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On March 12, 2025, four Dutch crew members of the Van Oord dredger 'Vox Maxima', that caused a major oil spill off the coast of Singapore on June 14, 2024, have admitted to failing to perform their duties properly before a Singaporean judge. Richard Ouwehand, 49, Martin Hans Sinke, 48, Eric Peijpers, 56, and Merijn Heidema, 26, pleaded guilty to one charge each under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 for their role in the oil spill. They had worked on the dredger, which was disabled due an engine failure and allided with the bunker tanker 'Marine Honour' (IMO: 9422811), causing a breach, and a large amount of fuel oil then leaked from the bunker ship. The oil spread to a beach park and a nature reserve in southern Singapore, among other places in the largest oil spill in Singapore in the past ten years. According to the prosecutor Regina Lim , the clean-up took two months. One of the crew members on trial was the captain of the dredger and another was the first mate. The other two crew members were engineers. The prosecutor has demanded fines of between 20,000 and 50,000 Singapore dollars, which is the equivalent of approximately 14,000 to 34,000 euros. On the morning of June 14, the circuit breaker of the outgoing feeder of the high-voltage switchboards to the step-down transformer on the starboard side of the 'Vox Maxima' was opened to allow for maintenance works. The circuit breaker controlled the flow of electrical power from the main generator to the step-down transformer on the starboard side, and when it was in an open state, no electrical power would be supplied to the equipment connected to the low-voltage switchboards. Prior to taking over the engineering watch at noon, Peijpers and Heidema did not check the status of the circuit breakers, which would affect the distribution of electrical power on the vessel. By law, they are required to be satisfied with the condition and mode of operation of the various main and auxiliary systems, including the electrical power distribution system, before taking over the engineering watch. During their watch, Peijpers and Heidema prepared the 'Vox Maxima' for her departure from the Western Anchorage to ST Engineering Marine’s Tuas shipyard. Just after noon, Peijpers and Heidema were notified by the officers from the preceding engineering watch and the officers on the bridge for the afternoon watch that the main engines had to be ready for the voyage by 1.30 p.m. The two men then stopped the auxiliary generator and started the main generators, which comprised the starboard generator and a second main generator on the port side. As the circuit breaker on the starboard side was open, no electrical power from the starboard generator could be supplied to the equipment connected to the low-voltage switchboards, and they were thus powered by the port generator. While on the way to Tuas shipyard, two of the 'Vox Maxima'’s hydraulic pumps that drew power from the low-voltage switchboards were started as part of the planned operations, increasing the load at a circuit breaker on the port side. This circuit breaker tripped as it was overloaded when the second hydraulic pump was started, leading to a loss of electrical power for all low-voltage equipment, including rudders and controllable pitch propellers. Upon the loss of steering control, both Ouwehand and Sinke were responsible for, among other things, engaging emergency steering, but they failed to do so. During this time, the 'Vox Maxima' approached the 'Super Hero', which managed to alter its course and speed to avoid a collision. A minute later, the dredger hit the starboard side of the 'Marine Honour', which suffered damage to at least six water ballast tanks, 10 cargo oil tanks and the slop port tank as a result. The 'Marine Honour' is still undergoing repairs of the damage in Singapore, and the cost of repairs is estimated to exceed $6.6 million. The prosecution is seeking fines of between $20,000 and $30,000 each for Ouwehand and Sinke, and fines of between $40,000 and $50,000 each for Heidema and Peijpers. For the offence, each of them can be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to two years, or both. They are scheduled to be sentenced on April 2.

