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The skipper Andre Engelhardt, 32, from Hooksiel was rescued from a life raft 150 nautical miles northwest of Aruba on Jan 6, 2025, along with three other crew members of the "Second Wind", which had capsized en route from the British Virgin Islands to Panama as part of a transfer. The crew had to wait in the rubber raft for five hours until they were rescued. The Coastguard of the Dutch Antilles initially had sent a patrol aircraft to the scene after receiving a distress call. Its pilots discovered the life raft and the catamaran floating upside down. They requested a helicopter, which was able to hoist the sailors aboard and bring them to Curaçao. The patrol aircraft had remained on site to monitor the life raft and provide support until the helicopter arrived. The Maritime Operations Center has since sent a Navtex message to all ships in the region to warn of the catamaran, which had got in distress after the escape hatch on the starboard hull of the eight-year-old Lagoon 42 came loose due to rough sea. All attempts to close the hatch again failed. The hull filled with water and the catamaran capsized as a result. The four crew members managed to detach the life raft from the boat and deflate it. At the time of the accident, there was a gusty wind of 30 to 35 knots and the sea was around 3,5 metres high. Report with photos: https://www.curacaochronicle.com/post/local/coast-guard-rescues-survivors-from-sunken-catamaran/

The 'Frøy Lys' ran aground in Hitra-Frøya in pos. 63° 38' N 008° 40' E on Jan 8, 2025, at 09.30 a.m. with two crew members on board. An NSSR lifeboat was on site. Several other ships from the owner company Frøy have moved out to assist. The crew was safe, and there was no danger to them. The company was working to get an overview. The salvage of the workboat has already started with the help of the own vessels. On scene were the 'Frøy Supplier' (MMSI: 259027820), 'Frøy Loke' (MMSI: 258023280), 'Tamina Spirit' (MMSI: 259000200) and the lifeboat 'Horn Flyer ' (MMSI: 258235500), of the NSSR station. A water ingress in the bildge could be limited with filler and margarine. The hull has a hole in the foreship at starboard side. Five bilge pumps were in operation. At 2.50 p.m. the ship was refloated and taken to the Jektvik Slipp & Mek Verksted AS in Dolmøy, where it was safely berthed at 4.30 p.m. UTC. Report and photos: https://www.hitra-froya.no/nyheter/i/lwbWgL/arbeidsbaat-med-to-mann-om-bord-gikk-paa-grunn https://x.com/NSSR/status/1876994561903349854

The "Ocean Legend" was detained in the port of Pozzallo on Dec 30, 2024, with 12 deficiencies, six of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Fire safety - Fire doors/openings in fire resisting division Not as required 2) Fire safety - Fire prevention structural integrity Not as required 3) Structural conditions - Asbestos containing materials Not properly maintained 4) Emergency systems - Fire drills Lack of training 5) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Propulsion main engine Not as required 6) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again and Jan 8, 2025, and permitted a single voyage to Zeytinburnu for permanent repairs with an ETA as of Jan 11. The last detention was on May 23, 2024, in the port of Ortona with five deficiencies for five days. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The 'Lochnevis', serving on the route Mallaig-Armadale, has been removed from service and entered dry dock of the Dales Marine Service in Troon on Dec 14 to resolve the technical issue affecting the port side main engine. The ferry boat 'Julie-Ann' was inserted to operatea passenger-only charter until further notice and until Jan 10, 2025, at least. On Jan 9 and Jan 10 it was operating according to the following schedule: https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/service-status/#/service-status/033?route=18

The MRCC's in Tenerife and Las Palmas of Salvamento Marítimo have coordinated the assistance to two precarious boats on the night of Jan 8. The 'Salvamar Acrux' was deployed to escort a cayuco with 60 sub-Saharan people on board to La Restinga. The 'Guardamar Urania' rescued 84 migrants aboard a cayuco 11 nautical miles south of Maspalomas and transferred them to the port of Arguineguin. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1877267618303787440

On Jan 6, 2025, the 'Loraland', en route from Pori to Halmstad with a cargo of scrap, suffered a breakdown of its main engine at Gotska Sandön and was disabled. As a result of the increasing wind strength, the ship's anchor began to drag. The Swedish Coastguard deployed the patro vessel 'KBV 003' which started an emergency towing of the ship, which has over 70 cubic metres, oil, on board.. The weather is expected to worsen in the coming days with winds up to 20 m/s in gusts. There are also power cables and other critical infrastructure nearby where the ship tried to anchor. The ship was moored in the Kappelhamnsviken in pos. 58° 15' N 019° 11' E and is waiting to be towed to a repair yard by the shipping company's contracted salvage company. The Coast Guard has ended its services as the threat has been averted, and the 'KBV 003' has returned to regular operations. As of Jan 8, the 'Loraland' was still NUC in pos. 57° 58' N 018° 52' E.

