The "Ramonde" in its current state represents an environmental hazard, as there are still around 8.000 liters of diesel fuel in the tanks of the destroyed yacht and a significant amount of oil in the ship's engines. The firefighting operation on the luxury yacht "Ramonda", which caught fire on March 27 at around 6 p.m. in the Portonovi marina in Kumbor, ended on the night of March 29, when the wreck towed from Kumbor to the Adriatic 42 shipyard in Bijela. The wreck has been secured along the operational shore and surrounded by a an oil boom to prevent the spread of any spills of oil, petroleum, and other harmful substances from what remained of the hull. On March 30 the navigation safety inspector Captain Grujica Dudić issued a decision prohibiting any attempt to remove the wrec to dry land or cut it up, until the Maritime Safety and Port Management Administration (UPSUL), the Kotor Harbour Master's Office and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs have issued a statement on the matter in accordance with the jurisdiction of these bodies. Given that the structural integrity of the rest of the hull of the "Ramonde" has been greatly damaged and weakened by the destruction by fire, any attempt to remove the ship to shore using the travel lift at the Adriatic 42 shipyard could literally disintegrate the wreck, leading to fuel and oil spills and an ecological disaster. Therefore, the Navigation Safety Inspectorate requests that all necessary measures be taken beforehand to pump out the fuel from the wreck, that is, that UPSUL, the Port Authority and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs adopt adequate solutions within their jurisdiction on how to further deal with the remains of the luxury yacht, which, until a few days ago, was worth around 10 million euros. The yacht is owned by the company "Millennium Team" doo from Belgrade. The police are investigating the causes of the fire on the yacht in the elite Portonovi marina, and the actions of its crew were also under scrutiny, because there were no crew members on board at the time the fire broke out. On the other hand, the action of extinguishing the fire and attempting to rescue the yacht itself showed a series of shortcomings and poor coordination between parts of the national chain for interventions in cases of emergencies at sea, starting from the untimely notification of UPSUL, through the failure to appear on site while the yacht was being rescued by the director of that Administration and the port captain in Kotor, the lack of a clear and unambiguous chain of command for the action of rescuing endangered property at sea by the commander on site, the lukewarm and inadequate reaction of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the absence of any reaction and action by the National Committee for Search and Rescue at Sea, to the transfer of the greatest burden of the extinguishing action and responsibility for it to the Herceg Novi Municipal Protection and Rescue Service, which is neither adequately equipped nor trained for such complicated interventions of extinguishing fires on ships. Reports with photos: https://en.vijesti.me/news-b/society/752163/remains-of-a-destroyed-yacht-towed-to-white--dry-docking-or-cutting-prohibited-until-the-authorities-make-a-statement https://en.vijesti.me/news-b/society/752110/The-yacht-was-flown-under-the-flag-of-a-Caribbean-country--the-ship-that-burned-down-was-registered-to-a-company-linked-to-the-regime-in-Serbia.?utm_source=vijesti&utm_medium=article_related&utm_campaign=article_intext_related
News
ARMADA 78 06
11 years after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the latest underwater search campaign, launched at the end of March 2025 by the American company Ocean Infinity, has been suspended. The 'Armada 7806', tasked with exploring the seabed in the southern Indian Ocean, is now heading to the port of Singapore with an ETA as of April 4. This suspension does not signal the end of operations: a new phase could begin in October, after the southern hemisphere winter, with increased resources. The final green light from the Malaysian government was given on March 20, 2025. The contract with Ocean Infinity, which was already involved in the 2018 search, provides for a payment of $70 million solely in the event of the discovery of the wreck of the Boeing 777. The exploration area covers 15,000 km², more than 2,000 km from the Australian coast, in a particularly hostile region marked by powerful currents and unpredictable weather. The choice of this area was based on new analyses, notably those of Captain Patrick Blelly and aeronautics expert Jean-Luc Marchand. Their study, presented in 2023, suggested that the plane may have intentionally flown south until its last satellite signal. These conclusions have allowed the search to be refocused on a previously unexplored area. Flight MH370, which departed from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing, disappeared from civilian radar screens on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board—including 153 Chinese, 43 Malaysians, four French, as well as Australian, Indian, American, and Dutch passengers. Only a few pieces of debris, washed up on the shores of the Indian Ocean, have been formally identified as belonging to the aircraft. The main wreckage and the black boxes remain missing. For experts, recovering the flight recorders would provide access to the final moments in the cabin as decisive elements in finally shedding light on the circumstances of the disappearance. While the mission has been suspended, it has not been abandoned. Ocean Infinity has not yet released the results obtained, but a resumption of the search is planned for the fall of 2025. This time, a larger vessel and more favourable weather could allow the exploration to continue under better conditions.
