arrived Chittagong Anchorage 26.09.24
News
BALTIC ARROW
The 'Baltic Arrow' became wedged in a river bank during attempts by its pilot to correct its position as it prepared to enter port, marine investigators of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)have found. The ship, en route from Riga to Wisbech in Cambridgeshire with a cargo of timber, got stuck in the River Nene on June 25 at 08:49 a.m. BST at a speed of six knots, with the stern then pushed onto the eastern bank by the flood tide, wedging the vessel across the river. At 08:14 it had passed the Cross Keys swing bridge on the Nene, reducing speed in preparation for the berthing manoeuvre at the Port of Wisbech. One of the two pilots on board noticed the vessel was slightly to port of the planned track and attempted to correct its position, but the bow quickly swung to starboard. The vessel was refloated with tug assistance 11 hours later by the Wisbech Harbour Authority. The MAIB has recommended a review of vessel suitability for transits to and from the Port of Wisbech. The Wisbech Port stated that all berths at Wisbech port were NAABSA berths, which stands for 'not always afloat but safely aground' so, technically, all vessels ground whilst moored here during low water. The MAIB report said the pilot did not realise they had over-corrected the vessel until it was too late, and helming it for two hours may have led to a lapse of concentration. The vessel's bridge team was communicating ineffectively, and insufficient action had been taken to prevent the incident happening again after the 'Baltic Express', a sister vessel, also ran aground in February 2023. The Wisbech Harbour Authority has commissioned an independent inquiry into the incident, as well as a review into the suitability of transits to and from the Port of Wisbech. The Galleywood Shipping (Baltic Arrow) Ltd has also considered introducing an additional bridge watchkeeper and reviewed the ship's rudder capabilities. Report with photos: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80r780nv22o
Novorossiysk
During a Ukrainian attack in the morning of Aug 4, 2023, in Novorossyisk, the Russian landing craft ÄOlenegorski Gornjak-SDK 91' of the Ropucha class was severly damaged by a maritime drone carrying a 450 kg warhead. The explosion of the drone caused a significant water leak, as well as a strong list to port side, which could lead to the total loss of the ship. The military port of Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Krai) was attacked by several Ukrainian maritime drones. It should be noted that the port in question is very far from the Ukrainian front lines with maritime access, and even more from Ukrainian ports. For example, a drone that left Odessa must have traveled at least 700 kilometres, unless a ship of camouflaged commerce in the Eastern Black Sea deployed the drones used in this attack. The LST was towed by a tug towards the port, the latest videos show it on the side of the entrance to the military port. With 3,450 tons, it is the third largest Ukrainian attack against the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, after the loss of the cruiser 'Moskva' and the loss of a Alligator-class tank landing ship and damage to two Ropucha-class tank landing ships after a Ukrainian Tochka missile attack on the port of Berdyansk. The LST had previously made headlines by being used as ferries between Crimea and mainland Russia to help civilian ferries provide the only direct connection after the Crimean road bridge explosion. While this is indeed the first attack by maritime drones in this Russian region, the neighboring port of Tuapse had also been attacked by aerial drones, once again demonstrating the capacity of the Armed Forces Ukrainians to project means, albeit light, at very long distances. Reports with photos and video: https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2023/08/northern-fleet-ship-seriously-damaged-drone-attack https://air-cosmos.com/article/attaque-a-novorossiisk-un-navire-de-debarquement-russe-tres-serieusement-endommage-par-un-drone-ukrainien-65581
Ashkelon
One person is was and two others were missing after a crane collapsed into the water on an Ashkelon pier latein the night of March 14, 2023. The collapse of the crane was caused by unusual weather and strong winds. The injured person was in moderate condition and is receiving treatment at Barzilai Medical Center. Attempts to contact two people who had been working on the site of the crane have been unsuccessful, leading police to believe that they were missing after falling into the sea. Extensive search and rescue efforts were commenced with the help of police diving units, the elite 669 Search and Rescue unit, the Israeli Navy and others. The body of a man of about 60 years of age was found on Beersheba Beach in Ashdod on March 15. The gas pier at the Rotenberg power plant in Ashkelon was damaged. The Electric Company formed a team to investigate the incident. Reports with photos: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-734237 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-734373
LEEUWIN 2
Aboard the 'Leeuwin' the de-rigging process to remove its masts, spars and rigging, which were significantly damaged has got ahead with all the damaged parts having been taken off the ship as of Sep 26. The parts were to be assessed by the crew with the intention of salvaging as much as possible, It was too early to determine a detailed timeline of any repairs to the ship or to know when the vessel will return to serving the young people of Western Australia, until all damage is assessed, it is impossible to know the nature and extent of repairs and the funds and resources required to complete those repairs. Report with photos: https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/leeuwin-update-iconic-ship-one-step-closer-to-setting-sail-after-damaged-parts-removed-from-ship-c-16187660
Kiel
Having seen its first ever LNG fuelling in May, the Port of Kiel has announced that, for the first time, two cruise vessels have bunkered LNG on the same day. The bunker operations took place on June 10, 2023, and involved the 'AIDAnova' – which became the first vessel to bunker LNG at the port in May – and MSC Cruises’ latest ship, the 'MSC Euribia'. The bunkering of the AIDA Cruises vessel by Titan capped its third fuelling at the Port of Kiel while LNG for the 'MSC Euribia' was supplied by Nordic energy company Gasum. MSC Cruises and Gasum have inked a long-term agreement for LNG supply to the 'MSC Euribia'. The companies have also signed a letter of intent (LOI) which aims to secure liquefied synthetic gas (e-LNG).
