the killings, and turned around its flotilla of ships back to Cyprus. Report with photo: https://gcaptain.com/gaza-aid-ships-return-to-cyprus-after-ngo-worker-deaths/
MSC ARMONIA
The 'MSC Armonia' which had stuck in Barcelona with around 1,500 passengers because some passengers had fake visas was able to continue its journey on April 4 at 1.30 p.m. after a two-day compulsory break. An agreement had previously been reached with the Spanish authorities regarding passengers without visas. The ship will arrive in Messina on April 6, but without the 69 passengers from Bolivia, who did not have valid Schengen visas. They have to wait in the transit area of the port of Barcelona for their situation to be clarified, accommodated on a ship provided by MSC for this period. They will probably be flown back to Bolivia at MSC's expense. An agency in South America had offered the passage and visas online and charged up to 9,200 Euros per person. This agency also canceled promised return tickets after the cruise ship left Brazil for Europe. However, the police did not rule out that the Bolivians actually wanted to get to Spain illegally.
BIRGER JARL
After the arrest of Leiv-Ivan Karlsson, Malin Svanholm, municipal councilor in Kramfors, was hopeful that demands for a fine can be served and the 'Baltic Star' is moved from Lunde In December, the owner of the ship was fined SEK 200,000 a month if it was not moved. But for the fine to take effect, it was necessary that Leif-Ivan Karlsson be served with the decision, something that could not happen as he was abroad until Easter. During Easter, Karlsson was arrested by the police at his home and served with suspicion of gross misconduct against a creditor, grossly aggravating bankruptcy and gross accounting offences. These financial crimes have taken place between 2019 and 2021. On April 4, he was requested to be detained. What this means for the ongoing dispute with Kramfors municipality is unclear, but Malin Svanholm in any case htought that it was good that something changes in the case. The Prosecutor's Office stated that the suspicions that were now being directed at Leif-Ivan Karlsson are not about the so-called "Think Pink gang" that concerns serious environmental crimes. Nor does it apply to operations outside of Stockholm, and therefore not to the 'Baltic Star' either.
NISSOS AEGINA
On April 4, 2024, at noon, the Central Port Authority of Piraeus was informed by the Master of the 'Nissos Aegina' about a damage to the electric winch of mooring cables. The Port Authority banned the ferry from sailing until the damage was repaired and a certificate of class maintenance presented by the monitoring classification society. The scheduled route of the ship from Piraeus to Aegina was not served. The passengers were forwarded to their destination by the ship's owning company. The ship resumed sailing at 3.40 p.m. UTC.
ADRIA
The 'Adria' experienced a catastrophic fire in the Indian Ocean off the Seychelles on March 26, 2024. The ship was gutted and had to be abandoned. The 31 crew members abandonded the vessel into a liferaft and were rescued by another passing vessel. All were safely accounted for.
SORMOVSKIY 3067
On April 4, 2024, the cargo m/v 'Konosha' (IMO: 9177404) was in collision with the 'Soormovskiy 3067, on the Don River. The “Sormovsky-3067” suffered hull damage which amounted to more than 1.7 million Russian rubles. The 'Konosha' was breached and dented at the port side foreship above the waterline. The transport investigation department has opened a criminal case due to violations of traffic safety rules and operation of water transport as a consequence. REport with photos: https://rostovgazeta.ru/news/2024-04-04/v-rostovskoy-oblasti-teplohod-protaranil-stoyaschiy-na-meli-sormovskiy-3067-5046304
PACIFIC CHALLENGER
Police have taken charge of an inquiry into the disappearance of a man from the 'Pacific Challenger' off the coast of Hawke’s Bay, and an active helicopter search has been stood down on the evening of April 2, about 24 hours after the man was reported as going over board at the stern of the vessel, 11 kilometres off Waimārama at around 8 p.m. Police officers were working to gather information on the circumstances and kept working alongside Maritime NZ and Coastguard. Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) had coordinated the search, which included rescue helicopter services from Auckland, Gisborne and Hastings, Coastguard Hawke’s Bay, two NZ Defence Force NH90s and other vessels in the area. The circumstances of how the man ended up overboard were unclear and it was not known if he was wearing a lifejacket.
