As a federal court in Baltimore continued to hear pre-trial motions and collect evidence for the claims pending related to the 'Dal'’ 2024 incident, the owner and operator of the vessel are now suing the builders of the vessel alleging negligence or gross negligence in the design, construction, and/or manufacture of the critical switchboard which has become the focus of the investigations into the cause of the blackout aboard the vessel. The National Transportation Safety Board and the teams from the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies investigating the cause of the allision with the bridge quickly centered in on the power supply, critical circuit breakers, and the switchboard for the ship’s electrical systems. It has long been recognized that something caused the vessel’s breakers to trip, shutting off the power to the motor and critical systems, including the hydraulics to control the rudder. As early as June 2024, it came out that the NTSB had found "an interruption in the control circuit” linked to the main breakers. A subsequent report revealed that a check of the wiring on the transformer and a relay found a “cable was loosely connected,” a condition which representatives from the shipbuilder Hyundai informed could create an open circuit and interrupt the 110VDC power on the HV side of the board. According to the report, the engineers said it would trigger an under-voltage release trip, which would result in a 440V blackout, and they later demonstrated it in tests. In a suit filed on July 31 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the owners of the 'Dali', the Grace Ocean, and the operators of the vessel, the Synergy Marine, alleged, Hyundai Heavy Industries defectively designed the switchboard in such a manner that wiring connections were not secure, could not be verified as secure, and could lose connection during normal operation, such that the signal wire was not designed to remain securely connected to the terminal block, which design defect caused the switchboard and the vessel to be unreasonably dangerous and in a defective condition when it left HHI’s control. The court filing revealed that a UVR coil for the circuit breaker was not receiving control voltage, and that it was discovered that one of the control signal wires in the UVR control circuit was not securely connected to its terminal block.Because the signal wire was not securely connected, the insufficient contact created an open circuit. The suit alleged the wire was not securely connected because the “labeling band identifying the wire was installed too close to the ferrule crimped on the end of the wire.” It goes on to assert, “As a result of this and other defects, the signal wire could not be inserted fully into the terminal block’s spring clamp gate.” The companies are seeking the cost of damage to the vessel and resulting repair costs as well as contribution and/or indemnity as it relates to the 45 claims ranging from property damage to economic damages, clean-up costs, personal injury, wrongful death, survival, workers’ compensation reimbursement, and cargo and general average in the Maryland civil case. The court is set next year to hear the first of two phases in that case centered on Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine’s limitation of liability claim, and based on that outcome, the potential size of the liability. There have been multiple reports about power problems and failures on the vessel before that night, including at the dock in Baltimore. The NTSB, in its reports, has also highlighted the maintenance of the vessel, citing examples of wear and makeshift repairs. The U.S. has claimed the vessel was not seaworthy, and Maryland and Baltimore, in their claims, cite the training and maintenance of the vessel. Hyundai Heavy Industries has been served in the product liability case and will file its response in due course. This will start the parallel case seeking to place blame for the defects found on the vessel.
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SPIRIT OF TASMANIA I
The 'Spirit of Tasmania 1' has been detained in July 2025, by Singapore maritime authorities over multiple safety concerns. Government surveyors boarded the vessel at 9a.m. (11a.m. AEST) to carry out checks. Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) Port State Control has held the ferry from its scheduled departure while inspectors work through issues that must be fixed before it can leave port. The ferry operator TT-Line was unable to say when the ship would be cleared to sail. The detention was due to deficiencies in the fire detection system and visitor log. The detention was expected to delay the ferry’s return to the key Bass Strait route, which carries passengers and freight between the mainland and Tasmania. The 'Spirit of Tasmania 1' had been undergoing maintenance in Singapore ahead of its planned return to Australian waters. The ferry left Singapore on Aug 28 en route to Keelung with an ETA as of Aug 6.
TASSOS
The U.S. Treasury Department on the last week of July 2025 imposed sanctions on more than 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and ships, some of which are involved in transporting Russian oil. Three tankers, the 'Tagor', 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos', were scheduled to deliver Russian oil to Indian ports this month. All three vessels are under U.S. sanctions. The 'Tagor' was bound for Chennai, while the 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos' were headed to ports in western India, according to trade sources and Russian ports data. Sanctions aimed at cutting Russia’s oil revenue, seen as funding its war against Ukraine, have been increasingly hitting Russian oil supplies for India, which buys more than a third of its oil needs from Russia. The 'Tagor' was now heading to Dalian, while the 'Tassos' diverted to Port Said. The 'Guanyin' remained enroute to Sikka, a port used by Reliance Industries RELI.NS and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. BPCL.NS. Separately, the tankers 'Achilles' and 'Elyte', both loaded with Russian oil, were preparing to discharge Russian Urals for Reliance.. Both vessels have been sanctioned by Britain and the European Union.
