Two men were charged in a Singapore court on July 2, 2025, under the Merchant Shipping Act over the collision of tthe 'Hafnia Nile', now sailing as 'Hafnia Shannon', with the 'Ceres 1' on July 19, 2024, in which one man was killed and another was badly injured. Soosai Antony Vainer, 35, and a Sri Lankan, Wickramage Viraj Amila Shavinda Perera, 40, were the two crew members on the ''Hafnia Nile', who were charged. Perera was the officer in charge of the navigational watch. Vainer was the duty lookout of the navigational watch. Vainer observed that the 'Hafnia Nile' was approaching close to the 'Ceres 'I, but did not report this to the officer in charge of the navigational watch. Instead, he allegedly steered the 'Hafnia Nile'. when he had not been directed to do so, and failed to keep a proper lookout. As a result of this failure, the vessel collided with the 'Ceres I'- The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has brought the prosecution cases against the two men. If found guilty, the men can each be jailed for up to two years, fined up to SGD 50,000 or both.
News
VILAMOURA
Ukraine claims that the 'Vilamoura' is linked to Russia's Ghost Fleet, used to circumvent Western sanctions. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the vessel was carrying more than one million barrels of crude oil, when it was seriously damaged by an explosion off the coast of Libya on June 27. The vessel was located nearly 150 kilometers northeast of the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean Sea at the time. According to Ukrainian intelligence services, the Vilamoura is owned by the Greek company TMS Tanker Limited and has repeatedly transported cargo from Russian ports. The explosion caused the engine room to flood due to water intake, although the cause of the explosion remained unclear. The explosion was only reported on June 30, and the tanker is currently being towed towards the Gulf of Laconia, where it is scheduled for inspection and repair. The incident came as a series of unexplained explosions on oil tankers calling at Russian ports. In response, shipowners have begun inspecting their vessels for mines using divers and underwater drones. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian ghost fleet now numbers nearly 1,000 vessels, with a total tonnage of over 100 million tons. These cargo ships reportedly regularly change flags, disable their tracking systems, and sail with limited assurances, in order to conceal their activities and continue the illegal export of Russian oil.
Holyhead
Holyhead Port is to remain closed until Jan 15, 2025, at the earliest. All ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead are cancelled until this time. The closure follows the damage to the Terminal 3 berth on Dec 6 by the 'Ulsysses' during Storm Darragh. The damage was still being assessed and the port took the decision to keep the ferry berths closed to provide certainty for passengers, freight customers and ferry operators and allow them make alternative arrangements. Stena Line said it was contacting all affected passengers. People who are booked to travel on the Dublin-Holyhead route from Dec 20 onwards can transfer the booking free of charge to alternative routes, including Dublin-Liverpool, Dublin-Fishguard as well as Belfast-Cairnryan. The company was doing everything in its power to mitigate the effects of the closure on passenger and freight traffic. 10,000 freight vehicles were moving in and out of Holyhead per week before its closure. 60% of the goods coming into Ireland normally move through the damaged port.
Rendsburg
The shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) and the superyacht shipyard Nobiskrug Rendsburg have officially filed for insolvency on Dec 12, 2024, deepening the ongoing crisis for their parent company, Tennor Group, and its owner, Lars Windhorst. District courts in Flensburg and Neumünster have appointed the lawyers Christoph Morgen, Partner, Brinkmann & Partner and Hendrik Gittermann, Partner, REIMER as provisional insolvency administrators. The insolvency filings, submitted to the district courts in Flensburg and Neumünster, follow months of financial instability and reported mismanagement. The bleak reality of the situation became evident on Dec 9, when the SH public utility company threatened to cut off the power supply at the Rendsburg facility due to a lack of payments since Dec 1. No immediate action was taken because the federal police ship 'Neustadt' was still in the drydock for repairs. Workers at both firms are bearing the brunt of the crisis. The shipyards’ financial woes have left around 500 employees in limbo before Christmas, many of whom have already been laid off. At a recent rally in Flensberg, workers' union representatives alleged repeated delays in salary payments, including November wages and Christmas bonuses. Local sources report that Flensburg Works Council chairman Jan Brandt accused Windhorst of lying repeatedly and breaking promises of timely payments. Windhorst has become a target of criticism. He has been accused of mismanagement, poor communication and unfulfilled promises. In recent months, workers, unions and politicians have all demanded his resignation. Schleswig-Holstein’s Economics Minister, Claus Ruhe Madsen, called for Windhorst to face up to his responsibility and sell the shipyards or insolvency would clear the way for new investors. The Tennor Group took over the FSG in 2019, relaunching it as “FSG 2.0” without old debts or new orders. Despite repeated announcements of future projects, they failed to materialise, leaving the shipyard vulnerable. In 2021, FSG acquired the Rendsburg-based yard Nobiskrug as it filed for insolvency, but the acquisition has done little to alleviate the financial strain. In the summer 2024, the situation worsened as the German federal government withdrew a €62 million grant intended for the construction of liquefied gas bunker ships at FSG, citing Tennor’s inability to demonstrate sufficient equity capital. Now, the provisional insolvency administrators are working with the project managers of the RoRo ferry at FSG and the yacht Nobiskrug to resolve both projects. If necessary, the administrators plan to consult with federal and state governments about potential interim financing to bridge construction costs until client acceptance and payment. Meanwhile, they will explore further restructuring strategies for both shipyards. Insolvency pre-financing has also been arranged to secure financial recompense for the 340 workers at the Flensburg site and the 140 employees from the Rendsburg facility. This measure will cover payments through the end of Jan 2025, including the overdue November salaries.