SC MONTANA
The 'SC Montana' was still in the waters off the southwest coast of Little Cayman on April 3, but is bound for Cuba. The ship has been given assistance from the 'Lefkes' and the 'Aruna Cihan' to keep it away from Little Cayman’s coastline. The port authoritiy tug 'Navigator' has also been sent from Grand Cayman. The Cayman Islands Coast Guard, was monitoring the disabled ship and coordinating the efforts to keep it from running aground. Neither of the docks on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac have the infrastructure to handle the vessel, and it was not clear how the ship will be repaired. The Department of Environment remained aware of the potential risk and was ready to act if necessary to prevent a potential marine pollution. Acting Governor Franz Manderson and Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly met in the night of April 3 with representatives of the CICG, Hazard Management Cayman Islands, the DoE and other key stakeholders to discuss mitigation steps.
MEIN SCHIFF 3
The 'Mein Schiff 3', on her last long-term voyage from/to Bremerhaven heading to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the Azores, arrived in the port of Las Palmas on Gran Canaria earlier than scheduled on April 4, 2024, at around 5:30 p.m. LT due to a medical emergency. The scheduled arrival was on April 5 at 8 a.m. The ship stayed in port overnight. The patient was disembarked at the cruise pier in Las Palmas. For better care, the he was taken to a hospital on the island of Gran Canaria. After leaving Funchal, the 'Mein Schiff 3' had been sailing at a speed of over 20 knots towards Las Palmas. After about 29 hours in port, the cruise ship will set off for Fuerteventura on April 5 at 11 p.m.
NEXOE MAERSK
In the early morning of April 4, 2024, the Greek MRCC was informed of the existence of a boat with 37 migrants on board 19 nautical miles southeast of Gavdos. They were picked up by the 'Nexoe Maersk', en route from Mersin, which transported them near the port of Paleochora, Chania, where they were picked up by a patrol boat of the Greek Coastguard and landed safely in port. They were transferred to a temporary storage area of the Municipality of Chania. A 41-year-old and a 28-year-old man were arrested by the Central Port Authority of Chania, which conducted the preliminary investigation, for violating Law 3386/2005 "Illegal Entry into the Country", Law 5038/2023 as amended and in force with Law 5079/2023 "Immigration Code", of article 45 P.C. "Partnership" and Article 306 of the Civil Code.
SALVAMAR MACONDO
On April 4 the crew of the 'Salvamar Macondo' escorted a canoe with 73 occupants, among them one minor, which had been located 12 nautical miles from the port of Arguineguín. The CCS Las Palmas of Salvamento Marítimo coordinated the response to the emergency. Report with photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1776130462517240073
PAULINE
On April 3, 2024, at 6:33 p.m., the Gravesend RNLI was requested to launch to assist a crew member of the 'Pauline', who had suffered an injury on board the vessel, en route from Zeebrugge, in the area of Grays on the River Thames. He had been trapped and caught in a heavy winch system that assists the vessel with the retrieval of ropes, when the ship berthed at the Purfleet Deep Water Terminal. Two RNLI members disembarked by climbing a fixed ladder to offer immediate aid to the casualty. The man had a fracture to the lower right leg, and the rescue personnel carried out a full casualty care assessment to ensure there were no additional injuries to be aware of and then continued to treat the affected area and plan the safe and swift evacuation of the patient to an ambulance. The RNLI crew continued to provide monitoring and casualty care treatment while a multiagency briefing was held between the ambulance service and RNLI command staff to ensure that safe and effective outcomes were achieved. The lifeboat left the scene at 7:45 p.m. and returned to Gravesend Lifeboat Station for kit checks and refuelling.
OPEN ARMS
The sea convoy, consisting of the 'Jennifer' and the 'Open Arms' with 240 tons undelivered food for Gaza returned to Larnaca on April 3 after the killing of aid workers of World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an Israeli airstrike on the evening of April 1. The 'Jennifer' dropped anchor just outside the port. The 'Open Arms' had already arrived earlier. The undelivered aid was part of a consignment of about 340 tonnes sent to Gaza from Cyprus on March 30. The aid workers killed in Gaza had just finished work unloading 100 tonnes from a barge, also sent from Cyprus. The WCK, active in Gaza since October, has paused operations in the territory after the killings, and turned around its flotilla of ships back to Cyprus. Report with photo: https://gcaptain.com/gaza-aid-ships-return-to-cyprus-after-ngo-worker-deaths/