Iskenderun
The fire at the Port of Iskenderun has finally been extinguished, Turkey's ministry of defense announced on Feb 7. It was the second time that the ministry has reported that the fire has been put out; after the previous announcement, the blaze resumed at scale, and firefighters managed to contain it later that night. Iskenderun's container terminal is still closed due to the severe structural damage, which forced the facility to halt all operations. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck southern Turkey on Feb 6 had a significant impact on the port, toppling stacks of containers and cracking pavement. The physical damage is severe enough that container lines were diverting vessels to other ports, like nearby Mersin. The quake also sparked a fire in the center of the terminal's container storage area. Turkey's coast guard deployed a vessel to apply water from the quayside, and the Turkish air force and army sent aircraft to drop fire retardant on the blaze. The fire spread despite these efforts, but was finally contained in the night of Feb 7. Report with video: https://maritime-executive.com/article/fire-at-port-of-iskenderun-extinguished-after-two-days
USKO MFU
Ukrainian authorities have charged a second senior officer of the 'Usko MFU', who was detained since July for trading in Crimea , which was annexed by Russia. The region’s exiled prosecutors’ office, still under the control of the Kyiv government, filed charges against the man on Sep 25. He was facing up to five years in prison, as does the master of Azerbaijan nationality, who was commanding the ship when Ukraine arrested it in July. Kyiv has vowed to prosecute all vessels trading in Black Sea ports brought under Moscow’s control after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine managed to get its hands on the 'Usko MFU' because it sailed within the reach of Kyiv authorities just a few months after calling in Sevastopol in Crimea. The authorities seized the vessel in early July in the Danube near the Ukrainian port of Reni, where it has been held since. The ship had loaded more than 3,000 tonnes of agricultural products in Sevastopol in November 2023, destined to Turkey.
Greenock
One of Scotland’s main cruise ports is set to experience its busiest year since records began. Greenock Ocean Terminal has 91 cruise liners booked into the Inverclyde town’s new dedicated pontoon across 2023 – a rise of over 25 per cent on last year. As many as 150,000 passengers and 38,000 crew members are expected to pass through the port over the course of this year. It’s more good news for the terminal in its second full season since Covid effectively closed down the cruise industry. Jim McSporran, Clydeport Port Director at Peel Ports said: “We’re extremely proud to be announcing a record cruise year for Greenock Ocean Terminal. “Welcoming cruise liners to Greenock is a hugely important aspect of our port offering and we’re delighted that we continue to attract and grow cruise numbers to the region. “This increase in tourism will benefit visitor attractions and businesses across Inverclyde and central Scotland, and we look forward to welcoming these visitors across the season.” “In an effort to showcase the port as the cruise gateway to the West Coast of Scotland, this year we are also investing in a promotional campaign to feature at the global cruise industry’s key annual gathering in the U.S.” Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “The cruise sector here in Inverclyde continues to go from strength to strength and I’m delighted that this year is set to be the busiest yet with record numbers of ships and passengers, as well as a substantial number of crew visiting these shores. “It’s timely that with 2023 shaping up to be a bumper year for cruise calls that the finishing touches are being put on our new state-of-the-art Greenock cruise ship visitor centre which will provide our guests from around the world with a first class welcome to Inverclyde and the west coast of Scotland.
Iskenderun
Thick black smoke was rising from burning containers at Iskenderun Port on Feb 6, 2023. The fire was caused by containers that toppled over during the powerful earthquake that struck southeast Turkey. ATurkish Coast Guard vessel was assisting efforts to extinguish the blaze.