The Operations Manager Anders Tøsse of Torghatten Nord met with the Transport Committee on March 12 regarding the operations on the Brattvåg–Dryna and acknowledged that there have been far too many cancellations with the reserve ferries on the service. From May the ferry 'Fykan' will be used as a reserve ferry on the service instead of the 'Røsund'. The vessel will provide more predictable operation together with the main ferry 'Haram'. The reserve ferry has mainly weakened the regularity of the connection. In 2023, the regularity was 98.9 % , in 2024 it was 99.0 %. In 2025, there have been many cancellations, most of them as a result of problems with the reserve vessel.

arrived Chittagong Anchorage 11.03.25

The 'MJ Pinar', with 12 crew members on board, which was loading 30,000 tonnes of wheat for export, was damaged at the port side stern by a Russian ballistic missile, on the evening of March 11, 2024, in the commercial port of Odessa. The fire, which broke out on the ship after the strike, caused the deaths of four crew members, three Syrian and one Ukrainian nationals, aboard the bulk carrier. A pilot service employee, who was also on the vessel was injured in the incident as well as another Syrian crew member. An air raid alarm was declared in the port town at approximately 8:15 p.m. LT, followed by a powerful explosion moments later, caused by a ballistic missile strike which impacted the intersection of berths 34 and 35. and caused extensive damage to the ship as well as the port infrastructure, including the quay and the terminal's grain gallery. The strike was alleged to have been carried out using Russia’s Iskander-M ballistic missile, equipped with a cluster warhead. Emergency services attended on site to asses the damage and ensured safety measures. Reports with photos: https://www.seanews.com.tr/missile-attack-at-odessa-port-4-seafarers-died-on-bulker-mj-pinar/202746/ https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/03/12/7502458/ https://kathmandupost.com/world/2025/03/12/four-killed-in-russian-strike-on-grain-vessel-in-odesa-port-ukraine-says

The government of Samoa sees no need to salvage the sunken HMNZS 'Manawanui'. Since mid-January the NZ tug 'Kurutai' and the barge 'Cronus' have been operating between the port of Apia and the wreck site outside Tafitoala on the South Coast of Upolu, removing the fuel and other pollutants. Now the Samoan Government wants the wreck to remain off the coast, which could eventually become a tourist attraction on a water depth of 35 metres as an excellent diving spot and become a part of the reef. The Samoa Conservation Society has backed the idea, provided all environmental hazards are removed. Corals will grow up on the wreck very fast and it will be claimed by nature. The owners of the Sina PJ Beach Fales in Tafitoala have also welcomed the idea. For them, this would mean an increase in business. The business is based on surf operations. but the area where surfing takes place is inside the restricted two-kilometre zone to safeguard the salvage works that is being currently carried out. The NZDF will not replace the 'Manawanui'.

The lifeboats 'Spirit of Fred Olsen' from Kyle of Lochalsh and the 'Stanley Watson Barker' from Portree were called out on March 10, 2025, at 2:18 a.m., after the 'Rotsund', en route from Haugesund to Kyle, had dragged her anchor and ran aground in the Breakish area of the Isle of Skye. The UK Coastguard paged the crews after receiving a call from the vessel, which was either picking up or delivering cargo to a salmon feed factory. Initially the service vessel 'Gina Mary' (IMO: 9818761), under contract for Mowi, and the 'Kathryn Matheson' (MMSI: 232021327), a 15 meter-NabCat-catamaran of Bakkafrost Scotland, were mobilized from Kyle Harbour to stand by. The Kyle lifeboat 'Spirit of Fred. Olsen' launched at 2:25 a.m. and made best speed towards the scene through choppy weather. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 2:40 a.m., and found that the vessel was aground at the stern, and was being pushed ashore by the wind and choppy seas with a risk of the vessel turning broadside. The lifeboat crew made contact with the vessel’s crew to check nobody was injured, and began a visual inspection of the hull of the vessel to ensure there was no obvious damage or pollution. The crew of the cargo vessel were trying various things to free themselves, so the lifeboat stood by to provide safety cover, should they be needed. The Portree lifeboat arrived approximately an hour after the Kyle lifeboat. With the rising tide, the 'Rotsund' managed to use her own thrusters and engine to pull herself off the rocks at 4:15 a.m, and made her way into deeper water to find a safe place to anchor. Both lifeboats stood by to ensure that the vessel and crew were no longer in danger and there was no pollution risk. At 5:2 5 a.m, the UK Coastguard stood Kyle lifeboat down, but kept the Portree boat on scene to provide safety cover until a Coastguard tug arrives on scene. Kyle lifeboat then returned to station at 5:40 a.m. where the crew refuelled the boat and made it ready for service again. At midday, the emergency tug ''Ievoly Black' (IMO: 9439242 ) and the 'Gina Mary' towed the vessel to the Kishorn Port & Dry Dock Ltd. Inverlussa's 26-metre feed supply vessel "Havgull" (IMO: 6727260) first had received a request to tow the "Rotsund", but did not have the capacity to do so. The request was relayed to the company's head office on Mull, which then dispatched the work vessel "Gina Mary", equipped with powerful engines and a strong towing winch, which managed to take the cargo ship in tow and move it to Kishorn Port. Reports with photos: https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2025/march/10/kyle-and-portree-rnli-crews-called-to-80-metre-cargo-vessel-which-ran-aground https://www.skipsrevyen.no/rotsund-ulykke/norsk-lasteskip-pa-grunn-utenfor-skottland/1907687 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ymdz47mg4o