The Altera Infrastructure has accepted paying a fine of 695 500 Euro for illegally scrapping two tankers in Alang in 2020. In doing so, the Norwegian ship management company avoids going to trial. The case has been running since Altera’s office was raided five years ago. It centrered around dismantling the 'Navion Britannia' and 'Alexita Spirit' at a Alang shipbreaking yard. The trial was scheduled to start in January 2025, after Altera contested the fine. Finally, the ship operator has chosen to pay the penalty. The investigations had revealed that Altera chose to dismantle the ships in India. With the help of cash buyer Wirana, a scrap dealer already heavily fined in the Harrier case, Altera was able to sell the two tankers at a considerably higher price than what they would have obtained from selling to a sustainable ship recycling yard.’

The crew of the 'Mein Schiff 7' discovered an inflatable boat on the afternoon of Jan 6, 2025, en route from Las Palmas to Gran Canaria. The cruise ship f then deviated from the planned course to investigate the situation more closely. As it quickly turned out, there were no people aboard the rubber boat. The relevant authorities in Morocco and the Canary Islands were informed of the sighting of the boat. The MRCC Gran Canaria infomred that the inflatable boat was left behind during a rescue operation of the Coastguard and has since been collected again. The 'Mein Schiff 7' was able to continue the Canary Islands cruise with Agadir in Morocco as planned.

The "Wilson North" was detained in Immingham on Jan 30, 2025, with 19 deficiencies, two of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Fire safety - Evaluation of crew performance Lack of familiarity 2) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Jan 7 and left the port on Jan 8 en route to Rotterdam, where it arrived the same day. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The "Aleksey Afanasyev" was detained on Jan 2, 2025, iin Ambarli with nine deficiencies, tow of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Structural conditions - Hull damage impairing seaworthiness Holed 2) Emergency systems - Emergency fire pump and its pipes Insufficient pressure. The vessel was released again on Jan 6 and left the port en route to Rostov on Don. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

On Jan 8, 2025, the 'Guardamar Polimnia' has rescued the sole crew member of the French-flagged sailing yacht 'Black Pearl', hompoorted in St. Nazaire, which had suffered a leak and was sinking about eight nautical miles off Valle Gran Rey, GranCanaria. The castaway was transferred aboard the SAR ship in a liferaft and was subsequently taken to the port of Valle Gran Rey safe and sound. Report with photos: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1877067831084187934

The efforts to refloat the 'Samwa Maru' have been suspended. The majority of the crew was evacuated from the ship after it shifted while an investigation was seeking the source of an oil slick that formed on Jan 8. The Japanese Coastguard had dispatched vessels and there was an attempt on Jan 7 to pull the tanker off the rocks, which failed, and additional tugs were being dispatched. On the morning of Jan 8 the crew of the tanker reported the ship had shifted. An oil slick appeared, and people said there was a strong smell of oil around the vessel. Visual observation from a helicopter of the Hakodate Air Base of the 1st Regional Coast Guard Headquarters showed that the spill was approximately 2.7 kilometers long and one kilometer wide around the grounding site. The slick extended nearly 1,5 miles from the ship, but the Coastguard believed it was a small leak and that the cargo tanks have remained intact. The salvage operation was, however, suspended while the Coastguard investigated the leak and attempted to prevent it from growing. Salvage efforts may be resumed on Jan 9. The shipowner and salvage company will decide on the future towing operation after examining the oil leakage situation. The Coast Guard believesdthat the heavy fuel oil leaked due to a damage near the fuel tank at the stern. Reports with photos: https://nordot.app/1249629951040209714?c=768367547562557440 https://www.asahi.com/articles/AST183FCZT18IIPE008M.html

