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The 'Aidablu', en route from San Sebastian de la Gomerato Arrecife, requested the medevac of a passsenger on the night of Feb 4. The SAR helicopter Helimer 202 was deployed to the ship, which was sailing 26 nautical miles from Arrecife, by Salvamento Marítimo. The affected woman was safely hoisted on board and taken to the airport of #Lanzarote, where an ambulance was waiting for further transport to hospital for medical care on a higher level.

An investigation has been opened by the Hokkaido Maritime Safety Agency into the grounding of the 'Silver Breeze' on July 2, 2022, at Tomakomai's West Port, sparking serious concerns about maritime safety procedures. The incident, which left 140 passengers and crew unharmed, involved the ferry alliding with wave-dissipation blocks because the 59-year-old captain failed to properly check the ship's position before continuing to navigate. The investigation reveals serious lapses in safety protocols during ferry operations." This negligence is at the core of the investigation, which has led to the captain being sent documents accusing him of professional negligence. The 'Silver Breeze' suffered extensive damage during the incident, with the maximum length of the damage estimated at about 2.23 meters and the width at approximately two meters. After the accident, the ship was rendered temporarily unable to navigate, resulting in over 11 hours of delays before it finally docked. The captain later acknowledged his mistake, stating that he relied on his experience and navigated by sight alone. His admission brought to light the importance of maintaining rigorous navigational practices at sea. The accident has reignited discussions about the necessity for reform and improvement within maritime protocols to avoid similar incidents from occurring. The Hokkaido Maritime Safety Agency is expected to conduct thorough investigations to determine if additional safety regulations should be initiated. With significant regulatory review anticipated, operators of ferries like the Silver Breeze must prepare for the possibility of stricter guidelines, enhancing the overall safety environment for this popular mode of transport across Hokkaido’s coastal routes.

The Helsinki Court of Appeal is not considering the appeal that the Finnish police have seized the 'Eagle S', which means that the tanker is still seized. Thehe decision was made on Feb 4, after the shipping company Caravella requested the release. On Dec 27, the Central Criminal Police Office made a decision to seize the ship, which the lawyer hired by the shipping company, Herman Ljungberg, appealed to the District Court. The District Court also rejected the appeal. The police suspects gross sabotage and gross disruption of postal and telecommunications traffic in the case. Of the original crew of 24 people, eight have been banned from travelling.

On Feb 1, 2025, at 8.15 p.m. when a Norwegian cargo ship, transiting the Kiel Canal eastbound, and passed a moored push convoy with the tug 'Helmut' and a barge, the lines securing them to the dolphins broke due to the small distance between the cargo ship and the convoy, which was used in the area of ​​a canal construction site. The tug was driven into the adjacent embankment in pos. 53° 54' N 009° 09' E as a result. The cargo ship was sailing at the maximum speed permitted for the Kiel Canal. The pontoon loaded with a construction site crane remained undamaged. Only thanks to the intervention of the crane operator did a construction site ferry and an office container remain undamaged by the swinging crane boom. The suction and waves from the cargo ship threatened to break the line connection to the construction site ferry. Using the main engine prevented the lines from breaking and thus prevented further damage. The Brunsbüttel water police initiated criminal proceedings against the captain of the cargo ship for endangering ship traffic.

