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The Rotterdam District Court has ruled that both skippers acted culpably, albeit to varying degrees, when the Spido tour boat 'Marco Polo' and the water taxi 'MSTX 21' were in collision on the New Maas on July 21, 2022. The lives of all passengers were in danger. Both boats were sailing approximately parallel to each other, with the tour boat heading towards the Noordeiland and the water taxi suddenly changed course towards the Leuve Port. The court ruled that the water taxi skipper failed to look out sufficiently and sailed on the wrong side of the waterway. He also failed to provide a necessary message via radio and failed to give way to the 'Marco Polo'. The court found that the skipper's actions were so careless that he could be accused of a crime: guilt for the accident of a vessel (Article 169 of the Criminal Code). The court also found that he did not adhere to the navigation regulations to prevent a collision. For his actions, the skipper of the water taxi was sentenced to 80 hours of community service, half of which is conditional, with a probationary period of one year. The court stated that the suspect did not have to take into account the sudden change of course of the water taxi that was sailing full throttle towards the Leuve Port. However, the skipper should have reported his departure from the jetty via the marine radio on VHF channel 81. According to the skipper, he was not obliged to do so because sailing away is not a special manoeuvre, but the court saw it differently. Reporting a departure is always mandatory and not only intended for the safety of the skipper, his boat and the passengers, but also for other shipping traffic, which thereby knows what the intentions are of his ship. Moreover, the part of the News Maas where the collision took place is also heavily used by freight traffic and pleasure yachts. Nevertheless, the court did not find that the skipper sailed so carelessly or attentively that the crime of guilt for the accident of a vessel has been proven. He has been acquitted of this. However, the skipper did not take all precautions, which meant that was is in violation of the Inland Navigation Police Regulations, and has to pay a fine of 500 euros.

On the night of March 10, 2025, the SAR helicopter Helimer 205 located a cayuco 25 nautical miles from La Restinga, ElHierro. The 'Salvamar Acrux' was mobilized to assist by the CCS Teneriffe of Salvamento Marítimo. The boat was accompanied to the port, where the 92 people of sub-Saharan origin disembarked in apparent good condition. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1899386478863524244

The "Det Norske Veritas" was lifted back into the water by a mobile crane on March 7, more than one year after its grounding incident in January 2024 off Stamsund, after extensive repairs at the GOT Marine in Mandal. Next the lifeboat remained to undergo thorough testing and calibration before it can resume operating at its station in Ballstad.

There are still flames visible on the main deck of the 'Solong', as salvage operations are being arranged for both vessels. A tug line is now in place in an effort to hold the 'Solong' in a safer position offshore. Firefighting is focusing on the main deck. A salvage plan is being developed. For the 'Stena Immaculate', which remains at anchor, the fire on the vessel is greatly reduced with no flames visible. A comprehensive counter pollution response is in place, as the threat from the previously identified Dangerous Goods on board has reduced significantly. The Coastguard continues to engage actively with Humberside Police, salvors, the port authorities and other agencies to protect the public and the environment as far as possible while continuing to respond to the developing situation. The 59 year old captain of the container ship was arrested by the Humveraide police, the owner of the 'Solong', the German firm Ernst Russ. They say that he, along with the rest of the crew, are assisting the investigation. Reports with photo and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t https://www.dw.com/en/north-sea-ship-collision-man-arrested-over-gross-negligence/a-71891930

