The 'Isle of Innisfree', which had berthed at Fishguard Harbour and was due to leave for a crossing to the Dublin at 5.30 p.m. on Jan 17, 2025,, with an ETA as of 11 p.m., remained in port as it had suffered a technical issue upon the arrival at the port earlier and was now deemed unsafe to carry passengers until the issue was resolved. The intention was for the ship to depart for Dublin as soon as is possible. All passengers were being kept fully informed of progress of repairs.
News
GLEN SANNOX
On Jan 18, the 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered an issue with a blown fuse which affected the bow doors. The issue has since been resolved, but sailings for the rest of the day remained subject to delay and liable to disruption or cancellation’. As a consequence, the scheduled departure from Brodick at 08:40 a,m, was delayed by more than one hour, while the 10.50 a.m. sailing from Troon was also delayed, leaving the mainland at 11.25 a.m. instead. The timetable was expected to return to normal by the end of the day.
BLACKROSE
The Odisha BJP MLA Padmalochan Panda announced a formal inquiry into the sinking of the''Black Rose' near Paradip, alleging BJD's involvement in foul play and iron-ore smuggling. The MLA reiterated former claims by his party regarding possible foul play and the involvement of high-profile personalities behind theshipwreck. Further, he stated that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was in discussion to proceed with the inquiry, which will focus on identifying who was importing goods through the ship, whether it had the required permits and licenses, and what activities were being carried out on it: “The previous BJD government never inquired who operated the ship, who had ordered the shipment or whether it had a permit to enter the port. Massive corruption has taken place during the previous regime and CM Majhi will soon announce a formal inquiry to expose the truth." The renewed investigation call follows earlier demands from Odisha BJP for a CBI probe into the sinking of the vessel on Sep 9, 2009, carrying 23,847 metric tons of iron ore and 920 metric tons of furnace oil to China. Speculations had then arisen that the iron ore worth crores of rupees was being smuggled abroad. While 26 of the 27 crew members were rescued, the chief engineer died. Additionally, no concrete reasons behind its sinking were ever known. Before forming the current government, the Odisha BJP alleged that BJD leaders were involved in the case. Moreover, it had also alleged that despite multiple demands for a CBI inquiry and intervention by the Orissa High Court, the previous government allegedly suppressed the matter.
AQS SAGA
An incident report from the Norwegian Maritime Authority has been completed regarding the accident of the "AQS Saga", which drifted ashore on December 30, 2024, and which had been involved in a collision with a small catamaran on Nov 29. It was currently unknown what caused the vessel to run aground. There were technical challenges with the 'AQS Saga' after delivery of the vessel in May. There has therefore been a great deal of effort in close cooperation with our suppliers to find and correct errors. The company AQS, headquartered in Flatanger in Trøndelag. has a relentless focus on uncovering the root cause. Report with photo: https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/hendingsrapport-klar-etter-at-fartoy-gjekk-pa-grunn-1.17213455
VOLGONEFT-239
Around 150 volunteers with symptoms of poisoning have asked for medical help since the grounding of the 'Volgoneft 239' and the sinking of the 'Volgoneft 212'. Thousands of volunteers have been working on Russia's Black Sea coast for more than a month. When the disaster occurred in the Black Sea, the authorities initially remained inactive. Even days later, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin declared that the situation there was under control. It has been estimated that 3,750 tons of heavy oil leaked into the sea. It took days before the authorities reacted. It was only when residents spotted the lumps of tar on the beach in Anapa - actually a popular seaside resort for Russian children and families because of its white sandy beaches - that the governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, confirmed the pollution, and the first task forces arrived. For a long time, volunteers bore the greatest burden in clearing up the oil disaster. They cleaned the beaches and rescued thousands of polluted birds. When, after three weeks, the Russian bureaucracy had still not got going properly, Putin even complained that the officials should take an example from the volunteers. Most recently, around 150 helpers with symptoms of poisoning asked for medical help. Despite the protective clothing they were wearing, they suffered from headaches, coughing and vomiting. Three of them had to be taken to hospital. The fuel used as heating oil is considered to be extremely hazardous to health and also contains carcinogenic substances. A 17-year-old helper has died. The family believes the oil spill was the cause. Officially, the authorities were denying any connection. The deputy head of the Russian educational academy, Gennady Onishchenko - who once served as the chief medical officer in Russia - explained that the young man must have died of exhaustion. Specialists can now start pumping the fuel oil out of one of the aft section of the 'Volgoneft 230'. A makeshift access road to the sandbank, the wreckage was resting on, was built using heavy machinery. The fuel oil is being heated so that it can be pumped out. More than 1,000 tons of heating oil are believed to still be in the wreck. According to plans by the sea rescue service, the work should be completed by the end of January. Report with photo: https://www.diepresse.com/19268428/3750-tonnen-schweroel-im-meer-russland-kaempft-gegen-oelkatastrophe
PRODUCTION
The 'Production' with four people on board was on fire 12 miles north west of St David's Head on Jan 19, 2025, and issued a distress call at 5.55 a.m. The St. Davids volunteers launched all-weather lifeboat 'Norah Wortley' and, once on scene, established the fire was under control. The engines were not impacted by the fire, but with concerns that the fire might restart, the lifeboat escorted the boat into Fishguard harbour. Awaiting arrival at the harbour were Mid and West Wales fire officers who boarded the vessel to ensure safety. Once the vessel was secure, the 'Norah Wortley' was stood down at 9:40 a.m. and arrived back on station at 10:40 a.m. Report with photo: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2025/january/19/st-davids-rnli-launch-to-boat-on-fire-mayday
BAYESIAN
The salvage of the 'Bayesian' has been postponed, with the work unlikely to begin until April 2025. Work was expected to begin in January, but the complexity of operations has caused delay. Plans for the salvage officially started in Dec 2024, when a syndicate of insurers led by the British Marine – which has insured the 'Bayesian'– presented eight possible plans to the prosecutor's office in Termini Imerese, which included turning the vessel onto its keel and resurfacing it using cranes or innovative buoyancy systems. The salvage poses significant logistical challenges for the parties involved, as the integrity of the yacht's structure is crucial to the ongoing investigation led by prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano. The Italian Coast Guard will also have to approve the salvage proposal. Once resurfaced, the wreck will likely be transported to Palermo for forensic examination.