The 'HC Eva Marie', en routet from Aqaba, which is transporting containers with ammunition bound for Emden, has been docked in the port of Vigo since Jan 26, 2025, after suffering a cargo shift due to storms that hit the Atlantic coast. The vessel took refuge in the port due to adverse weather conditions caused by the storm ‘Eowyn’ and its continuation ‘Herminia’, which made it impossible for the ship to sail north and increased the risk of losing the cargo. Nine of its 96 containers had shifted. The goods that the ship is transporting were howitzers. According to a statement issued over the weekend by the Vigo Port Authority, the ship’s cargo is classified as Class I, Division 1.1 and Type E. After receiving the request for berthing, the Port Authority alerted the competent authorities to coordinate the ship’s arrival at the port. The ship has docked at the Transversal pier, an area reserved for ships carrying dangerous goods, where it is kept under surveillance by private security, the Port Police and the Civil Guard. Several meetings were held with the Maritime Captaincy, the Civil Guard, the shipping company, the ship and cargo insurers, and the stevedoring company to address the situation. The first inspection was carried out by an engineer from the shipping company, together with the captain and the ship’s security personnel on Feb 1. They were accompanied by representatives of the shipping company and the head of the Port Authority’s Security Division. This inspection found that the damage suffered by the storm only affected the external structure of the containers, but at no time to the goods they transported. The shipping company stated the shells have been dismantled, as established by international standards for the movement of this goods, and also insisted that the cargo is correctly stowed and inside the protective boxes, and emphasize that it did ot pose any ris. It was required to draw up a safety plan for securing the containers, before receiving authorization to leave the port. The plan will consist of moving the containers in good condition to an empty hold with the aim of isolating those which have been damaged. After this, personnel specialized in this type of cargo will travel to Vigo to inspect the containers and move the cargo from the damaged ones to others prepared for the same purpose. At no time will the goods be unloaded at the pier. Reports with photos: https://xornaldevigo.gal/sociedade/129357-un-buque-que-transporta-municion-refuxiase-en-vigo-desde-hai-unha-semana/ https://www.gciencia.com/perspectivas/o-buque-refuxiado-en-vigo-transporta-unha-carga-mais-devastadora-que-a-do-desastre-de-beirut/ https://www.atlantico.net/vigo/puerto-trasladara-municion-carguero-atracado_1_20250204-3392461.html

The Moselle lock in Müden was back in operation on Feb 1, with the first ship being the "Mainz", a ship used by the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA), which successfully passed through the lock on the morning. Representatives of the state and the Directorate General for Waterways and Shipping came to the reopening of the lock along with Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing and representatives from Luxembourg and France were also present. According to the WSA Rhein-Mosel-Saar, the repair of the lock has been fully completed. The last test locks were still running until the afternoon of Jan 31. The gate movements were checked again and finer details were adjusted. The experts paid attention to the hydraulics and whether the speed of the 40-ton gate wings was programmed correctly. The work was carried out at record speed. The 'Regina K' remained in Haren as of Feb 4. Report with photo and video: https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/rheinlandpfalz/moselschleuse-wieder-frei-100.html

After the Elbe in Dresden was blocked for shipping for five months after the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge, the 'Dick' along with the barge 'Dick 1' was the first ship which has been allowed to pass again on Feb 3, 2025, transporting a 221-ton generator and up to 500 tons of fertilizer to Antwerp. The months-long closure has caused the shipping companies considerable losses. Legal action against the city of Dresden was therefore being considered. In the coming weeks, up to 40 ships are expected to pass the route, but the future of shipping remains uncertain. Currently, only ships with special permits are allowed to use it, while private boats are still prohibited. Reports with video: https://www.sachsen-fernsehen.de/mediathek/video/dresden-nach-fuenf-monaten-erstes-frachtschiff-passiert-wieder-die-carolabruecke/ https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/sachsen/carolabruecke-containerschiff-passiert-100.html

On Feb 4, the 'Color Fantasy', en route from Kiel to Oslo, requested the medevac of a sick passenger. At 5.46 p.m. an SAR helicopter of the Danish Armed Forces in Skrydstrup had reached the ferry, which was sailing north of the island Langeland at that time, and hoisted the patient on board. He was then transported to Odense and transferred to a hospital for further medical care.