JAIRAN
Early on March 29, the 'Jairan', the second of two sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) ships, carrying sodium perchlorate from China, was spotted at Bandar Abbas Anchorage in pos. 56.3515 N 26.9960 E, midway between the islands of Qeshm and Hormoz. The vessel appeared to still have containers on deck, and was likely to be awaiting a berth at which to unload within the Bandar Abbas commercial port. The ship is unlikely to move from the Bandar Abbas anchorage until after the Eid festival, which has just started and marks the end of the month of Ramadan in Iran. The Iranian authorities appeared to have taken no particular security measures to safeguard the 'Jairan', which had sailed from Shanghai without port calls and with its AIS identification system switched on, nor did the vessel appear to have an escort whilst awaiting a berth. Once ashore, the sodium perchlorate is likely to be shipped by rail to Tehran, and thence to a processing facility to be converted into ammonium perchlorate. The recent imported cargoes on both the 'Jairan' and the container m/v 'Golbon' (IMO: 9283033) would be sufficient to fuel approximately 250 medium range Khybar-Shikan and Fattah missiles, or shorter range Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar missiles, or their Houthi equivalents.
FREDERIK
On March 27, 2025, at 10.30 p.m. the 'Frederik' suffered an engine failure due to a problem with the ship's electronic during the eastbound transit of the Kiel Canal en route from Hamburg to Klaipeda. It veered off course and blocked the waterway short before the switch Fischerhütte. The canal was barred for shipping in this area for a frew hours. The tugs 'Fairplay 54' (IMO: 9021112) and 'Fairplay-57' (IMO: 9036246) were deployed from Brunsbüttel to assist the ship and removed it from the waterway. On March 28 at 10 a.m. UTC it was held stationary in pos. 54° 09' N 009° 21' E, while the crew of the container ship tried to fix the damage on the night of March 28. After these attempts failed, the ship was waiting for the tugs 'OSK Rendsburg' (IMO: 9755567) and 'Stein' (IMO: 9241243) in order to take it in tow to Kiel for further investigations into the damage and permanent repairs.
STENA IMMACULATE
The 'Stena Immaculate' is set to be towed to Newcastle after the cargo has been removed. Crowley, which manages the tanker, stated the remaining barrels of jet fuel on board would be transferred to the tanker 'Fure Vyl' (IMO: 9983956), and it would be towed to Newcastle in early April, and said: "Salvage crews are continuing to complete their assessments and preparing for cargo lightering operations. During the weekend of March 29-30, operations will commence at sea to transfer the remaining 202,485 barrels of Jet-A1 cargo from the 'Stena Immaculate' to the tanker 'Fure Vyl', which is anchored nearby. This lightering operation is a standard and routing maritime practice that follows established safety protocols." The jet fuel will then be taken to its original destination of Killingholme. As of March 30, the 'Fure Vyl' was stationary at the anchorage of the 'Stena Immaculate' in pos. 53° 44' N 000° 25' E. The offshore tug 'Brage Viking' (IMO: 9475791) remained nearby. Crowley continues to work with the authorities investigating the crash and remains committed to the salvage efforts. The captain of the 'Solong', Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, Russia, appeared at the Old Bailey charged with gross negligence manslaughter and was remanded in custody. He is due to stand trial in Jan 2026. Report with photos: https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2025-03-28/oil-tanker-involved-in-north-sea-crash-to-be-towed-to-newcastle?fbclid=IwY2xjawJWm3VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUMdzJQxeq7uDy08NwKqVzmvz7VJVPDJiJiHRMK-cT2fWXNNrurgoysLqg_aem_4UIBqL2ci6v7OHrThqwKTQ
KNOSSOS PALACE
On the early morning of March 30, 2ß25, the Tzelepi Port Authority was informed by a crew member of the 'Knossos Palace', that a 75-year-old Greek passenger was found unconscious in the cabin, while the ship was sailing towards the port of Piraeus. Upon the ship's arrival at the port, the passenger was transported by an ambulance to the Piraeus General Hospital Tzaneio, where she was pronounced dead. The 1st Tzelepi Port Department of the Piraeus Central Port Authority, which is conducting the preliminary investigation, ordered an autopsy to be performed at the Piraeus Forensic Service.