DISNEY DREAM
A statement has been released by the police after a father jumped overboard to save his five-year-old daughter who hadd fallen from the 'Disney Dream' near the Bahamas. Authorities have been investigating the incident, the Broward County Sheriff's Office has confirmed. The fall occurred while the ship was docked at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in Bannerman Town: “The Disney crew was well prepared. Clearly, their training and readiness paid off because they executed a successful ocean rescue. While there doesn’t appear to be anything suspicious, Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating the circumstances that led up to the child falling overboard...This family is so blessed. It’s great to be able to respond to good news rather than what could have been a tragic outcome.”Although foul play was not suspected, authorities are reportedly working to determine exactly how the child fell, as the circumstances were unclear,
CUAUHTEMOC BE 01
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on the allision of the ARM 'Cuauhtémoc BE 01' with the Brooklyn Bridge. According to the report, the vessel, with 277 crewmembers and cadets aboard, was departing from Pier 17 in Manhattan. The incident began when the barque was maneuvering away from the pier with assistance from the tug 'Charles D. McAllister'. The vessel’s reported air draft was 158 feet, while the Brooklyn Bridge’s vertical clearance at mean high water is documented at 127 feet. At the time of departure, both a sea pilot and a docking pilot were aboard the vessel, positioned with the ship’s captain on the open conning deck. Weather conditions were favourable with westerly winds 10-15 knots and clear visibility. The ship struck the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge at approximately 8.24 p.m. at a speed of about 5.9 knots astern. Following the impact, the vessel continued astern under the bridge, with its stern contacting a seawall on the Brooklyn side of the East River. Emergency responders arrived around 8.30 p.m. transporting injured crew members to local hospitals. The vessel was later towed to Pier 36 in Manhattan. The estimated damage was expected to exceed $500,000. Also the rudder was bent in the allision. Inspectors from the New York City Department of Transportation assessed the damage to the Brooklyn Bridge, finding “no significant structural damage. Their assessment identified impact points to the traveler rail, minor scrapes to paint on a main bridge span, and damage to a maintenance platform’s docking area. The NTSB investigation is ongoing, with investigators examining the propulsion system, operating control system, relevant crew experience and training, and operating policies and procedures. Drug and alcohol tests for both pilots and the tug captain were negative. Full interim report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA25MM039.aspx
Holyhead
Damage to Holyhead Port during storm Darragh is feared to be worse than originally thought, and could see ferry services cancelled until after Christmas, resulting in Christmas parcels travelling to and from Ireland being delayed until after the festive season, with people travelling for the festive period also affected. Initally all services were cancelled until Dec 20, but the damage was becoming more apparent as the days went by. Port bosses revealed on Dec 16, that the reported two separate incidents on December 6 and 7 had led to part of the berth structure collapsing and becoming unusable, with underwater inspections of the structural integrity of other berths taking place from Dec 10, after the passing of Darragh. This process was still ongoing. Ferry services will only be permitted to resume once it was sure it would be safe. On Dec 15 the junior minister at the Department of Transport, James Lawless, met his Welsh counterpart Ken Skates. Both met with Stena Line on Dec 16 at 1 p.m. Both ministers were asking for Stena Line to give more accurate and timely updates on the scale of the damage and repairs needed at Holyhead.
Holyhead
Following the allision of the 'Ulöysses', where part of the pier collapsed, the port will remain closed until at least Dec 20. Irish Ferries has redeployed the “James Joyce” to the Rosslare - Pembroke route whilst the “Ulysses” has deviated from the Holyhead route for the first time in history. On Dec 12 the ferry left Dublin on the 4 p.m. service to Cherbourg in place of the“WB Yeats” Meanwhile, the Stena Line have sent the ‘Stena Adventurer' to Fishguard and the ‘Stena Estrid' to Birkenhead.
JUAN CARLOS I
The 'Juan Carlos I', which is participating in the manoever Neptune Strike under NATO command as part of the Dédalo group's deployment, has suffered a breakdown on June 29 near Cartagena, which affected its cooling system, leaving it without air conditioning for several days, forcing the ship to modify its operations. Technical assistance was requested, and personnel from a specialized company were brought aboard by helicopter on June 29. After identifying the source and requesting the necessary spare parts, they arrived on the ship on June 30. Once the spare parts were received, work continued on its repair-The repairs were completed on the afternoon of July 1, and the ambient temperature was beginning to improve after several days of high temperatures inside the ship for the crew.. Measures were taken to move the ship to the Atlantic in search of milder weather conditions during this significant heat wave.