SPARTA
While the Syrian authorities have allowed civilian ships to enter the military port of Tartus, the ban on Russian warships remains in place. The Egyptian cargo m/v 'Lotus' has entered the port of Tartus. The two Russian transport shoüs 'Sparta' and 'Sparta II' have been waiting in neutral waters for two weeks for permission to remove equipment. They are not allowed to enter the port of Tartus to export Russian military equipment. On Jan 9, the Russian Rear Admiral Valery Varfolomeyev had made another attempt to negotiate the removal of the equipment, but he was not allowed to participate in the negotiations. The evacuated Russian vehicles, weapons and equipment reportedly stretched for almost one kilometer in the port of Tartus. The Russian landing ship "Alexander Otrakovsky" on the outer roadstead of the Tartus port encountered serious technical problems. The second and third fuel tanks started leaking.
GRANDE ATLANTICO
On Jan 19, 2025, at around 8 a.m. the 'Grande Atlantico', en route from Zeebrugge, suffered engine problems near Monteferro and went adrift in the Vigo estuary. The ship dropped anchor and called Salvamento Marítimo, asking for assistance. Two tugs responded. Shortly after securing the cables to begin towing, the 'Grande Atlantico' regained propulsion. However, as a precaution, it was decided to keep the tugs escorting it to the Bouzas vehicle terminal in the port of Vigo, where cargo operations started once it was safely docked. Another ship of the company, the 'Grande Napoli' is still moored at the Maritime Station of the port, months after it had suffered an engine failure on Oct 29, 2024, about 28 nautical miles west of Viana do Castelo, en route from Portbury (Bristol) to Setúbal and was towed into the port by the tug "Ría de Vigo" (IMO: 8311417). Reports with photo and video: https://www.msn.com/es-es/noticias/virales/un-buque-de-grimaldi-pide-asistencia-entrando-en-vigo-al-quedarse-sin-motor-frente-a-monteferro/ar-AA1xsGB8 https://www.g24.gal/-/remolcan-un-buque-portacoches-tras-sufrir-problemas-no-motor-a-altura-de-monteferro
ESL EUROPA
The 'ESL Europa', loaded with 7000 tons ammonium nitrate, has been detained in the port of Uddevalla, after extensive operational and technical deficiencies were discovered on board during a port state control. There were in total 19 shortcomings, among other things, related to the fire protection on the ship, theSwedish Transport Agency found. The ship had arrived from Antwerp on Jan 6 and was due to leave Uddevalla on Jan 14 for its onward journey to Nouakchot. The deficiencies will need to be addressed before it is approved to sail. The 'ESL Europe' was to be inspected again on Jan 20. All deficiencies found must be addressed before the vessel may be allowed to leave the port again. Report with video: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vast/fartyg-med-explosiv-last-halls-kvar-i-uddevalla-hamn-19-brister-ombord
ANNIKA
On Jan 20 at 7 a.m. UTC, the fire damaged "Annika" was pulled out of the overseas port of Rostock, en route to Stralsund, being towed by the tug 'Robin Hood' (IMO: 9096454). The convoy was destined to Strela Shiprepair Yard, where it was expected during the afternoon of the same day. Abead of the transit, the 800 tons diesel had been pumped off and initial repairs carried out.
DAGALIEN
On Jan 18, 2025, at 10 p.m. the 'Dagalian' came to the aid of two fishermen whose 10-m-scalloper 'Craignair ' had run aground in Yell Sound on the isle of Samphrey and began taking on water. The Lerwick Lifeboat was also called out to the incident. The ferry diverted from its usual crossing to assist, and launched its rescue boat to take the two crew members off their vessel. Neither of them needed any medical assistance, and they were soon landed at Toft ferry terminal. After being called out at around 10.30 .p.m, the Lerwick Lifeboat reached the scene at about 11.40 p.m., where the local salmon workboat 'Charlie Knight' had also arrived to assist. The lifeboat crew carried out a survey of the immediate area but with the grounded vessel stuck fast on rocks, and the crew safely recovered, there was little more that could be done. The lifeboat was stood down just after midnight and returned to Lerwick on Jan 19 at 1.30 a.m. to refuel and make ready for next service.