WILSON ROTTERDAM
The "Wilson Rotterdam", enroute from Porsgrunn to Esbjerg, suffered an engine breakdown and drifted towards land at the Marsteinen lighthouse outside Bergen on March 28, 2025, a little after 2 p.m. Both an ambulance boat and a helicopter were quickly on the scene, after the main rescue center had been notified. At around 2:40 p.m. the HRS confirmed that the situation was under control, and the vessel anchored in a shallow water area, while the crew investigated the issue. After the crew fixed the damage, the ship was underway again at 4.15 a.m. and arrived in Esbjerg on March 30.
MENGXIN 1
Three Chinese crew members of the 'Megxin 1' were initally missing in Ghanaian waters and believed to have been kidnapped after a suspected pirate attack” on March 27, 2025, at 5.53 p.m. the West African nation’s military said in a statement on March 29. Seven armed people had boarded the ship and fired warning shots shortly before 6 p.m.LT. They stayed on board for about three hours while some crew members hid. The pirates gathered the crew on deck and confiscated their mobile phones. Initially it was believed that the ship’s captain, chief mate and chief engineer were missing. The fishing vessel later docked in the Tema Fishing Harbour. However, all crew members are now safe. The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed the safety and the embassy’s quick response to the incident. The Chinese Embassy in Ghana quickly initiated emergency protocols and engaged closely with local authorities to ensure the safety of all crew members. Ghana’s navy was investigating the pirate attack. The authorities have alerted neighbouring countries through the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) as part of efforts to track the attackers.
BRP BORACAY
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported a fire aboard the cargo vessel 'Castphill XV' on the early morning of March 30. 2025,while the vessel was sailing in waters northwest of Limbones Island, Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines. At approximately 4:27 a.m. LT, the BRP 'Boracay' rescued seven crew members, including the captain, who had suffered minor injuries. Later, five more crew members were rescued by the Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Maragondon. Upon the arrival at Pier 15 in the South Harbor, Manila, the 'Boracay 'handed over the rescued crew members to the Coast Guard Medical Dispensary for further evaluation. The PCG has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Report with photos: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/twelve-rescued-from-burning-cargo-ship-in-manila-bay
ANDAMAN SKIES
On March 27, 2025, the, Indian port authorities denied entry to the 'Andaman Skies', which had loaded 767,000 barrels at Murmansk on Feb. 24, and had been due to discharge at Vadinar on March 30. They were citing inadequate documentation and new scrutiny on Russian oil carriers. The tanker lacked certification from a recognized entity, highlighting India's tightened regulation amid U.S. sanctions on Russia. Indian refiners have thus been constrained in buying Russian oil. The ship was loaded with about 10000 tons of Varandey crude oil, to be received by the Indian Oil Corporation. The ship was carrying certification by Dakar Class, which is not recognized by the Indian shipping authorities. At present, the vessel remained in the Arabian Sea between Oman and India, still fully laden, and it appeared to have stopped sailing. The ship’s registered is the Durbeen Navigation Ltd.