During the night, the British Coast Guard has called off the search for a missing crew member of the on the whole 14 crew members of the 'Soliong' off Hull. On the whole 36 crew members were brought safely to shore. One crew member was taken to hospital with injuries. The two ships were still burning during the night, but had separated at 11.40 p.m., which would make the salvage less complicated. The "Stena Immaculate" was carrying aircraft fuel, among other things. The "Solong", belonging to the Hamburg shipping company Ernst Russ, was carrying several containers of poisonous sodium cyanide, among other things. It was yet unclear whether any of this got into the water. The environmental organization Greenpeace was extremely concerned about the various toxic dangers that these chemicals could pose to marine life. Kerosene leaked into the water near a resting place for porpoises. The Cuxhaven-based emergency command sent the multi-purpose ship 'Mellum' (IMO: 8301981) to provide support, which sailed from Heligoland on Feb 10 at 1.30 p.m. and is due to arrive in Kingston-upon-Hull on Feb 11 at noon.. In addition to its crew, it has an employee of the emergency command and a specialist advisor from the Bremerhaven professional fire brigade on board. The emergency command also put a DO 228 aircraft, which is stationed in Nordholz (Cuxhaven district), on standby, which can use cameras and sensors to help identify pollutants in the water. The aircraft could take offon the morning if the weather conditions on site allow it to be used sensibly. The tugs 'Multratug 35' (IMO: 9964039) and 'Multratug 36' (IMO: 9985289) could attempt to take the 'Solong' in tow south of the accident site. Also the 'Eems Wrester' (IMO: 8843549) and 'Svitzer Castle' (IMO: 9316397) were attending on scene. The company Boskalis has been commissioned to salvage the 'Stena Immaculate' and has deployed four ships. The maritime service provider from Papendrecht signed a contract with the tanker owner during the night. The most important thing was to cool the sides of the tanker. Only when the temperature is below a certain level they cam start salvage work. The fire was still raging on board the 'Stena Immaculate' on March 11. As the tanker was at anchor when the collision occurred, it was not adrift. According to initial assumptions, the container ship was sailing at full speed into the tanker, and it was yet unknown, how extensive the damage is. Part of the damage was under water. Aerial images seemed to show that the tanker was no longer on fire, but salvage crews needed to get closer to be sure. It was hoped that later on March 11 they get close enough to the vessel to take temperature readings to determine if the fire is out. It would be premature to say the fire is out on before, because they don't know what is happening below deck. The tanker's built in firefighting systems appeared to be functioning. Reports with photos and video: https://bridlingtonecho.co.uk/north-sea-shipping-incident-updates-and-what-has-happened-so-far-11th-march-2025/ https://www.telegraaf.nl/video/2027756776/nieuwe-beelden-brandende-olietanker-op-noordzee-van-dichtbij-gefilmd https://ca.news.yahoo.com/north-sea-crash-tanker-ship-104737244.html Video of collision course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRPjnVwYysQ&t=326s

In a joint operation with Sea-Watch, the 'Sea Eye 4' brought 122 people to safety in four rescues beween the evening of March 7 and the morning of March 9. The 'Sea Eye 5' rescued 56 people in extreme weather conditions, including a three-day-old baby. They had been on an inflatable boat for at least 12 hours and were now able to receive medical treatment. The 'Sea Eye 4' responded to a total of four emergency calls. During the rescue operations, the crew, consisting of members of Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye, took 122 people in distress on board. The ship was now on its way to Vibo Valencia after the Italian authorities assigned it the port, which is around 460 kilometers away. The rescue was carried out in a joint operation by the two organizations. On the early morning of March 10, the crew of the 'Sea Eye 5' also rescued 56 people from an inflatable boat. Among the people was a three-day-old baby. The people seeking protection had gotten into distress at sea in strong winds and high waves. Due to the difficult weather conditions, the operation lasted over two hours; at around 3:00 a.m. the crew was then able to bring everyone safely on board. A medical evacuation by the Italian Coastguard was organized for the baby, who had to be treated for an infection, and his family, to Lampedusa. The migrants had been travelling on a rubber dinghy for at least 12 hours. They were wet, seasick and dehydrated. Many were weak and exhausted.