DISNEY DREAM
On June 29, 2025, a five year old girl fell overboard from deck 4 of the 'Disney Dream' between the Bahamas and Fort Lauderdale, while the ship was returning to Fort Lauderdale from a four-night Bahamian sailing, including a stop at Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Her father jumped right after her. The emergency code “Mr. M.O.B.” (man overboard) rang out over the ship’s intercom, signaling an urgent response. The ship stopped and turned around. Crew members launched life preservers and four men deployed an MOB at port side within 10 minutes. The father, who had been treading water for about 20 minutes, and his daughter were found by the lifeboat within 3-5 minutes. The 'Disney Dream' resumed its voyage five minutes after the operation was concluded, with the captain making a statement that two persons were rescued. The incident began at 11:15 a.m., and the pair were rescued by 11:47 a.m. LT.It remained unclear how the child fell overboard, despite the ship’s plexiglass safety barriers. The ship returned safely to Port Everglades early on June 30 , ending the cruise as planned despite the incident. It was still unclear why the girl fell over board, with contradicting reports by witnesses. Reports with photo: https://cruisefever.net/child-falls-overboard-from-disney-cruise-ship-father-jumps-in-after-her/ https://www.indiatoday.in/world/us-news/story/father-jumps-overboard-to-save-his-daughter-who-fell-from-the-4th-deck-of-ship-glbs-2748664-2025-07-01 https://www.ladbible.com/lifestyle/travel/cruise-ship-rules-sleeping-staff-244725-20241201 https://www.9news.com.au/videos/world/father-and-daughter-rescued-after-going-overboard-on-disney-cruise-ship/cmck5dqzu000h0hpcq0gyzulv https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-globally/disney-cruise-ship-father-jumps-overboard-to-save-daughter-10098800/ https://people.com/disney-cruise-ship-passenger-reflects-on-dramatic-rescue-of-fellow-guests-11764128
Flensburg
The shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) and the superyacht shipyard Nobiskrug Rendsburg have officially filed for insolvency on Dec 12, 2024, deepening the ongoing crisis for their parent company, Tennor Group, and its owner, Lars Windhorst. District courts in Flensburg and Neumünster have appointed the lawyers Christoph Morgen, Partner, Brinkmann & Partner and Hendrik Gittermann, Partner, REIMER as provisional insolvency administrators. The insolvency filings, submitted to the district courts in Flensburg and Neumünster, follow months of financial instability and reported mismanagement. The bleak reality of the situation became evident on Dec 9, when the SH public utility company threatened to cut off the power supply at the Rendsburg facility due to a lack of payments since Dec 1. No immediate action was taken because the federal police ship 'Neustadt' was still in the drydock for repairs. Workers at both firms are bearing the brunt of the crisis. The shipyards’ financial woes have left around 500 employees in limbo before Christmas, many of whom have already been laid off. At a recent rally in Flensberg, workers' union representatives alleged repeated delays in salary payments, including November wages and Christmas bonuses. Local sources report that Flensburg Works Council chairman Jan Brandt accused Windhorst of lying repeatedly and breaking promises of timely payments. Windhorst has become a target of criticism. He has been accused of mismanagement, poor communication and unfulfilled promises. In recent months, workers, unions and politicians have all demanded his resignation. Schleswig-Holstein’s Economics Minister, Claus Ruhe Madsen, called for Windhorst to face up to his responsibility and sell the shipyards or insolvency would clear the way for new investors. The Tennor Group took over the FSG in 2019, relaunching it as “FSG 2.0” without old debts or new orders. Despite repeated announcements of future projects, they failed to materialise, leaving the shipyard vulnerable. In 2021, FSG acquired the Rendsburg-based yard Nobiskrug as it filed for insolvency, but the acquisition has done little to alleviate the financial strain. In the summer 2024, the situation worsened as the German federal government withdrew a €62 million grant intended for the construction of liquefied gas bunker ships at FSG, citing Tennor’s inability to demonstrate sufficient equity capital. Now, the provisional insolvency administrators are working with the project managers of the RoRo ferry at FSG and the yacht Nobiskrug to resolve both projects. If necessary, the administrators plan to consult with federal and state governments about potential interim financing to bridge construction costs until client acceptance and payment. Meanwhile, they will explore further restructuring strategies for both shipyards. Insolvency pre-financing has also been arranged to secure financial recompense for the 340 workers at the Flensburg site and the 140 employees from the Rendsburg facility. This measure will cover payments through the end of Jan 2025, including the overdue November salaries.
Holyhead
On Dec 12 the divers were still carrying out their inspections on the berth at Holyhead with all the steel columns being checked for any damages under the waterline. Stena was still deeming this an ongoing technical issue- Once the inspections have been finished a decision is made by the relevant teams regarding the chance that the T5 berth can begin operating again and Holyhead Por can once again resume operations.