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After the Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Construction has managed to rectify the issue which was detected with the liquid natural ga system of the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV'', and the ship has been undertaking sea trials, the Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff on June 22 revealed that the ferry was expected to leave Scotland and make its way to Australia in 10 days' time. The journey would take about six weeks, with the predicted arrival in Hobart in August, where it will receive final fit-outs. Its berth in Devonport is not expected to be completed until at least Oct 2026. It is unclear what will happen to the ferry until it can be used to transport passengers between Tasmania and the mainland. The two new ferries have a dual fuel system, meaning that they can run on both diesel and LNG. Upgrading the LNG facilities in Devonport will trigger more that $70 million in private investment and create 150 construction jobs and 15 ongoing roles. 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions are to be saved by switching to LNG.

On the evening of June 23, 2025, the Port Authority of Thassos was informed by the Captain of the 'Nkiitis' about a failure of the starboard side main engine after its arrival at the port of Prinos, en route from the port of Kavala. The 75 passengers were safely disembarked from the ship and the 14 vehicles were unloaded. The 1st Port Department of Thassos of the Central Port Authority of Kavala prohibited the departure of the ferry until a certificate of seaworthiness was presented by the monitoring classification society. 46 passengers and 11 vehicles were waiting to board at the port. The passengers were forwarded to their destination with the care of the ship-owning company.

The American port of Brunswick has reopened on a “case by case” basis after Sunday’s capsizing of a car carrier in a nearby channel. The Golden Ray overturned with 24 crew members inside sparking a dramatic, successful rescue mission over the weekend. Authorities are still assessing how to remove the vessel, which is stuck on St Simons Sound. A half-mile perimeter has been established around the Golden Ray, which sits half in the water with its starboard side pointing skyward. An oil boom has been placed around the ship. Salvage teams are likely to start taking the bunker fuel from the ship this weekend.

The US Coast Guard informed that it reopened the Houston Ship Channel, on September 13, after a protest demonstration near Baytown, Texas. Namely, on September 12, 22 Greenpeace US climbers created a blockade from the Fred Hartman Bridge in Baytown. The closure on the ship channel started on September 12, after Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received notification that about 11 individuals were suspended from the Fred Hartman Bridge. A US Coast Guard Station Houston 29-foot Response Boat-Small boat crew, a US Coast Guard Station Galveston 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew and the crew of the US Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark were launched to the scene.

Ukraine is planning to sell the 'Ussko MFUÄ, which has been confiscated in 2024 on charges of looting grain from the temporary occupied Crimea, in an attempt to sell seized ships and raise funds to boost its war efforts with Russia. Ukraine’s National Agency for Tracing and Asset Management (ARMA) is trying to find someone to organise the sale of the vessel, which has significant investment potential and is attractive for future commercial use, and for companies which specialise in ship repairs or recycling. The agency will accept proposals until July 4, 2025. It will then choose an auction organiser who will obtain an independent valuation and organise the ship’s sale.

The Suez Canal Authority handled the emergency situation of the 'Red Zet 1' successfully and professionally. The ship was transiting the Canal as part of a northern convoy on June 20, when it had a sudden steering failure, causing it to deviate at the El-Qantara West passenger ferryboat. The pilots on board prevented a vertical and direct allision of the vessel with the ferry dock, rather ensuring a parallel allision to prevent serious damage. The supervisors of the El-Qantara Navigation Control Station, observed the vessel's deviation from its course and notified the El-Qantara ferry staff of the need to evacuate passengers and maritime units at the site in record time to prevent any injuries or serious losses. Three of the Canal Authority's tugs, the 'Misr Al Gadeeda', 'Mosaed 4' and 'Suez 1' were immediately deployed to deal with the emergency. The tugs were able to position the vessel in the middle of the waterway and secure it after its crew conducted repair works. The tugs proceeded alongside the vessel to the El-Balah area and then to the Great Bitter Lakes. Navigation in the Canal was not affected by the incident, as the incident was fully managed in a record time of 60 minutes. The transportation of passengers between the two banks of the Canal was not affected either, as the affected ferry was immediately replaced with another one, and the necessary measures were taken to assess the damage and repair the damaged parts by the relevant Authority-affiliated committees. A report prepared by the Authority's maritime salvage team after conducting an initial inspection of the vessel confirmed the overall safety of the vessel's hull and its ability to resume its transit after temporary repairs were made to a small hole in the vessels's bow above the water line, and immediately after all administrative procedures and investigations related to the incident were completed. As of June 24, the ship remained moored in pos. 30° 22' N 032° 22' E in the Great Bitter Lake. Report with photos: https://x.com/SuezAuthorityEG/status/1936463748983644284

Cyprus continues to address every facet of its maritime offering to lure more shipowners to the island. The country’s deputy minister for shipping Natasa Pilides has revealed plans to abolish initial ship registration fees to boost one of Europe’s fastest growing flags. Members of parliament will vote on the issue later this month with a view to making the regulation official in time for Cyprus’s shipping week, which kicks off on October 6. The Cypriot register today is the 11th largest in the world with 24.4m gt on its books.