The Russian summer resort town of Anapa, a popular holiday town of some 80,000 people, is suing two shipping companies for $2.4 million after an oil spill devastated its local beaches. The office of the town's mayor, Vasiliy Shvets, announced on March 10 that it was seeking 211 million rubles from Volgatransneft and Kama Shipping, citing clean-up costs from the companies which owned and operated the 'Volgoneft 212' and 'Volgoneft 239', which had carried 9,000 metric tons of low-grade fuel, more than half of which leaked into the Kerch Strait between Russia and the Russian occupied Crimean peninsula. Anapa was hard hit by the spill, which contaminated over 30 miles of beach. The cleanup involved 10,000 people shoveling and scooping blackened sand and polluted water. The spill drew international attention amid concerns that Russia's sanctioned energy industry is using a shadow fleet of commercial ships to ferry oil and gas to foreign customers. Many such vessels are aging tankers pulled back into service that often prove difficult to track, prompting fears of further spillage and a lack of mechanisms to contain the damage. The grey-area status of Russia's dark vessels also underscores concern that they might not be properly insured to cover oil spills, leaving communities hit by such disasters to shoulder cleaning costs For Anapa, the $2.4 million is an incomplete tally of the money already paid under contracts to deal with the spill. The amount is not final, and in the future, the administration intends to increase the claims. Municipal filings for the arbitration court of the Krasnodar region showed that Anapa submitted its lawsuit on March 7. Judge Irina Bondarenko is listed as overseeing the case. Testing the beaches for contamination, publishing footage of excavators and bulldozers cleaning up the seaside started on March 8. The long-term environmental impact of the spill remains to be seen. Greenpeace said the oil could sink to the bottom of the deep sea, poisoning fish and vegetation there. The impact of the ecological disaster could persist for decades.

On March 11 at noon, the Port Authority of Tzelepis was informed that a failure occurred on the vehicles ramp of the 'Blue Star Myconos' upon its arrival at the port, en route from the ports of Vathy, Samos, Karlovasi, Evdilos, Mykonos and Syros. The ferry disembarked 360 passengers. The Port Department of Tzelepi of the Central Port Authority of Piraeus initially prohibited the sailing of the ship. After the damage was repaired and a certificate of class maintenance was presented by the classification society that monitors it, the sailings were allowed to be continued.

On March 11, 2025, the 'Antxeta Primero', with two crew members on board, requested assistance at Laga beach, four nautical miles from Bermeo, due to the risk of running onto the rocks. The LS 'Arriluze III' (MMSI: 224152470) and the SAR boat 'Salvamar Monte Gorbea' (MMSI: 224057340) were mobilized by the CCS Bilbao of Salvamento Marítimo. The ship was taken in tow and safely pulled into the port of Bermeo. Report with photos: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1899472931530379411

On March 11, 2025, the NSS-lifeboat 'Det Norske Veritas II' was moblilized to assisted the 'Knappen' in Ålesund. The fishing vessel had reported an engine failure off Skarbøvik. It was taken in tow and safely pulled into the port in Søvik. Report with photos: https://x.com/NSSR/status/1899509396205396415

Beached at Aliaga 09.03. 25 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161211989735036&set=gm.10164371579998943&idorvanity=6884293942

During the night, the British Coast Guard has called off the search for a missing crew member of the on the whole 14 crew members of the 'Soliong' off Hull. On the whole 36 crew members were brought safely to shore. One crew member was taken to hospital with injuries. The two ships were still burning during the night, but had separated at 11.40 p.m., which would make the salvage less complicated. The "Stena Immaculate" was carrying aircraft fuel, among other things. The "Solong", belonging to the Hamburg shipping company Ernst Russ, was carrying several containers of poisonous sodium cyanide, among other things. It was yet unclear whether any of this got into the water. The environmental organization Greenpeace was extremely concerned about the various toxic dangers that these chemicals could pose to marine life. Kerosene leaked into the water near a resting place for porpoises. The Cuxhaven-based emergency command sent the multi-purpose ship 'Mellum' (IMO: 8301981) to provide support, which sailed from Heligoland on Feb 10 at 1.30 p.m. and is due to arrive in Kingston-upon-Hull on Feb 11 at noon. In addition to its crew, it has an employee of the emergency command and a specialist advisor from the Bremerhaven professional fire brigade on board. The emergency command also put a DO 228 aircraft, which is stationed in Nordholz (Cuxhaven district), on standby, which can use cameras and sensors to help identify pollutants in the water. The aircraft could take offon the morning if the weather conditions on site allow it to be used sensibly. The tugs 'Multratug 35' (IMO: 9964039) and 'Multratug 36' (IMO: 9985289) could attempt to take the 'Solong' in tow south of the accident site. Also the 'Eems Wrester' (IMO: 8843549) and 'Svitzer Castle' (IMO: 9316397) were attending on scene. The company Boskalis has been commissioned to salvage the 'Stena Immaculate' and has deployed four ships. The maritime service provider from Papendrecht signed a contract with the tanker owner during the night. The most important thing was to cool the sides of the tanker. Only when the temperature is below a certain level they cam start salvage work. The fire was still raging on board the 'Stena Immaculate' on March 11. As the tanker was at anchor when the collision occurred, it was not adrift. According to initial assumptions, the container ship was sailing at full speed into the tanker, and it was yet unknown, how extensive the damage is. Part of the damage was under water. Aerial images seemed to show that the tanker was no longer on fire, but salvage crews needed to get closer to be sure. It was hoped that later on March 11 they get close enough to the vessel to take temperature readings to determine if the fire is out. It would be premature to say the fire is out on before, because they don't know what is happening below deck. The tanker's built in firefighting systems appeared to be functioning. Reports with photos and video: https://bridlingtonecho.co.uk/north-sea-shipping-incident-updates-and-what-has-happened-so-far-11th-march-2025/ https://www.telegraaf.nl/video/2027756776/nieuwe-beelden-brandende-olietanker-op-noordzee-van-dichtbij-gefilmd https://ca.news.yahoo.com/north-sea-crash-tanker-ship-104737244.html Video of collision course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRPjnVwYysQ&t=326s

