News

The U.S. Coast Guard started searching for a crew member who was reported unaccounted for aboard the CGC 'Waesche (WMSL 751) ' while operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on Feb 6 2025, approximately 300 nautical miles south of Mexico, The patrol boat, zjr attached helicopter and small unmanned aircraft systems were conducting search patterns in the area. Additional Coast Guard and interagency search assets were being employed in the effor. The specific locations of the search efforts could not be disclosed due to operational security considerations. It was unclear when the crew member went missing, who was last seen eight hours earlier. The cutter immediately deviated from its routine counter-drug patrol tasking and initiated a comprehensive search effort. Besides the 'Waesche' itself, the following assets joined the SAR operation: - Two Customs and Border Protection Dash-8 aircraft from Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-S); - a C-130 aircraft from U.S. Air Force (USCF) 39th Rescue Squadron; -- a C-130 aircraft from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak; - the 'Waesche's embarked Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) drone; - a Mexican Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel: - a Mexican Navy Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The search area and effort are vast, and the operation is being carefully coordinated to ensure maximum coverage and effectiveness. The circumstances around the case were under investigation.

The 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered a technical issue in the port of Troon, which required an investigation on the foremidday of Feb 6. As a consequence, the scheduled sailings at 10:50 a.m. from Troon and 1:00 p.m. from Brodick had to be cancelled by the operator Calmac. An additional bus was operated from the Troon Terminal to the Ardrossan Terminal at 5:00 p.m. to meet the arrival of the 5:00 p.m.sailing operated by the ferry 'Alfred'. After the rerpairs aboard the 'Glen Sannox' were successfully completed, the service was resumed with the 3:10 p.m. sailing departing from Troon.

The 'Essence', en route from Kotka to Rotterdam with an ETA as of Feb 7, was in collision with the "X-Press Mülhacen" (IMO: 9365960) en route from Rotterdam to Gdynia, on the Kiel Canal amid thick fog on Feb 6, 2025, at 7:05 a.m. in the area of ​​the north port of Kiel in front of the Holtenau locks. The "X-Press Mülhacen" was supposed to enter the large north chamber of the Holtenau locks. At the same time, the "Essence" came from the south chamber Both ships came too close to each other and scraped past each other. Both freighters had to interrupt their respective voyages. The "Essence" moored at the Schwartenbek siding near Suchsdorf. The "X-Press Mülhacen" was allowed to continue the voyage to the roadstead of Holtenau, where it anchored in pos. 54° 23' N 010° 11' E at 8:50 a.m. The Kiel water police was on duty with the police boat "Stör". The officers were questioning the crews of the two ships and the pilots on board. Experts from the classification societies examined and confirmed the technical condition of the ships. The 'Esscence' resumed its voyage at around 11 a.m. and was allowed to proceed to Brunsbüttel, where it berthed at the Navy dolphins short past 6 p.m. It resumed its voyage on Feb 7 at 4 a.m. UTC with an ETA at the port of destination as of Feb 8. whereas the '"X-Press Mülhacen" remained stationary on the Kiel Fjord until 8.20 p.m. and then continued on its way to Gdynia with an ETA as of Feb 7.

On Feb 6, the service on the route Lochaline-Fishnish by the 'Lochinvar' was delayed due to a broken down vehicle on the car deck. As a consequence, the 5:45 p.m. departure from Lochalinewas delaye, which was expected to have a knock on effect to the scheduled 6:05 p.m. sailing from the port of Fishnish.

The 'Essence' (IMO: 9491496), en route from Kotka to Rotterdam with an ETA as of Feb 7, was in collision with the "X-Press Mülhacen", en route from Rotterdam to Gdynia, on the Kiel Canal amid thick fog on Feb 6, 2025, at 7:05 a.m. in the area of ​​the north port of Kiel in front of the Holtenau locks. The "X-Press Mülhacen" was supposed to enter the large north chamber of the Holtenau locks. At the same time, the "Essence" came from the south chamber Both ships came too close to each other and scraped past each other. Both freighters had to interrupt their respective voyages. The "Essence" moored at the Schwartenbek siding near Suchsdorf. The "X-Press Mülhacen" was allowed to continue the voyage to the roadstead of Holtenau, where it anchored in pos. 54° 23' N 010° 11' E at 8:50 a.m. The Kiel water police was on duty with the police boat "Stör". The officers were questioning the crews of the two ships and the pilots on board. Experts from the classification societies examined and confirmed the technical condition of the ships. The 'Esscence' resumed its voyage at around 11 a.m. and was allowed to proceed to Brunsbüttel, where it berthed at the Navy dolphins short past 6 p.m. It resumed its voyage on Feb 7 at 4 a.m. UTC with an ETA at the port of destination as of Feb 8. whereas the '"X-Press Mülhacen" remained stationary on the Kiel Fjord until 8.20 p.m. and then continued on its way to Gdynia with an ETA as of Feb 7.