FURE VYL
The tanker 'Stena Immaculate' (IMO: 9693018), which had been in allision with the container m/v 'Solong' (IMO: 9322554) on March 10, 2025, is set to be towed to Newcastle after the cargo has been removed. Crowley, which manages the tanker, stated the remaining barrels of jet fuel on board would be transferred to the 'Fure Vyl', and it would be towed to Newcastle in early April, and said: "Salvage crews are continuing to complete their assessments and preparing for cargo lightering operations. During the weekend of March 29-30, operations will commence at sea to transfer the remaining 202,485 barrels of Jet-A1 cargo from the 'Stena Immaculate' to the 'Fure Vyl', which is anchored nearby. This lightering operation is a standard and routing maritime practice that follows established safety protocols." The jet fuel will then be taken to its original destination of Killingholme. As of March 30, the 'Fure Vyl' was stationary at the anchorage of the 'Stena Immaculate' in pos. 53° 44' N 000° 25' E. The offshore tug 'Brage Viking' (IMO: 9475791) remained nearby. Crowley continues to work with the authorities investigating the crash and remains committed to the salvage efforts. The captain of the 'Solong', Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, Russia, appeared at the Old Bailey charged with gross negligence manslaughter and was remanded in custody. He is due to stand trial in Jan 2026. Report with photos: https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2025-03-28/oil-tanker-involved-in-north-sea-crash-to-be-towed-to-newcastle?fbclid=IwY2xjawJWm3VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUMdzJQxeq7uDy08NwKqVzmvz7VJVPDJiJiHRMK-cT2fWXNNrurgoysLqg_aem_4UIBqL2ci6v7OHrThqwKTQ
WARBER
On March 29, 2025, at around 5 p.m. the crew of the 'Warber', en route from Rouen to Södertalje, remarked a sailing boat drifting upside down about 250 meters from the Laboe Naval Memorial on the Kiel Fjord, but was unable to assist due to its own draft. The 45-year-old skipper from Kiel was unable to right his dinghy under his own power and was already suffering from hypothermia. Zhe crew of the cargo ship alerted the MRCC of the DGzRS in Bremen, which mobilized the lifeboat 'Jürgen Horst', stationed in Kiel-Schilksee. The volunteer crew was on a patrol. Within six minutes, the rescuers, speeding up to 38 knots, were on the scene and rescued the man from the water, which had a temperature of six degrees Celsius. Initial medical treatment revealed a body temperature of only 34.7 degrees Celsius. The rescuers brought the hypothermic sailor to Laboe. There, they handed him over to the land rescue service, which had been called in the meantime.
CLANSMAN
The 'Clansman', sailing on the route Uig-Tarbert-Lochmaddy, suffered a technical issue on March 29. Due to the issue, essential repairs were required on arrival in Uig at 13:50. In order to carry out the repair, the 14:30 sailing was delayed by approximately three hours. This had a knock on effect to the remaining sailing. After the repairs have been carried out, the vessel operated the following amended timetable: Departure Uig – 07:00 p.m. Arrival Lochmaddy – 08:45 p.m. Departure Lochmaddy – 09:00 p.m. Arrival Tarbert – 10:50 p.m.
SAFE SCANDINAVIA
Prosafe SE, an owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation vessels, has entered into an agreement through a wholly owned subsidiary to sell the ‘Safe Scandianvia’ for recycling. The vessel has been in cold layup in Norway for over six years. The recycling is set to be completed in full compliance with all relevant conventions and regulations, with delivery expected by Q2 2025. The sale is part of Prosafe’s ongoing fleet optimization strategy, ensuring that the vessel is disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. Prosafe SE is a Norwegian company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange specializing in the ownership and operation of semi-submersible accommodation vessels. The company is involved in providing offshore accommodation solutions to the energy sector, particularly in harsh environments.
VB ABEILLE BRETAGNE
After a four-week technical stop in Brest, the 'Abeille Bourbon' will have a new name. It is expected to be called 'VB Abeille BretagneÄ. On March 28 at noon, the tug left the Quay Malbert in Brest to enter dock No. 1. Under the care of Piriou Naval Services Brest, the vessel will undergo a four-week technical maintenance. The work program includes standard inspections of the propulsion engine couplings, inspections of two generator sets, and maintenance work on the two cranes. The tug will also undergo, for the first time since its commissioning, a complete repainting of the superstructures. Routine maintenance and inspections will be carried out as part of the Bureau Veritas classification. During its technical layup, the 'Abeille Bourbon' will be replaced by the 'Abeille Horizon', which has just undergone a maintenance period.
