News

The Rotterdam District Court has ruled that both skippers acted culpably, albeit to varying degrees, when the Spido tour boat 'Marco Polo' and the water taxi 'MSTX 21' were in collision on the New Maas on July 21, 2022. The lives of all passengers were in danger. Both boats were sailing approximately parallel to each other, with the tour boat heading towards the Noordeiland and the water taxi suddenly changed course towards the Leuve Port. The court ruled that the water taxi skipper failed to look out sufficiently and sailed on the wrong side of the waterway. He also failed to provide a necessary message via radio and failed to give way to the 'Marco Polo'. The court found that the skipper's actions were so careless that he could be accused of a crime: guilt for the accident of a vessel (Article 169 of the Criminal Code). The court also found that he did not adhere to the navigation regulations to prevent a collision. For his actions, the skipper of the water taxi was sentenced to 80 hours of community service, half of which is conditional, with a probationary period of one year. The court stated that the suspect did not have to take into account the sudden change of course of the water taxi that was sailing full throttle towards the Leuve Port. However, the skipper should have reported his departure from the jetty via the marine radio on VHF channel 81. According to the skipper, he was not obliged to do so because sailing away is not a special manoeuvre, but the court saw it differently. Reporting a departure is always mandatory and not only intended for the safety of the skipper, his boat and the passengers, but also for other shipping traffic, which thereby knows what the intentions are of his ship. Moreover, the part of the News Maas where the collision took place is also heavily used by freight traffic and pleasure yachts. Nevertheless, the court did not find that the skipper sailed so carelessly or attentively that the crime of guilt for the accident of a vessel has been proven. He has been acquitted of this. However, the skipper did not take all precautions, which meant that was is in violation of the Inland Navigation Police Regulations, and has to pay a fine of 500 euros.

The 'Loch Alainn', serving on the route Ardmhor-Eriskay, suffered a technical issue with the main engine on March 9 and was sidelined in Ardmhor for repairs. As a consequence, the scheduled departures from Barra at 04:45 a.m., 07:15 a.m., 09:15 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. and from Eriskay at 05:40 a.m., 08:10 a.m., 10:10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. had to be cancelled. The departures from Barra at 3:40 p.m., 5:20 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. and from Eriskay at 4:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. were later cancelled too. Specialist engineer attendance has been arranged and a further update on a repair plan and timeline was to be provided on the afternoon of March 10. On March 11, also the departures from Barra at 04:50 a.m., 07:15 a.m., 09:15 a.m. and 11:10 a.m and from Eriskay at 05:40 a.m., 08:10 a.m., 10:10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. were cancelled. The sailings from Barra at 3:40 p.m., 5:20 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. and from Eriskay at 4:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 09:00 p.m. remained at heightened risk of disruption. The operator CalMac has explored charter vessel options, but was unable to provide one at once. The option to redeploy the 'Loch Bhrusda' was explored, however, due to adverse weather the vessel could depart Mallaig only on the morning of May 11 and intended to commence the service on March 12 with the 3:40 p.m. sailing from Barra. With the ferry 'Isle of Mull' operating an amended timetable, the 8:10 p.m. departure from Barra will wait for passengers using this connecting service. While investigations and repairs on the 'Loch Alainn' werre ongoing, a further update regarding the vessel's return to service was to be provided on March 12.

The 'MSC Berangere' left the port of Klaipeda on March 11, 2025, at 12.30 p.m. UTC, with an apparently bent foremast, which seemingly has resulted from an allision, and scratch lines on the port side foreship. The ship had arrived in the port on March 10, en route from Hamburg, and was now proceeding to Gdynia with an ETA as of March 13. Photos: https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3816196?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3816197?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3816198?navList=moreOfThisShip&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest&perPage=8&imo=9930947&lid=3816197

On the night of March 10, 2025, the SAR helicopter Helimer 205 located a cayuco 25 nautical miles from La Restinga, ElHierro. The 'Salvamar Acrux' was mobilized to assist by the CCS Teneriffe of Salvamento Marítimo. The boat was accompanied to the port, where the 92 people of sub-Saharan origin disembarked in apparent good condition. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1899386478863524244

On March 11 at noon, the Port Authority of Tzelepis was informed that a failure occurred on the vehicles ramp of the 'Blue Star Myconos' upon its arrival at the port, en route from the ports of Vathy, Samos, Karlovasi, Evdilos, Mykonos and Syros. The ferry disembarked 360 passengers. The Port Department of Tzelepi of the Central Port Authority of Piraeus initially prohibited the sailing of the ship. After the damage was repaired and a certificate of class maintenance was presented by the classification society that monitors it, the sailings were allowed to be continued.