MOBY OTTA
After the 'Moby Drea' was towed to the Split shipyard Brodosplit, where over the next two months, around 350 tons of metal panels will be removed, inside of which a layer of around 100 tons of asbestos has been compressed, the 'Moby Otta' will soon arrive in Split to undergo the same work. The ship is owned by the same Italian company and with similar characteristics. The value of this operationis estimated to be around half a million euros per ship. The panels will not be cut or crushed in the Split shipyard, and even the screw holes will be poured with water and detergent. The problem arose when journalists asked Jurišić where the removed panels would actually end up. Turkey has a limit on receiving a maximum of 50 tons of asbestos, and it is expected that the ship will contain at least 100 tons, or a total of 350 tons with heavy metal panels. Croatia does not have such restrictions.
FREMANTLE HIGHWAY
After a previous lawsuit, BMW was again vindicated this week by a judge in The Hague. Their cars must be transferred to BMW so the company can have them scrapped and prevent them from ever being sold again. Two Dutch entrepreneurs, Sam Peinemann, owner of the forklift company Peinemann Mobilift Group, and Eric Bakker, of car dealer 3B Exclusief, had bought €5 million worth of brand-new BMWs carried aboard the ship, which had been stored on a section of the ship where there had been no fire or water damage.. But the car manufacturer obtained a court order ordering the destruction of the vehicles. BMW argued that the toxic gases on board posed a risk of damage to the electronics and that these unsafe vehicles should be destroyed. However, Peinemann says he will appeal, a process that could take a year. Bakker respond that the vehicles are "in top condition" and have passed all strict inspections.
CALA GULLO
On June 30, 2025, at around 11 a.m. the 'Cala Gullo' sank in the Port of Barcelona after the collision with the 'Cape Sounio' (IMO: 9727625). The three crew members were rescued unharmed by the port pilots with a pilot boat. The accident happened during a turnaround maneuver alongside the container ship, while the tug was supporting it, when leaving the Hutchison Port Best terminal. The 'Cala Gullo' then started to list and went down stern first, with the bow tip sill protruding from the water. The container ship left the port again on July 1, next headed to La Spezia with an ETA as of July 2. The incident prompted the activation of the Maritime Interior Plan (PIM) in the alert phase to assess any oil spill in the water, which was later ruled out. Work was commenced to refloat the tug. Report with photo: https://infopuertos.com/un-remolcador-se-hunde-en-el-puerto-de-barcelona-tras-una-colision-con-un-buque-de-msc/ https://portalportuario.cl/remolcador-termina-hundido-tras-impacto-con-portacontenedores-en-puerto-de-barcelona/
WAKASHIO
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issued a statement on July 31, clarifying its position regarding the Court of Inquiry's report into the grounding of the 'Wakashio' off Pointe-d'Esny. This clarification came after Minister Arvin Boolell's statement in Parliament. The DPP reiterated that it has only received certain sections of the report deemed relevant from the Attorney General, via the Solicitor General, since Feb 9, 2023. Despite repeated requests in 2023 and 2025, the full report has never been provided to it. Based on the observations and recommendations contained in the submitted section of the report, the DPP sent a letter to the Commissioner of Police on March 13, 2023, requesting that an investigation be initiated to determine whether any offenses had been committed. On July 12, following a parliamentary question (PQ B/707), the Ministry of Agro-Industry requested information from the DPP regarding the follow-up to these recommendations. On July 14, the DPP wrote again to the Commissioner of Police to inquire about the progress of the investigation requested since March 2023. According to information received by the DPP on July 28, the police had made a request to the Ministry of the Blue Economy for the full report. However, as of March 30, this request had remained unanswered. It therefore appears that no investigation was initiated due to lack of access to the full report. Report with photo: https://lexpress.mu/s/le-dpp-na-toujours-pas-le-rapport-complet-de-la-cour-dinvestigation-547915