An electronic problem in a propeller on the 'Rusadir' caused delays on the Málaga-Melilla route on March 10, 2025, The shipping company mobilized the 'Dènia CC' as a replacement. The 'Rusadir' remained sidelined in Málaga as of March 11.

The Russian summer resort town of Anapa, a popular holiday town of some 80,000 people, is suing two shipping companies for $2.4 million after an oil spill devastated its local beaches. The office of the town's mayor, Vasiliy Shvets, announced on March 10 that it was seeking 211 million rubles from Volgatransneft and Kama Shipping, citing clean-up costs from the companies which owned and operated the 'Volgoneft 212' and 'Volgoneft 239', which had carried 9,000 metric tons of low-grade fuel, more than half of which leaked into the Kerch Strait between Russia and the Russian occupied Crimean peninsula. Anapa was hard hit by the spill, which contaminated over 30 miles of beach. The cleanup involved 10,000 people shoveling and scooping blackened sand and polluted water. The spill drew international attention amid concerns that Russia's sanctioned energy industry is using a shadow fleet of commercial ships to ferry oil and gas to foreign customers. Many such vessels are aging tankers pulled back into service that often prove difficult to track, prompting fears of further spillage and a lack of mechanisms to contain the damage. The grey-area status of Russia's dark vessels also underscores concern that they might not be properly insured to cover oil spills, leaving communities hit by such disasters to shoulder cleaning costs For Anapa, the $2.4 million is an incomplete tally of the money already paid under contracts to deal with the spill. The amount is not final, and in the future, the administration intends to increase the claims. Municipal filings for the arbitration court of the Krasnodar region showed that Anapa submitted its lawsuit on March 7. Judge Irina Bondarenko is listed as overseeing the case. Testing the beaches for contamination, publishing footage of excavators and bulldozers cleaning up the seaside started on March 8. The long-term environmental impact of the spill remains to be seen. Greenpeace said the oil could sink to the bottom of the deep sea, poisoning fish and vegetation there. The impact of the ecological disaster could persist for decades.