LEFKA ORI
The trial into the death of the 36-year-old Antonis Kariotis, who drowned while trying to board the 'Blue Horizon", now sailing as 'Lefka Ori', in Piraeus in Sept 2023 was scheduled to start in the city on Jan 20, 2025, with the ship’s captain and three crew members facing serious charges. The three men are accused of deliberately pushing Kariotis into the swirling water as he ran onto the loading ramp while the ferry was getting ready to leave the port, bound for Iraklio. The ship sailed off in front of dozens of outraged witnesses and it did not return to port until 40 minutes later when ordered to do so by a prosecutor. One of the crew members has been charged with homicide with possible intent and the other two for aiding the crime. The captain, meanwhile, has been charged for breaching shipping regulations.
SPARTA II
While the Syrian authorities have allowed civilian ships to enter the military port of Tartus, the ban on Russian warships remains in place. The Egyptian cargo m/v 'Lotus' has entered the port of Tartus. The two Russian transport shoüs 'Sparta' and 'Sparta II' have been waiting in neutral waters for two weeks for permission to remove equipment. They are not allowed to enter the port of Tartus to export Russian military equipment. On Jan 9, the Russian Rear Admiral Valery Varfolomeyev had made another attempt to negotiate the removal of the equipment, but he was not allowed to participate in the negotiations. The evacuated Russian vehicles, weapons and equipment reportedly stretched for almost one kilometer in the port of Tartus. The Russian landing ship "Alexander Otrakovsky" on the outer roadstead of the Tartus port encountered serious technical problems. The second and third fuel tanks started leaking.
SNS 144
On Jan 20, 2025, the 'SNS 144' was mobilized from La Rochelle, along with a French Dauphin helicopter of the Navy, after the gillnetter "Rose des Vents- IO.936898", 4,96 gt (MMSI: 228045680) from Oléron had capsized at around 3 a.m. The skipper was able to swim to the shore, but the deckhand was missing. At 5:50 a.m. the CROSS Etel was notified by the distress beacon of the fishing boat off the coast of Saint-Denis-d'Oléron and La Brée-les-Bains. A Dragon 17 helicopter from the Civil Security meanwhile took over the search before a new rotation of the Dauphin. The wreck of the gilnetter drifted ashore bottom up at "De l'ancre" in La Brée.The gendarmerie and firefighters were present on site. Reports with photos: https://www.sudouest.fr/charente-maritime/ile-d-oleron/la-bree-les-bains/ile-d-oleron-un-marin-porte-disparu-apres-le-naufrage-d-un-bateau-de-peche-22907365.php https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/charente-maritime/ile-d-oleron/un-bateau-de-peche-chavire-au-large-de-l-ile-d-oleron-un-marin-disparu-3093994.html
VOLGONEFT-212
Around 150 volunteers with symptoms of poisoning have asked for medical help since the grounding of the 'Volgoneft 239' and the sinking of the 'Volgoneft 212'. Thousands of volunteers have been working on Russia's Black Sea coast for more than a month. When the disaster occurred in the Black Sea, the authorities initially remained inactive. Even days later, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin declared that the situation there was under control. It has been estimated that 3,750 tons of heavy oil leaked into the sea. It took days before the authorities reacted. It was only when residents spotted the lumps of tar on the beach in Anapa - actually a popular seaside resort for Russian children and families because of its white sandy beaches - that the governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, confirmed the pollution, and the first task forces arrived. For a long time, volunteers bore the greatest burden in clearing up the oil disaster. They cleaned the beaches and rescued thousands of polluted birds. When, after three weeks, the Russian bureaucracy had still not got going properly, Putin even complained that the officials should take an example from the volunteers. Most recently, around 150 helpers with symptoms of poisoning asked for medical help. Despite the protective clothing they were wearing, they suffered from headaches, coughing and vomiting. Three of them had to be taken to hospital. The fuel used as heating oil is considered to be extremely hazardous to health and also contains carcinogenic substances. A 17-year-old helper has died. The family believes the oil spill was the cause. Officially, the authorities were denying any connection. The deputy head of the Russian educational academy, Gennady Onishchenko - who once served as the chief medical officer in Russia - explained that the young man must have died of exhaustion. Specialists can now start pumping the fuel oil out of one of the aft section of the 'Volgoneft 230'. A makeshift access road to the sandbank, the wreckage was resting on, was built using heavy machinery. The fuel oil is being heated so that it can be pumped out. More than 1,000 tons of heating oil are believed to still be in the wreck. According to plans by the sea rescue service, the work should be completed by the end of January. Report with photo: https://www.diepresse.com/19268428/3750-tonnen-schweroel-im-meer-russland-kaempft-gegen-oelkatastrophe