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On Jan 8 ,2025, the 'Armony' was detained in Stylis, with 16 deficiencies, seven of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Life saving Appliances - Embarkation arrangement survival craft Missing 2) Life saving Appliances - Lifebuoys incl provision and disposition Not as required 3) Water/Weathertight - Covers (Hatchway,- portable,- tarpaulin etc) Missing 4) Fire safety - Fire pumps and its pipes Not as required 5) Emergency systems - Emergency lighting, batteries and switches Not as required 6) Structural conditions - Bulkheads operational damage Holed 7) ISM - Ism cerfiticate Not as required The vessel was released again on Jan 14 and left the port on Jan 16, en route to Constanta. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

On Jan 7, 2025, the 'Uranus' was detained in Kocaeli with 36 deficiencies, nine of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Alarms - Steering gear alarm Inoperative 2) Fire safety - Fire doors/openings in fire resisting division Inoperative 3) Fire safety - Remote Means of control (Machinery spaces) Inoperative 4) Pollution Prevention - Control of discharge Not as required 5) Safety of navigation - Record of drills and steering gear tests Not as required 6) Water/Weathertight - Ventilators, air pipes and casings Not properly maintained 7) Pollution Prevention - Suspected of discharge violation Not as required 8)) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Auxiliary machinery Not as required 9) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Jan 16 and left the port on Jan 17, headed to Novorossiysk with an ETA as of Jan 19. The last detentions were on March 23, 2024, in Novorossiysk, with seven deficiencies for three days, on Dec 26, 2023, in El Dekheila with ten deficiencies for two days, on Aug 4, 2023: also in Novorossiysk with 15 deficiencies for four days ad on June 7, 2023, also in Kocaeli with 13 deficiencies for one day. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The "Rose de Cascia", based in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, was dragged in the English Channel by the British fishing vesel 'Henk Senior', that cut the cable connecting it to its net on the night of Jan 14, 2025. Since the Brexit, tensions between French and British fishermen have been high in the Channel and the North Sea. According to the regional fisheries committee, the trawler had cast its net when a British vessel approached, turning off its AIS. The English fishermen then cast a grappling hook that caught on the cable connecting the French trawler to its net. They then pulled on the cable, taking the trawler backwards. The cable broke, causing the trawler to lose its net. There were no injuries. In a letter addressed to Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea and Fisheries, Xavier Bertrand spoke of an "incident of exceptional gravity". The president (LR) of the Hauts-de-France Regional Council, requested "the immediate opening of an in-depth investigation, the hearing of the crew members of the 'Henk Senior' and the firm and exemplary condemnation of those responsible for these actions". The French trawler was still at sea on Jan 17.

The new lock gate, weighing around 80 tons, has arrived at the damaged Mosel lock in Müden on Jan 17, and was now waiting on a barge to be installed. Only when it has been successfully installed can shipping on the Moselle be resumed. Shipping has been paralyzed since the 'Regina K' smashed the old gate on Dec 8, 2024. Work on the damaged lock is currently still underway. When all the concrete work is finished, the scaffolding will be dismantle. The barge with the 12-meter-high and 14-meter-wide lock gate will be at a mooring at the lock until then. The new gate is expected to be lifted off and installed in a week. After that, it will take about another week to align it, set up the connections and program it. The tests will then be carried out at the end of the January, after which the ships should finally be able to travel continuously on the Moselle again. Report with photos: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/unfall-auf-mosel-tonnenschweres-ersatztor-fuer-beschaedigte-schleuse-angekommen-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-250117-930-347327

Sold to Breakers

The Budapest Appeals Court has ordered a retrial of the first-instance procedure in the criminal case connected to the collision of the sightseeing boat 'Hableány' with the 'Viking Sigyn' on May 29, 2019, on the Danube at the Margaret Bridge, killing 28 of the 35 people on board. Seven tourists were rescued from the water after the collision and the rest died. One of the bodies has not been recovered. The first-instance court had sentenced the captain of the 'Viking Sigyn' to 5.5 years in prison. The Appeals Court ordered a retrial, saying the judge in the case was biased. The accused remains under supervision during the trial. A judge participating in the sentencing procedure should have been recused from the trial, as they seemed to be unable to make impartial decisions. That runs afoul of procedural regulations, and so is a reason for retrial- The prosecutor’s office brought charges against the Ukrainian captain in July 2022. The court convicted him of negligence by endangering river traffic and causing a lethal accident. In a civil lawsuit brought in connection with the accident, the Municipal Court awarded 4.8 million Euro in damages to the families of the victims. The damages are to be paid by two shipping companies.