On Dec 16, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an investigation into the incident where the ' Chang Hang Hui Hai' broke free from its mooring during high winds in the Brownsville Ship Channel on Jan 8, 2024, leading to the allision with the tug ' Signet Defender'. The bulk carrier, which had been moored at dock no. 12 in the Brownsville Ship Channel in Brownsville, Texas, drifted across the ship channel and struck the tug, which was tied up to the tug 'Signet Magic' at the Signet Maritime pier along with the tug 'Signet Ranger'. Th damage was estimated at $2.5 million.The accident occurred during rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, with wind speeds increasing and gusts reaching 62 knots within only a few hours. As conditions worsened, the crew of the freighter increased the initial 10-line mooring arrangement to 16 lines with all lines available, excluding the spares. As the winds picked up, the higher wind speed increased the wind load acting on the 'Chang Hang Hui Hai’s lateral surface area above the water. The freeboard had been increasing as it offloaded, increasing its sail area. This force, acting on the vessel nearly perpendicular to its length, significantly strained the mooring lines holding the ship. The force of wind against the ship’s side overcame the breaking strength of several lines forward, causing them to part and the ship’s bow to move away from the pier. This began a cascading failure as the remaining lines took up additional strain. Ten mooring lines and two bollards (with five lines attached) failed, and one line paid out, leading to the ship drifting away from the dock. Neither postcasualty testing of the mooring lines nor an assessment of the mooring bollards’ condition was conducted. However, all the lines were certificated and in good condition, per their last inspection. Nevertheless, without postcasualty tests or an assessment of the condition of the mooring lines and bollards, investigators could not definitively rule out weakened or overloaded mooring lines or overloaded bollards as contributing factors in the casualty. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the breakaway of the 'Chang Hang Hui Hai' was due to the force of the wind acting on the exposed freeboard of the vessel, which overcame the breaking strength of several mooring lines. Full report: https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NTSB-Breakaway-of-Bulk-Carrier-Collision-with-tug-2024_12.pdf

The Altera Infrastructure has accepted paying a fine of 695 500 Euro for illegally scrapping two tankers in Alang in 2020. In doing so, the Norwegian ship management company avoids going to trial. The case has been running since Altera’s office was raided five years ago. It centrered around dismantling the 'Navion Britannia' and 'Alexita Spirit' at a Alang shipbreaking yard. The trial was scheduled to start in January 2025, after Altera contested the fine. Finally, the ship operator has chosen to pay the penalty. The investigations had revealed that Altera chose to dismantle the ships in India. With the help of cash buyer Wirana, a scrap dealer already heavily fined in the Harrier case, Altera was able to sell the two tankers at a considerably higher price than what they would have obtained from selling to a sustainable ship recycling yard.’

The 'Fjordstrøm', serving on the route Bodø-Gildeskål, suffered technical issues on Jan 4, 2025. The ferry 'Nordic Star' was inserted as a replacement, sailing from Bodø at 09.20 a.m., serving the route area until further notice. Some delay must be expected. On Jan 8 it was announced that the 'Nordic Lady' would continue to serve the routes on Ytre Gildeskål until further notice. Travelers to Sør-Arnøy were encouraged to use nex 1 from the Central Terminal. Tickets must be purchased on shore before boarding. The 'Fjordstrøm' continued to be sidelined in the port of Bodø for the time being.