On Feb 4, 2025, the Government of Gibraltar has published the official report on the investigation into the collision accident and subsequent sinking of the 'OS 35' on Aug 29, 2022. The 'OS 35' had been taking bunker fuel at anchor close opposite Camp Bay. As it weighed anchor and moved to sail from Gibraltar, the master on the 'OS 35' initially manoeuvred astern but became concerned that the vessel was drifting due to the tidal flow and wind. Despite a change in manoeuvre, the 'OS 35' collided with the LNG tanker 'Adam LNG' and began taking on water as it sailed toward Europa Point before being ordered aground off Catalan Bay. The investigation was conducted in accordance with the Gibraltar Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012. Its primary objective was to improve maritime safety and prevent future incidents of a similar nature. In the 37-page report, the Office of the Marine Accident Investigation Compliance Officer, part of the Ministry for Business, Tourism and the Port, reached a number of conclusions about the incident and made some recommendations aimed at improving safety. The investigation found that the master and bridge team on the 'OS 35' did not monitor the departure manoeuvre effectively and made an error in their understanding of the effects of the tidal flow and wind. The Gibraltar Port Authority’s Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) monitored the manoeuvre but its interventions did not alter the actions of the master or prevent the collision. After the collision, the VTS instructed the 'OS 35' to sail into shallow water to prevent the ship from sinking. The operator of the 'OS 35' was recommended by investigators to review bridge team training and procedures prior to arrival and departure without a pilot onboard. The GPA was recommended to require VTS to provide clear advice to vessels prior to giving permission to depart from the Western Anchorage. It was also urged to consider compulsory pilotage for departing vessels, while Gibraltar Pilots, the company that provides pilotage services, was advised to offer clear information to captains on the availability of a pilot for departure from the Western Anchorage, even if this was not a requirement. The departure from the Western Anchorage in light wind and weak tidal conditions is a relatively straight forward manoeuvre, which is monitored by VTS. It was considered unlikely that the actions of VTS or the 'Adam LNG' could have prevented the collision. Had a pilot been on board the 'OS 35', the [initial] manoeuvre astern would not have been their chosen option for the location and conditions that were found on the day. Had the 'OS 35'’s turn to port been initiated as the anchor was being lifted there was sufficient sea room to continue moving ahead and turn to port to depart the anchorage to the west. There was also suitable sea room to pass between the vessels ahead, which would have provided greater control of the vessel than by manoeuvring astern, where the manoeuvre is more difficult to control and monitor, according to the report.

The "KM Putri Papua" sank on the morning of Feb 4, 2025, 12 miles off the coast of Sorong, West Papua, after an engine failure, which occurred at 5.47 a.m. WIT in pos. 1° 35.934’ S – 130° 55.506’ E. The Indonesian Navy deployed the KRI ''Mata Bongsang (MBS)-873', which sighted smoke at 7.46 a.m. in pos. 1° 35.666’ S – 131° 00.440’ E in a distance of four nautical miles and received a radio transmission from the KM 'Putri Papua', but the signal was then lost. It then moved closer to carry out the evacuation. At 08.00 a.m. a lifeboat was launched, at which time the safari ship was already sinking. At 8.05 a.m. 17 people, consisting of: eight Indonesian crew members and nine Passengers (consisting of threre Indonesian citizens and six foreign nationals were rescued. Two crew members suffered minor injuries and received medical treatment. The ship then sailed towards Lantamal XIV Sorong, which was approximately 55 nautical miles away, to drop off the castaways. The sinking of the KM 'Putri Papua', a traditional wooden phinisi boat, could pose an obstacle to shipping due to its position. The cause of the engine failure and the exact circumstances of the sinking are currently being investigated. Report with photo: https://koreri.com/2025/02/04/tni-al-evakuasi-korban-km-putri-papua-yang-tenggelam-di-perairan-sorong-begini-kronoligisnya/