The 'Bow Explorer' was involved in a minor collision off Ostend on Feb 28, 2025. The ship was damaged and proceeded to Antwerp for repairs, where it arrived on March 12. It was berthed alongside the tanker 'Bow Spring' (IMO: 9215256) at the Vopak Terminal ACS at 11 a.m. UTC, assisted by the tug 'Tug 11' (IMO: 9211717 ).

A cayuco was located nine nautical miles from La Restinga on March 12, 2025. The 'Salvamar Adhara' was mobilized to assist and accompanied the boat to the port, where its 86 occupants, including 20 women and 10 minors, were safely disembarked. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1899805749703840031

sold to Aliaga Breakers 270 USD/TO

Beached at Aliaga 12.03.25

The captain of the 'Solong', a Russian national, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter, after a missing crew member from his ship is believed to have died in the flames that erupted on board both ships immediately after the collision. The crew consisted of Philippinos and Russans. The British authorities have launched an investigation into the accident, together with the flag states involved. .A preliminary information indicated that the 'Solong' maintained the same course and speed for almost nine hours until it crashed into the 'Stena Immaculate'. Despite the severe damages to both ships, there was no longer a risk of sinking. The 'Multratug 36' has established a towing connection on March 11 to stop the southward drift, with the 'Multratug 35' and 'Eems Wrestler' attending. Information that the 'Solong' was loaded with, among other things, 15 containers containing the toxic chemical sodium cyanide has proven to be incorrect. However, four containers have previously contained the dangerous chemical. The anti pollution ship 'Mellum' has arrived at the 'Stena Immaculate' on the morning of March 11. The tanker remained stationary at its mooring as of March 12. The Maritime service provider 'Boskalis' will board the 'Stena Immaculate' with a small team on March 12, if the weather conditions allow it. The team, including a gas expert, will check whether it is safe to board the ship and whether there are no concentrations of toxic substances or explosion hazards. An alternative is to put people on board by helicopter, but that is not yet an option. The team will check for any damage, whether there is water in the engine room and whether there is still power on board. The ship will then be assessed to see whether it is capable of pumping kerosene. If this is the case, it will be decided in consultation with the local authorities whether the kerosene will be pumped on site or whether the ship will be taken to a port to remove the kerosene there. Because the ship became extremely hot due to the fire, it is questionable whether all the kerosene tanks on the ship are still safe. It is not yet known exactly how much kerosene leaked. On the morning of March 11, the HM Coast Guard also accepted the German Central Command's offer to provide a surveillance aircraft. The Dornier 228 (DO228) took off from the Nordholz naval air base in Lower Saxony at around 12:30 p.m. and arrived in the affected area at around 2:30 p.m. German time. Equipped with powerful cameras and sensors, the DO228 can obtain an overview of the situation and also detect pollutants on the water surface. Both the 'Mellum' and the DO228 were receiving their on-site orders from the British Coast Guard. The 'Solong' has failed steering-related safety checks in July 2024. The emergency steering compass was one of 10 deficies when the ship was subjected to a PSC in Dublin. The nine other deficiencies aboard the ship included problems with fire doors, alarms in the engine room and with life-saving appliances such as lifejackets, lifeboats and related equipment. A subsequent PSC inspection at the port of Grangemouth, carried out in Oct 024, revealed two deficiencies, including one relating to the vessel’s lifebuoys. Reports with photos and video: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/03/11/bemanningslid-solong-filmt-vlammenzee-vlak-na-aanvaring-lord-lord-help-us/ https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/03/11/britse-kustwacht-verwacht-dat-containerschip-solong-gaat-zinken/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14486787/man-arrested-manslaughter-oil-tanker-crash.html