The 'Yalissa' was detained in Zonguldak on Jan 4, 2025, with 25 deficiencies: 1) Certificate & Doc - International Oil Pollution Certificate Not as required 2) Certificate & Doc - International Anti-fouling system certificate Not as required 3) Certificate & Doc - International Air Pollution Prevention certificate Not as required 4) Certificate & Doc - Safety Management Certificate Not as required 5) Certificate & Doc - Cargo Ship Safety Radio (incl exemption) Not as required 6) Certificate & Doc - Cargo Ship Safety Equipment (incl exemption) Not as required 7) Certificate & Doc - International Energy Efficiency certiticate Not as required 8)) Certificate & Doc - Document of compliance Not as required 9) Certificate & Doc - Load Lines (incl exemption) Not as required 10) Certificate & Doc - International Sewage Pollution Certificate Not as required 11) Certificate & Doc - International Ballast Water Management Not as required 12) Certificate & Doc - Cargo Ship Safety Construction Not as required 13) Fire safety - Fire pumps and its pipes Inoperative 14) Fire safety - International shore-connection Not as required 15) Fire safety - Other (Fire safety) Other 16) Life saving Appliances - Lifeboats Not ready for use 17) Safety of navigation - Charts Missing 18) Safety of navigation - Voyage or passage plan Missing 20) Safety of navigation - Navigation records Not as required 21) Emergency systems - Emergency towing arrangements and procedures Not as required 22) Emergency systems - Emergency lighting, batteries and switches Not as required 23) Alarms - Machinery controls alarms Inoperative 24) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Propulsion main engine Not as required 25) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The detention came just weeks after the last sailing ban on Dec 11, 2024, in Kocaeli, Turkiye with 18 deficiencies, for four days, then getting permitted a single voyage to the Tuzla shipyard area for permanent repairs, which had lasted from Dec 15 to Dec 30. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The "Sozopol 1" was detained on Jan 3, 2025, in Kocaeli with ten deficiencies,. three of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention. 1) Structural conditions - Hull cracking Not as required 2) Water/Weathertight - Manholes/Flush scuttles Not as required 3) Water/Weathertight - Doors Not properly maintained The vessel was released again on Jan 7. The last detention was on Oct 8, 2024, in Kdz Eregli, also with 10 deficiencies for five days. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The MRCC's in Tenerife and Las Palmas of Salvamento Marítimo have coordinated the assistance to two precarious boats on the night of Jan 8. The 'Salvamar Acrux' was deployed to escort a cayuco with 60 sub-Saharan people on board to La Restinga. The 'Guardamar Urania' rescued 84 migrants aboard a cayuco 11 nautical miles south of Maspalomas and transferred them to the port of Arguineguin. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1877267618303787440

The "Annika", which caught fire en route from Rostock to Travemünde in the Baltic Sea on Oct 11, 2024, is to be towed to the Volkswerft Shipyard in Stralsund for repairs probably in mid-January 2025. The tanker is currently still in Rostock's overseas port. Hundreds of tons of heavy oil that the ship was carrying have now been pumped out and initial repairs have been carried out. In Stralsund, the company Strela Shiprepair will take care of the further work. The Federal Bureau of Maritime Accident Investigation (BSU) has classified the incident as a serious maritime accident. After investigations on board have already been carried out, a report is to summarize the results, but it will take at least months for this to happen. Report with photo: https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/mecklenburg-vorpommern/havariertes-tankschiff-annika-soll-auf-stralsunder-werft-repariert-werden-EANPOGGQGNCJDPSKTBWAMK2KMY.html

On Dec 16, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published an investigation into the incident where the ' Chang Hang Hui Hai' broke free from its mooring during high winds in the Brownsville Ship Channel on Jan 8, 2024, leading to the allision with the tug ' Signet Defender'. The bulk carrier, which had been moored at dock no. 12 in the Brownsville Ship Channel in Brownsville, Texas, drifted across the ship channel and struck the tug, which was tied up to the tug 'Signet Magic' at the Signet Maritime pier along with the tug 'Signet Ranger'. Th damage was estimated at $2.5 million.The accident occurred during rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, with wind speeds increasing and gusts reaching 62 knots within only a few hours. As conditions worsened, the crew of the freighter increased the initial 10-line mooring arrangement to 16 lines with all lines available, excluding the spares. As the winds picked up, the higher wind speed increased the wind load acting on the 'Chang Hang Hui Hai’s lateral surface area above the water. The freeboard had been increasing as it offloaded, increasing its sail area. This force, acting on the vessel nearly perpendicular to its length, significantly strained the mooring lines holding the ship. The force of wind against the ship’s side overcame the breaking strength of several lines forward, causing them to part and the ship’s bow to move away from the pier. This began a cascading failure as the remaining lines took up additional strain. Ten mooring lines and two bollards (with five lines attached) failed, and one line paid out, leading to the ship drifting away from the dock. Neither postcasualty testing of the mooring lines nor an assessment of the mooring bollards’ condition was conducted. However, all the lines were certificated and in good condition, per their last inspection. Nevertheless, without postcasualty tests or an assessment of the condition of the mooring lines and bollards, investigators could not definitively rule out weakened or overloaded mooring lines or overloaded bollards as contributing factors in the casualty. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the breakaway of the 'Chang Hang Hui Hai' was due to the force of the wind acting on the exposed freeboard of the vessel, which overcame the breaking strength of several mooring lines. Full report: https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/NTSB-Breakaway-of-Bulk-Carrier-Collision-with-tug-2024_12.pdf