FUGRO MERCATOR
The 'Fugro Mercator' has been successful refloated at the north coast of island of Elba. On March 28 the company Fugro said that the vessel was safely towed back to the port of Portoferraio and was placed at the shiplift of the Esaom Cesa shipyard to be taken out of the water for repairs. The grounding on March 22 had caused no injuries and no damage to the environment. An investigation was ongoing to determine what caused the vessel to run aground. The 'Fugro Mercator' had been performing survey work for the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) as part of the Italian government’s Marine Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Project under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which aims to restore marine habitats, update the national system for observing marine and coastal ecosystems, as well as map marine habitats across Italian waters. Furgo is working alongside Italian partners Poliservizi Srl and Prisma. In addition to the surveys, two seabed tsunami early-warning stations in the Sardinian Channel and the South Ionian Sea will be included. Fugro was working with the Italian government to ensure the survey work goes uninterrupted after the grounding incident. In this regard, Fugro has committed to dispatch another survey vessel, the 'Fugro Helmert', which will sail to the Mediterranean to pick up the project and will minimize the overall impact of the incident. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHKPPGcTkV8
MASCATO TRES
The 'Mascato Tres' went adrift due to a mechanical problem, 15 nautical miles west of the Cíes Islands and requested towing assistance on March 28, 2025 The CCS Vigo of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR vessel 'María Pita' (IMO: 9429118). The offshore tug took the vessel in tow to to the port of Vigo, where it was safely berthed at 3 p.m. UTC. After the trouble was fixed, the fishing ship left the port again on March 30 at 11.15 p.m. towards the fishing grounds.
SOLONG
The 'Stena Immaculate' is set to be towed to Newcastle after the cargo has been removed. Crowley, which manages the tanker, stated the remaining barrels of jet fuel on board would be transferred to the tanker 'Fure Vyl' (IMO: 9983956), and it would be towed to Newcastle in early April, and said: "Salvage crews are continuing to complete their assessments and preparing for cargo lightering operations. During the weekend of March 29-30, operations will commence at sea to transfer the remaining 202,485 barrels of Jet-A1 cargo from the 'Stena Immaculate' to the tanker 'Fure Vyl', which is anchored nearby. This lightering operation is a standard and routing maritime practice that follows established safety protocols." The jet fuel will then be taken to its original destination of Killingholme. As of March 30, the 'Fure Vyl' was stationary at the anchorage of the 'Stena Immaculate' in pos. 53° 44' N 000° 25' E. The offshore tug 'Brage Viking' (IMO: 9475791) remained nearby. Crowley continues to work with the authorities investigating the crash and remains committed to the salvage efforts. The captain of the 'Solong', Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, Russia, appeared at the Old Bailey charged with gross negligence manslaughter and was remanded in custody. He is due to stand trial in Jan 2026. Report with photos: https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2025-03-28/oil-tanker-involved-in-north-sea-crash-to-be-towed-to-newcastle?fbclid=IwY2xjawJWm3VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUMdzJQxeq7uDy08NwKqVzmvz7VJVPDJiJiHRMK-cT2fWXNNrurgoysLqg_aem_4UIBqL2ci6v7OHrThqwKTQ
RAMONDA
On the night of March 27, 2025, the 'Ramonda' caught fire in Denovici, Montenegro, at the Porto Novi yacht marina. The fire broke out at around 6:00 p.m. Members of the Herceg Novi Protection and Rescue Service rushed to the scene with two trucks, to find that the flames had already made their way into the interior living areas. Once they arrived on the scene, the team tried to mitigate the fire from several angles. However, failing to localize the fire, they transported the yacht out of the marina at 7:50 p.m. in order to extinguish the flames while at sea. It was determined that she could not be salvaged, and the yacht was left to burn to the waterline and sink. The 8,000 litres of oil onboard the yacht posed an ecological risk. In an attempt to prevent environmental damage, dams have been installed to block oil spills. into the surrounding sea.No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Report and photos: https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/fire-yacht-ramonda-in-portonovi-montenegrohttps://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3821793?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3821769?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3821627?navList=gallery&category=39&page=1&viewType=normal&sortBy=newest
LOCH ALAINN
The 'Loch Alainn', serving on the route Ardmhor-Eriskay, suffered a technical issue on March 29, which required further investigations, As a consequence, the scheduled departure from Eriskay at 4:35 p.m. was delayed. At 6:15 p.m. the operator Calmac reported that the technical issue has been resolved, and the ferry was now loading and would be departing as soon as possible.