The 'Viking Vela' was still docked in Ålesund as of Jan 17, after a 3-day unscheduled visit to the city. The ship, which experienced severe weather and subsequent propulsion problems during its fourth-ever voyage, was expected to resume sailing on Jan 16 at 6 p.m. LT, but the captain announced additional delays due to ongoing adverse weather conditions in the North Atlantic with wind speeds up to 45 miles per hour. On Jan 17, gusts could reach speeds up to 61 miles per hour. Weather conditions were not expected to improve until the afternoon of Jan 18. There were reports of passenger injuries and disrupted furnishings following the ship’s encounter with 100-mile-per-hour winds and 35-foot swells that initially affected the ship. Setting off from London on Jan 10 for its first cruise in Norway, the ship was on a 12-night “In Search of the Northern Lights” itinerary and making its way to visit Narvik, Tromsö and Alta, when its journey was marred by severe weather. Despite growing concerns, other ships sailing in Norway were also cancelling calls, including the Hurtigruten expedition vessel, 'Kong Harald', which cancelled stops at multiple coastal towns and villages on Jan 16 and 17 due to the bad weather.

On Jan 13, 2025, the 'Dandun' was detained in Iskenderun with six deficiencies, one of which being regarded as seriously and ground for a detention: 1) Structural conditions - Beams, frames, floors - construction Not as required The vessel was released again on Jan 14 and left the port on Jan 15, en route to Mangalia with an ETA as of Jan 20. The last detention was on Jan 8, 2024, in Canakkale with 14 deficiencies for five days. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

According to the Stralsund public prosecutor's office, there is no evidence of a crime following customs inspections of the "Eventin". Customs informed the public prosecutor's office of this on the afternoon of Jan 17, and at the same time informed them that the evaluations were ongoing. The General Customs Directorate in Hamburg said that they would not comment on individual cases in detail, while the inspections were ongoing. The customs were investigating whether the approximately 100,000 tons of oil on board the "Eventin" are Russian oil and whether the EU oil embargo is being violated. The ship was also prohibited from continuing its voyage due to technical inspections. Whether there were any administrative offenses is not the responsibility of the public prosecutor's office. In addition, suspicion of a criminal offense could still arise. If there is initial suspicion, an investigation would then be initiated. So far, they have only rudimentary knowledge of the case and are awaiting further findings from customs.

The "Rose de Cascia", based in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, was dragged in the English Channel by the British fishing vesel 'Henk Senior', that cut the cable connecting it to its net on the night of Jan 14, 2025. Since the Brexit, tensions between French and British fishermen have been high in the Channel and the North Sea. According to the regional fisheries committee, the trawler had cast its net when a British vessel approached, turning off its AIS. The English fishermen then cast a grappling hook that caught on the cable connecting the French trawler to its net. They then pulled on the cable, taking the trawler backwards. The cable broke, causing the trawler to lose its net. There were no injuries. In a letter addressed to Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea and Fisheries, Xavier Bertrand spoke of an "incident of exceptional gravity". The president (LR) of the Hauts-de-France Regional Council, requested "the immediate opening of an in-depth investigation, the hearing of the crew members of the 'Henk Senior' and the firm and exemplary condemnation of those responsible for these actions". The French trawler was still at sea on Jan 17.