An investigation into the sinking of the 'Angel' laid the blame mainly on a failure to properly maintain its hull, while the Palauan shipping authority knew that the vessel was not seaworthy, but failed to notify the Taiwanese government in advance. The ship with 19 Azerbaijani crew members on board had arrived at the Port of Kaohsiung on July 20, 2023, and sank on July 21. The accident occurred because the hull had not been properly maintained for five years, and the cargo hold floor structure was damaged, the investigation found. After the ship had sailed from Colombo, the bottom plate of the 3rd cargo hold on the starboard side cracked, causing the ballast water in the right side of the third ballast tank to seep into the third cargo hold, it found. After the cargo was loaded at the port of Dalian, the severely corroded floor cracked due to the weight of the containers, causing the water in the ballast water tanks to seep into the 4th and fifth cargo holds. After the ship sailed from Dalian, crew members were unable to enter the hold to deal with the water accumulation and seepage because it was full. On the day of the sinking, oil sludge and residue in the ship’s fuel pipeline blocked the fuel filter, causing the generator to stop running and resulting in a loss of power to the entire ship. Meanwhile, the ballast water pump stopped operating. After the ship tilted 45 degrees to port side,a large amount of seawater surged in. It entered the stern cargo hold and engine room, causing the ship to sink. The investigation showed there were several risks involved leading to the sinking. The crew lacked the ability to address the water seepage problem in the cargo hold after the ship was fully loaded. Aside from the lack of maintenance, the board also found that the ship’s owner and management firm Zulu Shipping failed to follow the International Register of Shipping’s rules requiring underwater hull inspections and additional international safety management audits to be carried out at the first convenient port or anchorage. They also did not complete the 17 improvement suggestions and four improvement suggestion memorandums proposed by the International Register of Shipping within the deadline. The Palau shipping authority knew ten days before the shipwreck that the 'Angel' was not seaworthy, but it did not notify Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau, leaving it with no time to offer emergency assistance before the accident. The S5 Asia (Hong Kong) Ltd. Taiwan Branch as the ship’s agent failed to inform the bureau and Taiwan International Port Corp about the water accumulation problem four days before the shipwreck, while Zulu failed to implement handover training for new and old crew members, and provide timely resources to solve the problem of water accumulation. Crew members had been replaced before the wreck, and the chief officer, who faced a threat to his life, sent an emergency e-mail to the International Transport Workers’ Federation and Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority. When the incident occurred, the Post of Kaohsiung Vessel Traffic Service System did not require the ship’s owner to provide liability insurance information when the ship was anchored in the port.

The 'Erdek', en route from Ceuta, has arrived In the Douarnenez Bay on the evening of Feb 2, 2025, and dropped anchor in pos. 48° 12' N 004° 29' W in order to to repair a damage. The maritime prefecture has taken the report into account. A complaint from a sailor on board was received by an IFT/CGT inspector. The crew member mentioned a shortage of provisions on board and the crew being subjected to excessive working hours as well as the structural integrity of the ship is seriously compromised, a situation which worried the Mor Glaz association, The ship remained stationary at its mooring as of Feb 4.

Fearing an earthquake, more and more residents and tourists want to leave the island of Santorini, which is why existing ferry connections are fully booked. The company Blue Star Ferries announced that it supports the local communities with consistency and responsibility. As a result, the "Kissamos" coming from Crete and the ferry "Bluestar Patmos" from Rhodes were diverted on the night of Feb 3, 2025, with an additional stop in Santorini. Video: https://twitter.com/i/status/1886275740888694936

The 'Vezhen' has finally left its anchorage on Feb 3 at around 2 p.m. UTC. The ship, carrying a load of sulfur, will make a stopover in Denmark for repairs and will continue its route to Uruguay and Argentina then. After the prosecutor, leading the preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage of a cable in the Baltic Sea, had lifted the seizure of the bulk carrier, also the Swedish Coast Guard had ended its work on and around the vessel. After having contributed to the preliminary investigation from day one, by assisting the Swedish Security Service, the Coast Guard's vessels and crews that were at the anchorage south of Aspö outside Karlskrona, have returned to regular operations. Since the seizure, the Coast Guard had carried out a number of different investigative measures on board the vessel and in the investigation, working closely with the prosecutor and the Swedish Security Service. Together with the Police Authority and the Armed Forces, they have been able to deliver information and analyses that have been crucial to the investigation. The preliminary investigation continued, and the Coast Guard was assisting based on the prosecutor's directive.