SATURNO
The 'Saturno' nearly sank at sea as it returned to the port of Porto Torres near the Darsena Pescherecci dock after the vessel struck a rock while entering the port on July 31, 2025, at around 1:00 a.m. The incident caused a severe leak in the bow, allowing water to enter and compromising the vessel's buoyancy, threatening to sink the vessel. It finally foundered at the quay. The salvage operations of firefighters from Sassari and Cagliari were being coordinated by the Porto Torres Port Authority, which wais investigating the incident on behalf of the Sassari Public Prosecutor's Office. At the time of the accident, three crew members were on board the 'Saturno', including the captain, who, likely due to a brief bout of drowsiness, failed to recognize the danger. On the morning of Aug 2, the work resumed on draining the hull and keeping the partially sunken vessel afloat. This operation was conducted in collaboration with teams from the command's naval group and the firefighters from the Porto Torres detachment, who on Aug 1 had deployed lifting balloons to limit the fishing vessel's list and the entry of further water. A Cermelli crane arrived in port to recover the trawler from the dock and transfer it to a shipyard for repairs. The damage to the ship is extensive. Report with video: https://www.unionesarda.it/de/sardinien/porto-torres-fischereifahrzeug-erleidet-nach-aufprall-auf-felsen-erhebliche-schaden-bergung-im-gange-v00npb6q
ACHILLES
The U.S. Treasury Department on the last week of July 2025 imposed sanctions on more than 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and ships, some of which are involved in transporting Russian oil. Three tankers, the 'Tagor', 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos', were scheduled to deliver Russian oil to Indian ports this month. All three vessels are under U.S. sanctions. The 'Tagor' was bound for Chennai, while the 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos' were headed to ports in western India, according to trade sources and Russian ports data. Sanctions aimed at cutting Russia’s oil revenue, seen as funding its war against Ukraine, have been increasingly hitting Russian oil supplies for India, which buys more than a third of its oil needs from Russia. The 'Tagor' was now heading to Dalian, while the 'Tassos' diverted to Port Said. The 'Guanyin' remained enroute to Sikka, a port used by Reliance Industries RELI.NS and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. BPCL.NS. Separately, the tankers 'Achilles' and 'Elyte', both loaded with Russian oil, were preparing to discharge Russian Urals for Reliance.. Both vessels have been sanctioned by Britain and the European Union.
GUANYIN
The U.S. Treasury Department on the last week of July 2025 imposed sanctions on more than 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and ships, some of which are involved in transporting Russian oil. Three tankers, the 'Tagor', 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos', were scheduled to deliver Russian oil to Indian ports this month. All three vessels are under U.S. sanctions. The 'Tagor' was bound for Chennai, while the 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos' were headed to ports in western India, according to trade sources and Russian ports data. Sanctions aimed at cutting Russia’s oil revenue, seen as funding its war against Ukraine, have been increasingly hitting Russian oil supplies for India, which buys more than a third of its oil needs from Russia. The 'Tagor' was now heading to Dalian, while the 'Tassos' diverted to Port Said. The 'Guanyin' remained enroute to Sikka, a port used by Reliance Industries RELI.NS and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. BPCL.NS. Separately, the tankers 'Achilles' and 'Elyte', both loaded with Russian oil, were preparing to discharge Russian Urals for Reliance.. Both vessels have been sanctioned by Britain and the European Union.