Sold to Breakers 10.01.25

The 'Hua Xin 168' with three crew members on board got into distress off the coast of the northeastern province of Quảng Ninh, en-route from Fangchen to Hải Phòng (Việt Nam), with transport construction materials (construction stones). On Jan 10 at around 4:00 a.m. the main engine broke down in pos. 200 44'-107028' due to big waves and strong winds, and the ship drifted to the rock bank in the South East of Ha Mai Island, Van Don District, Quang Ninh Province. On jan 11, 2025, at about 8 p.m. the Ha Mai Border Guard Station discovered the ship in pos. 20044'29''N- 107028'53E' at the rock bank in the South-East of Hạ Mai Island, Ngoc Vung Commune, Vân Đồn District , Quang Ninh Province. Immediately after receiving the information, Ngoc Vung Border Guard Station deployed forces and vehicles to the location and launched a rescue operation. At about 5.20 p.m. the rescue team approached the ship. On board were three people of Chinese nationality, including: Huang Rong Shuang, born on March 28, 1968, captain; Huang Jian Qing, born on September 25, 1971, chief engineer; Huang Jun Cai, born on February 13, 1972, sailor. The three Chinese nationals were reported to be in stable condition following the rescue. They requested assistance from a local port service agents to hire a repair team to fix the engine at the incident site. Repairs are expected to be completed by Jan 17. In the meantime, the border guards have deployed five officers to provide food, water and medical care until the ship’s engine is fully repaired. In addition to the main engine damage, the propeller is broken due to hitting the rock, and water has entered the engine room as the tail near the propeller has been torn. Reports with photos: https://vietnamnews.vn/society/1690818/three-chinese-crew-members-rescued-from-stranded-cargo-ship-in-quang-ninh.html https://thuonghieucongluan.com.vn/don-bien-phong-ngoc-vung-cuu-ho-3-thuyen-vien-tau-van-tai-bi-mac-can-tren-bien-a251092.html

The Budapest Appeals Court has ordered a retrial of the first-instance procedure in the criminal case connected to the collision of the 'Hableány' with the river cruise ship 'Viking Sigyn' on May 29, 2019, on the Danube at the Margaret Bridge, killing 28 of the 35 people on board. Seven tourists were rescued from the water after the collision and the rest died. One of the bodies has not been recovered. The first-instance court had sentenced the captain of the 'Viking Sigyn' to 5.5 years in prison. The Appeals Court ordered a retrial, saying the judge in the case was biased. The accused remains under supervision during the trial. A judge participating in the sentencing procedure should have been recused from the trial, as they seemed to be unable to make impartial decisions. That runs afoul of procedural regulations, and so is a reason for retrial- The prosecutor’s office brought charges against the Ukrainian captain in July 2022. The court convicted him of negligence by endangering river traffic and causing a lethal accident. In a civil lawsuit brought in connection with the accident, the Municipal Court awarded 4.8 million Euro in damages to the families of the victims. The damages are to be paid by two shipping companies.

The scheduled call of the “Norwegian Star”at the Piedra Buena dock in Puerto Madryn on Jan 16, 2025, at around 6 a.m. advanced to Jan 15 at midnight due to a passenger's health problem which required urgent medical attention. Given this situation, the action protocolwas activated to facilitate the care that the condition required. The planning outlined for the visit of the “Norwegian Star”, including the excursions that were carried out in the usual way, and at the times that were already assigned, remained unaffected. The shipcast off at 4 p.m. to continue its journey north, where it will end the trip that began last week.