The 'Ronja Islander' hit a rock and began taking on water on the evening of March 8, 2025, in the Tahsis Inlet. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria received a call for assistance from the vessel, which had suffered some damage and started taking on water. There were no fish on board the ship at the time of the incident. The Canadian Coast Guard’s Tahsis lifeboat station deployed the CCGS 'Cape Dauphin' and the station’s fast rescue craft to escort the fish carrier. The vessel’s pump was able to keep up with the water ingress. The crew were able to adjust the ballast to raise the damaged area above the waterline. The ship was then able to make its way to the West Coast Marine Terminals in the Gold River under its own power. The Transportation Safety Board was made aware of the incident. The MMFN was getting updates from Grieg Seafood.

On Feb 11, 2025, at 10 p.m. the fire department of Trelleborg was alerted to the 'Huckleberry Finn'. People in the port had seen fire and heavy smoke coming from the ship's funnel. When the fire department arrived, they boarded the ship to investigate. After a while, it turned out to be some kind of engine problem. No fire or smoke had spread outside the ship's smoke ducts. The fire, remained isolated to the funnel and has partly burned out. Several units remained on site to ensure that the fire did not spread, until the temperature had dropoed ,After some checks, the fire department was able to leave the scene at 11.30 p.m., and the responsibility was handed over to the ship's master. No one was reported injured. Reports with photos: https://www.pppress.se/nyhet/larm-om-brand-i-farga-i-trelleborgs-hamn/ https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/skane/skorstensbrand-pa-farja-i-trelleborg https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/farja-brinner-i-hamnen-i-trelleborg

The 'Fjordcruise', sailing on the Rødøy route to Vågaholmen, suffered technical problems on the foremidday of March 11, 2025, As a consequence, the operator Torghatten inserted the 'Øycruise', which started operating the connection from 3:45 p.m. until further notice. The 'Øycruise', however, has a limited capacity and can take a maximum of 12 passengers. The operator was working to deploy a larger vessel from the afternoon of March 14.

On March 12, the Spanish flagged 12,05-fishing vessel 'Segundo María Isabel' (built 1995), based in the port of Corme, struck a rocky outcrop and suffered water ingress and started listing to port side about 0.5 nautical miles north of the Arnela beach in Muxia. The crew activated the EPIRB at 2.15 p.m. The CCS Fisterra of Salvamento Marítimo activated the emergency protocol and mobilized the 'Salvamar Altair' from Camariñas to the scene. The crew of the fishing vessel 'Playa de Lago', which was in the area too, started an attempt to patch the leak, but this proved impossible given the damage sustained by the fishing vessel at its starboard side., The two fishermen of the Segundo María Isabel'were then taken aboard and transported them to Camariñas in good condition. The fishing vessel was already low in the water and eventually sank after the arrival of the SAR boat, and the crew of the 'Salvamar Altair' recovered floating gear and equipment. Reports with photo and video: https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/carballo/muxia/2025/03/12/rescatan-vida-dos-tripulantes-pesquero-corme-hundido-frente-muxia/00031741789417117635348.htm https://www.elcorreogallego.es/concellos/2025/03/12/salvo-tripulantes-pesquero-segundo-maria-115223470.html