Napier Port, the third largest port on New Zealand’s North Island, has placed an order with Damen Shipyards Group for an Azimuth Tractor Drive (ATD) Tug 2412 Twin Fin for delivery later this year. The contract was signed by Sjoerd de Bruin, sales manager Pacific for Damen and Napier Port CEO Todd Dawson at Napier Port main office. Napier Port is currently developing a sixth wharf which, at 350 metres long, will be capable of handling the larger vessels that are expected to access the port in the near future. As a key transport hub for the Hawke’s Bay region of the North Island, the port already hosts a wide range of vessels including container ships, cruise ships, cargo and timber carriers. The ATD Tug 2412 Kaweka will join two existing Voith-type tugs at the port; the Te Mata and Ahuriri. Tractor tugs work best at Napier Port due to their ability to operate effectively in a swell, to tow indirectly, and their manoeuvrability, the last particularly important due to the tight berthing arrangements in the harbour. Just 24-metres in length but with 72 tonnes of bollard pull, the ATD Tug 2412 delivers just the combination of power but compactness that the Napier Port management team is seeking.

On the morning of June 23, the Port Authority of Volos was informed by the Captain of the'Superstar' about a failure in the cooling system of the generators, which occurred during the preparation for the execution of the route to Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos, with 438 passengers, 19 trucks, 91 cars, 7 motorcycles and two buses on board. The Central Port Authority of Volos prohibited the departure of the ferry until the repair of the damage and the presentation of a certificate of class maintenance from the monitoring classification society. Passengers and vehicles, except trucks and buses, were transported to their destination by the ferry 'Iolkos'.

On the morning of June 23, 2025, the Port Authorities of Corfu and Paxos were informed by the Greek Coast Guard about a mechanical failure of the starboard side main engine of the 'Ilida Dolphin', while it was sailing 2.2 nautical miles southeast of Corfu. The ship was operating a scheduled route from the port of Gaiou, Paxos. to the port of Corfu, with 97 passengers and six crew members on board. The hydrofoil reached the port of Corfu unassisted, where it safely disembarked all passengers. The Central Port Authority of Corfu banned the ferry from sailing until the presentation of a certificate of class maintenance from the monitoring classification society.

The port in Northern Ireland has committed GB£254m of investment to deliver new marine and estate infrastructure. Belfast Harbour’s investment is part of a 2019-2023 Strategic Plan to boost Northern Ireland’s economy. The plan focuses on increased collaboration and partnerships with key city stakeholders to drive growth and regeneration in Belfast’s waterfront area and has been unveiled alongside an outlook through to 2035. Belfast Harbour’s chairman, David Dobbin, said: “Over the next five years Belfast Harbour intends to invest £254 million in new Port and estate infrastructure and facilities. This major investment programme is really only possible because of our Trust Port status which allows us to reinvest every penny of our net earnings back into the business.” Belfast Harbour will upgrade its cranes and material handling equipment, install new ramps to accommodate larger vessels and build new storage facilities. Work will also begin on digital ‘Smart Port’ initiatives to provide greater automation and a new unified system to coordinate cargo and shipping communications.

On the 9th of September 2019 the work for the contract “Dredging Het Nieuwe Diep”, commissioned by the Port of Den Helder, has started. Dutch Dredging is expected to carry out the remediation of 200,000 m3 of partially contaminated spoil until mid-December. The survey vessel “Hydrograaf” started the pre-dredge survey on the 9th of September, a so-called “baseline measurement” of the work. The work will then be carried out in 3 phases. In Phase 1, a bed leveller equipped with a so called dirt-plough will be employed. This is due to the fact that the top layer of silt contains a considerable amount of soil-foreign material. The specifically developed dirt-plough consists of long thin spikes that sink through the layer of silt and rake the dirt from the soil. The dirt will be ploughed to free locations where it can be dredged by means of a grab dredger and will be discharged into skips on the quay for removal and disposal. In the Phase 2, a bed leveller, trailing suction hopper dredger and a grab dredger will subsequently commence with the dredging works to the north and south of the Moorman bridge. They will restore the required depth. During Phase 3 the contaminated sediment will be removed. This phase is carried out by a grab dredger and several hopperbarges. The dredged material will be loaded in to the barges, which will transport the sediment to a depository for polluted sediment.