HEIN
The situation of the ' Hein' remained unchanged on Aug 1 with the dredger being still stuck between the wooden and thr concrete pier. The sheerleg ' BHV Athlet' has left the scene again and was replaced by the sheerleg ' Enak'. The salvage was expected to take a couple more days as in addition also shore based mobile cranes will have to be used, which requires thorough investigations of the quayside in advance. Video: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/niedersachsen-18-00/brake-bergung-von-havariertem-schiff-verzoegert-sich/ndr/Y3JpZDovL25kci5kZS83OGRkYjMxZC1hYTc0LTQ4MmMtOWU3NS05MDkxZjYzODgwZjU
BRENAS CARGO
The "Breñas Cargo" has entered service on July 30 and arrived in Santa Cruz de La Palma on Aug 1. The vessel has joined Fred. Olsen Cargo Express' service, starting its first route on the Las Palmas, Puerto del Rosario, and Arrecife route, thus launching a three-weekly roll-on/roll-off service connecting with the islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote.The vessel has been registered in Spain and registered in the Las Palmas naval registry. After spending time at Astican for an overhaul and painting with Fred Olsen's corporate image, ste set out for sea trials on July 29and returned in the afternoon preparing for the beginning of the new service: Report with photo: https://www.puentedemando.com/el-rolon-brenas-cargo-entra-hoy-en-servicio-y-el-primero-de-agosto-llegara-a-la-palma/
KANAS
The "Kanas" was detained on July 21, 2025, in with six deficiencies, four of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Water/Weathertight - Ventilators, air pipes and casings Not as required 2) Fire safety - Other (Fire safety) Other 3) Safety of navigation - LIghts, shapes and sound-signals Not as required 4) Life saving Appliances - Launching arrangements for rescue boats Inoperative The vessel was released again on July 25 and left the port enroute to Singapore. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591
ELYTE
The U.S. Treasury Department on the last week of July 2025 imposed sanctions on more than 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and ships, some of which are involved in transporting Russian oil. Three tankers, the 'Tagor', 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos', were scheduled to deliver Russian oil to Indian ports this month. All three vessels are under U.S. sanctions. The 'Tagor' was bound for Chennai, while the 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos' were headed to ports in western India, according to trade sources and Russian ports data. Sanctions aimed at cutting Russia’s oil revenue, seen as funding its war against Ukraine, have been increasingly hitting Russian oil supplies for India, which buys more than a third of its oil needs from Russia. The 'Tagor' was now heading to Dalian, while the 'Tassos' diverted to Port Said. The 'Guanyin' remained enroute to Sikka, a port used by Reliance Industries RELI.NS and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. BPCL.NS. Separately, the tankers 'Achilles' and 'Elyte', both loaded with Russian oil, were preparing to discharge Russian Urals for Reliance.. Both vessels have been sanctioned by Britain and the European Union.
TAGOR
The U.S. Treasury Department on the last week of July 2025 imposed sanctions on more than 115 Iran-linked individuals, entities, and ships, some of which are involved in transporting Russian oil. Three tankers, the 'Tagor', 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos', were scheduled to deliver Russian oil to Indian ports this month. All three vessels are under U.S. sanctions. The 'Tagor' was bound for Chennai, while the 'Guanyin' and 'Tassos' were headed to ports in western India, according to trade sources and Russian ports data. Sanctions aimed at cutting Russia’s oil revenue, seen as funding its war against Ukraine, have been increasingly hitting Russian oil supplies for India, which buys more than a third of its oil needs from Russia. The 'Tagor' was now heading to Dalian, while the 'Tassos' diverted to Port Said. The 'Guanyin' remained enroute to Sikka, a port used by Reliance Industries RELI.NS and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. BPCL.NS. Separately, the tankers 'Achilles' and 'Elyte', both loaded with Russian oil, were preparing to discharge Russian Urals for Reliance.. Both vessels have been sanctioned by Britain and the European Union.
FINNMARKEN
The "Finnmarken" was drydocked at the Norderwerft shipyard in Hamburg. on July 25, 2025, for repairs of damage to its stern thruster. As a result, the Norwegian shipping company Hurtigruten had to cancel a 15-day Norway cruise from Hamburg, planned for July 25 to August 8. The affected rudder is essential for safe docking in ports, especially in windy and changeable weather conditions. The repair required the ship to be taken out of the water until Aug 1 at 8 a.m., when it was towed out of dock 1, and trials were started for testings of the stern thruster, before shifting to warehouse 62 at the C. Steinweg Southwest Terminal, where it berthed at 10 a.m. The "Finnmarken" is scheduled to resume service on Aug 8, and depart for her next Norway cruise as planned. The previous round trip from July 11 to 25, was still carried out as planned despite the already known defect, as there were no serious, safety-related restrictions. All guests affected by the cancellation were informed immediately. They were offered a free rebooking to later departures or a full refund of the cruise price. According to the shipping company, around half of the passengers rebooked promptly; others initially contacted customer service directly, Hurtigruten will cover the costs of new flights or changed connecting bookings.
CALA GULLO
The "Cala Gullo" has been refloated, one month after sinking in the Port of Barcelona on June 30, during the turning maneuver of the container ship "Cape Sounio" as it was preparing to enter the southern entrance of the Port of Barcelona. With the help of multiple floating bags and a mobile crane the recovery of the upturned tug was underway on July 26 and could be completed on July 31 at 3 p.m. Before this, the capsized wreck had been moved in a submerged state to the Príncep d'Espanya Jetty (Princess of Spain Dock). Report with photo: https://www.puentedemando.com/reflotado-el-remolcador-cala-gullo-un-mes-despues-de-su-hundimiento-en-el-puerto-de-barcelona/