sold to Chittagong Breakers

Beached at Chittagong 11.03.25

The captain of the 'Solong', a Russian national, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter, after a missing crew member from his ship is believed to have died in the flames that erupted on board both ships immediately after the collision. The crew consisted of Philippinos and Russans. The British authorities have launched an investigation into the accident, together with the flag states involved. .A preliminary information indicates that the 'Solong' maintained the same course and speed for almost nine hours until it crashed into the 'Stena Immaculate'. Despite the severe damages to both ships, there was no longer a risk of sinking. The 'Multratug 36' has established a towing connection on March 11 to stop the southward drift, with the 'Multratug 35' and 'Eems Wrestler' attending. Information that the 'Solong' was loaded with, among other things, 15 containers containing the toxic chemical sodium cyanide has proven to be incorrect. However, four containers have previously contained the dangerous chemical. The anti pollution ship 'Mellum' has arrived at the 'Stena Immaculate' on the morning of March 11. The tanker remained stationary at its mooring as of March 12. The Maritime service provider 'Boskalis' will board the 'Stena Immaculate' with a small team on March 12, if the weather conditions allow it. The team, including a gas expert, will check whether it is safe to board the ship and whether there are no concentrations of toxic substances or explosion hazards. An alternative is to put people on board by helicopter, but that is not yet an option. The team will check for any damage, whether there is water in the engine room and whether there is still power on board. The ship will then be assessed to see whether it is capable of pumping kerosene. If this is the case, it will be decided in consultation with the local authorities whether the kerosene will be pumped on site or whether the ship will be taken to a port to remove the kerosene there. Because the ship became extremely hot due to the fire, it is questionable whether all the kerosene tanks on the ship are still safe. It is not yet known exactly how much kerosene leaked. On the morning of March 11, the HM Coast Guard also accepted the German Central Command's offer to provide a surveillance aircraft. The Dornier 228 (DO228) took off from the Nordholz naval air base in Lower Saxony at around 12:30 p.m. and arrived in the affected area at around 2:30 p.m. German time. Equipped with powerful cameras and sensors, the DO228 can obtain an overview of the situation and also detect pollutants on the water surface. Both the 'Mellum' and the DO228 were receiving their on-site orders from the British Coast Guard. The 'Solong' has failed steering-related safety checks in July 2024. The emergency steering compass was one of 10 deficies when the ship was subjected to a PSC in Dublin. The nine other deficiencies aboard the ship included problems with fire doors, alarms in the engine room and with life-saving appliances such as lifejackets, lifeboats and related equipment. A subsequent PSC inspection at the port of Grangemouth, carried out in Oct 024, revealed two deficiencies, including one relating to the vessel’s lifebuoys. Reports with photos and video: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/03/11/bemanningslid-solong-filmt-vlammenzee-vlak-na-aanvaring-lord-lord-help-us/ https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/03/11/britse-kustwacht-verwacht-dat-containerschip-solong-gaat-zinken/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14486787/man-arrested-manslaughter-oil-tanker-crash.html

The 'Coral Princess' experienced an onboard spread of the bug during the 16-night “Panama Canal Ocean to Ocean” voyage that departed Los Angeles on Feb 21, 2025. The cruise concluded in Fort Lauderdale on March 9,, but not before 69 guests out of a total 1,906 onboard reported symptoms. The number reflected 3.62 % of the passengers. Cruise ships are required to report an outbreak to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) when 3% or more of passengers or crew members become ill. In this case, 13 of the 895 crew members were affected by the outbreak, representing 1.45 % of the total staff. The ship also had experienced an outbreak on her 16-night Panama Canal cruise that departed San Francisco on Jan 20, 2025, headed for Fort Lauderdale. The gastrointestinal bug impacted 59 of the 1,894 passengers onboard, plus 12 of the 885 crew members.

The 'Dreamland' had to emergency anchor southwest of Åland on March 10, 2025. The MRC of the Western Finland Coast Guard Section made contact with the ship at 6 p.m. and were informed that it had problems with the engines. The crew was trying to fix them, and the ship started moving on March 11 at 11.40 a.m. with own power, headed to Mariehamn for further repairs. It reached the port at 4 p.m. Divers were expected in port on March 12 for further inspections. The 'Dreamland' had been en route from Dordrecht to Tornio, loaded with a cargo of metal scrap. Photo: https://www.nyan.ax/nyheter/fartyget-dreamland-assisterades-till-mariehamn-i-gar-kvall/