On Jan 14, 2025, the 'A.M.K. Marin' was detained in Zonguldak with 15 deficiencies: 1) Pollution Prevention - Garbage Management Plan Not as required 2) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water Record Book Not as required 3) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water Management Plan Not as required 4) Safety of navigation - Charts Expired 5) Safety of navigation - Voyage or passage plan Inoperative 6) Safety of navigation - Magnetic compass Not as required 7) Safety of navigation - Navigation records Not as required 8)) Fire safety - Fire doors/openings in fire resisting division Not as required 9) Radio communications - Radio log (diary) Not as required 10) Cargo Opr incl equipment - Cargo Securing Manual Not as required 11) Certificate & Doc - SOPEP Not as required 12) Certificate & Doc - Continuous synopsis records Not as required 13) Water/Weathertight - Covers (Hatchway,-. portable,-. tarpaulin etc) Not as required 14) Pollution Prevention - Crew training and familiarization Lack of training 15) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Jan 17 and left the port on Jan 18, en route to the Russian port of Tuapse with an ETA as of Jan 20. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The 'Maranta' has been barred from European ports after failing a series of port state safety checks and will not be allowed to dock in ports of the Paris MOU region for three months. The ship was detained in Venice on Dec 5, 2024, with 14 defiencies, four of which being regarded as seriously, including the machinery control alarm not working, insufficient fire prevention measures and problems with the means of control in machinery spaces, for 12 days. This was its third detention in the Paris MOU region within the past three years. It was also detained in Naples and Ravenna on two separate occasions in 2022. The ship left Venice on Dec 18, en route to Altinova, where it remained from Dec 23-30.

On Jan 8 2025, the 'J. Sayang 1' with 106 passengers and 15 crew membes on board suffered an engine failure near Pangutaran Island and went adrift for six days. Although initial efforts to repair the engine were successful, the vessel suffered further mechanical issues, which led to it being without communication or fuel. Fishermen passing through the area spotted the vessel and notified the authorities. The BRP 'Jose Loor' managed to locate the vessel at 12:00 p.m. around 5.4 nautical miles off Siklangkalong Island, Tawi-Tawi. The passengers were in sound physical condition and were provided with food, water, medical attention, and an internet connection to contact their families. The ship was towed to safety at Taja Island on Jan 15 at around 5:00 p.m. the 'Arneza' delivered additional fuel and provisions, and towed the 'J. Sayang 1' to its destination at Turtle Islands, Tawi Tawi. Report with photo: https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/emergency-services/search-and-rescue/over-100-rescued-after-stranded-vessel-goes-adrift-in-southern-philippines

Sold to Breakers

The hulk of the decommissioned aircraft carrier 'John F. Kennedy (CV-67)' was towed down the Delaware River by the 'Laney Chouest' on Jan. 16, 2025, on its way from the Navy’s Philadelphia Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility to Brownsville, Texas for dismantling. Shortly before 9 a.m., tugs maneuvered the hulk down the Delaware River, and it was attached to the 'Laney Chouest' then. The carrier was decommissioned in 2007 at Mayport, Florida, and has been in Philadelphia ever since. At the carrier’s Mayport decommissioning ceremony, Adm. John Nathman, then Fleet Forces commander, hailed “Big John,” its nickname, as “an icon of American might and freedom.” The Navy sold the carrier to International Shipbreaking Limited/EMR Brownsville in 2021 for one cent. The work was expected to begin in late 2023, but was put on hold by the Navy until now. In 2023, Robert Berry, vice president of International Shipbreaking Ltd./EMR Brownsville, stated that the Navy “is taking a harder line on security with the JFK than he’s ever experienced in all his years of dealing with that branch of the military, and that this particular ship has more security surrounding it than the other carriers ISL has received in the past.” Report with photos: https://news.usni.org/2025/01/16/carrier-john-f-kennedy-leaves-philadelphia-for-final-voyage-to-texas-scrapyard

The 'Silver Ray', which was on a return leg to Fort Lauderdale, was coping with an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness that affected 5.5% of guests, and will undergo a “super-sanitizing” upon the return to Port Everglades. The ship has 681 passengers onboard. Cruise ships are required to notify the CDC if more than 3% of guests or crew members report symptoms. The 'Silver Ray’s 16-night cruise to Lima, Peru, began on Jan 5, 2025, calling at ports in Ecuador, Columbia, and Aruba, and transiting the Panama Canal. The ship has already intensified cleaning and sanitizing methods, which appears to have limited the spread of the illness, but Silversea will bring a special cleaning crew onboard upon arrival at Port Everglades. As a result of the enhanced cleaning, the embarkation for the next voyage, departing on Jan 20, will be delayed until 4 p.m. The all-aboard time is 6 p.m.