The 'Loch Alainn', serving on the route Ardmhor-Eriskay, suffered a technical issue with the main engine on March 9 and was sidelined in Ardmhor for repairs. As a consequence, the scheduled departures from Barra at 04:45 a.m., 07:15 a.m., 09:15 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. and from Eriskay at 05:40 a.m., 08:10 a.m., 10:10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. had to be cancelled. The departures from Barra at 3:40 p.m., 5:20 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. and from Eriskay at 4:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. were later cancelled too. Specialist engineer attendance has been arranged and a further update on a repair plan and timeline was to be provided on the afternoon of March 10. On March 11, also the departures from Barra at 04:50 a.m., 07:15 a.m., 09:15 a.m. and 11:10 a.m and from Eriskay at 05:40 a.m., 08:10 a.m., 10:10 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. were cancelled. The sailings from Barra at 3:40 p.m., 5:20 p.m. and 8:10 p.m. and from Eriskay at 4:30 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 09:00 p.m. remained at heightened risk of disruption. The operator CalMac has explored charter vessel options, but was unable to provide one at once. The option to redeploy the 'Loch Bhrusda' was explored, however, due to adverse weather the vessel could depart Mallaig only on the morning of May 11 and intended to commence the service on March 12 with the 3:40 p.m. sailing from Barra. With the ferry 'Isle of Mull' operating an amended timetable, the 8:10 p.m. departure from Barra will wait for passengers using this connecting service. While investigations and repairs on the 'Loch Alainn' werre ongoing, a further update regarding the vessel's return to service was to be provided on March 12.

On March 11, a precarious boat with 79 migrants of sub-Saharan origin on board, was located nine nautical miles south of La Restinga. The CCS Tenerie of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Adhara' to assist, which escorted it to the port of La Restinga., where the migrants disembarked in good condition. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1899548939394687133

There are still flames visible on the main deck of the 'Solong', as salvage operations are being arranged for both vessels. A tug line is now in place in an effort to hold the 'Solong' in a safer position offshore. Firefighting is focusing on the main deck. A salvage plan is being developed. For the 'Stena Immaculate', which remains at anchor, the fire on the vessel is greatly reduced with no flames visible. A comprehensive counter pollution response is in place, as the threat from the previously identified Dangerous Goods on board has reduced significantly. The Coastguard continues to engage actively with Humberside Police, salvors, the port authorities and other agencies to protect the public and the environment as far as possible while continuing to respond to the developing situation. The 59 year old captain of the container ship was arrested by the Humveraide police, the owner of the 'Solong', the German firm Ernst Russ. They say that he, along with the rest of the crew, are assisting the investigation. Reports with photo and video: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t https://www.dw.com/en/north-sea-ship-collision-man-arrested-over-gross-negligence/a-71891930

Beached at Alang 10.03.25

In a joint operation with Sea-Watch, the 'Sea Eye 4' brought 122 people to safety in four rescues beween the evening of March 7 and the morning of March 9. The 'Sea Eye 5' rescued 56 people in extreme weather conditions, including a three-day-old baby. They had been on an inflatable boat for at least 12 hours and were now able to receive medical treatment. The 'Sea Eye 4' responded to a total of four emergency calls. During the rescue operations, the crew, consisting of members of Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye, took 122 people in distress on board. The ship was now on its way to Vibo Valencia after the Italian authorities assigned it the port, which is around 460 kilometers away. The rescue was carried out in a joint operation by the two organizations. On the early morning of March 10, the crew of the 'Sea Eye 5' also rescued 56 people from an inflatable boat. Among the people was a three-day-old baby. The people seeking protection had gotten into distress at sea in strong winds and high waves. Due to the difficult weather conditions, the operation lasted over two hours; at around 3:00 a.m. the crew was then able to bring everyone safely on board. A medical evacuation by the Italian Coastguard was organized for the baby, who had to be treated for an infection, and his family, to Lampedusa. The migrants had been travelling on a rubber dinghy for at least 12 hours. They were wet, seasick and dehydrated. Many were weak and exhausted.

Red Funnel was running a reduced timetable until the end of March 12 with only the 'Red Osprey' remaining on the route and the 'Red Eagle' out of action for maintenance. More than half of the sailings scheduled to depart from East Cowes have been cancelled. The 'Red Falcon' has suffered a suspected failure on an inlet valve, which has caused damage to the main engine’s turbocharger. Components have been sent off for further investigations, and in the meantime, the ship was withdrawn from service. The revised timetable is as follows: - Departure Southampton: 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11.55 p.m. - Departure East Cowes: 7.30 a.m., 10.30 a.m., 1.30 p.m., 4.30 p.m., 7.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m Red Funnel was moving traffic and contacting affected customers with changes to their travel times. To increase available deck space, Red Funnel will also run additional sailings on the freight ferry 'Red Kestrel'.