On Feb 4, 2025, at around noon, a fire broke out aboard the 'Frontenac' while cleaning the dust container aboard the ship at the at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay. No injuries were reported. Everyone got off safely. Firefighters from multiple departments in Door County responded to the fire. Not much smoke was visible from outside, but firefighters had to weave through the ship to get water to the source of the fire, which was contained in about an hour. Report with photo and video: https://doorcountydailynews.com/news/779119/firefighters-fight-fire-on-docked-freighter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afg-AhGxvKk

On Feb 4, 2025, the Government of Gibraltar has published the official report on the investigation into the collision accident and subsequent sinking of the 'OS 35' on Aug 29, 2022. The 'OS 35' had been taking bunker fuel at anchor close opposite Camp Bay. As it weighed anchor and moved to sail from Gibraltar, the master on the 'OS 35' initially manoeuvred astern but became concerned that the vessel was drifting due to the tidal flow and wind. Despite a change in manoeuvre, the 'OS 35' collided with the LNG tanker 'Adam LNG' and began taking on water as it sailed toward Europa Point before being ordered aground off Catalan Bay. The investigation was conducted in accordance with the Gibraltar Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012. Its primary objective was to improve maritime safety and prevent future incidents of a similar nature. In the 37-page report, the Office of the Marine Accident Investigation Compliance Officer, part of the Ministry for Business, Tourism and the Port, reached a number of conclusions about the incident and made some recommendations aimed at improving safety. The investigation found that the master and bridge team on the 'OS 35' did not monitor the departure manoeuvre effectively and made an error in their understanding of the effects of the tidal flow and wind. The Gibraltar Port Authority’s Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) monitored the manoeuvre but its interventions did not alter the actions of the master or prevent the collision. After the collision, the VTS instructed the 'OS 35' to sail into shallow water to prevent the ship from sinking. The operator of the 'OS 35' was recommended by investigators to review bridge team training and procedures prior to arrival and departure without a pilot onboard. The GPA was recommended to require VTS to provide clear advice to vessels prior to giving permission to depart from the Western Anchorage. It was also urged to consider compulsory pilotage for departing vessels, while Gibraltar Pilots, the company that provides pilotage services, was advised to offer clear information to captains on the availability of a pilot for departure from the Western Anchorage, even if this was not a requirement. The departure from the Western Anchorage in light wind and weak tidal conditions is a relatively straight forward manoeuvre, which is monitored by VTS. It was considered unlikely that the actions of VTS or the 'Adam LNG' could have prevented the collision. Had a pilot been on board the 'OS 35', the [initial] manoeuvre astern would not have been their chosen option for the location and conditions that were found on the day. Had the 'OS 35'’s turn to port been initiated as the anchor was being lifted there was sufficient sea room to continue moving ahead and turn to port to depart the anchorage to the west. There was also suitable sea room to pass between the vessels ahead, which would have provided greater control of the vessel than by manoeuvring astern, where the manoeuvre is more difficult to control and monitor, according to the report.

The underwater work carried out by Tenerife Shipyards on the bow bulb of the “Marie Curie” has allowed the Maritime Authority of Tenerife to authorise the departure of the ship, four days after the mishap that occurred during the docking manoeuvre on its arrival from Huelva, when a generator failure left the ship without propulsion, so it hit the dock and suffered a leak. The resolution of the problem by Tenerife Shipyards has prevented it from having to enter ASTICAN, a possibility that had initially been considered.On FEb 3 at 3:30 p.m., the ship left its berth in the East dock, in the plot assigned to Tenerife Shipyards, and made a large part of the journey to the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria at a speed of 21 knots, where it has rejoined the Huelva line.

The 56 year old Galician captain of the "Loitador", who had been detained in Lisbon on Feb 1 upon returning from Cape Verde, has been provisionally released, and the ship left the port again en route to Montevideo. It will be the National Court that decides whether he should be extradited to Argentina on charges of "labour exploitation". The case, was opened by the Caleta Olivia Prosecutor's Office (province of Santa Cruz, Argentina) against the captain after complaint came from the doctor who treated a Senegalese sailor in June 2017, who arrived in a coma after his evacuation and recounted torturous treatment - working 22 hours a day, from Monday to Monday. Argentina has assumed that it has jurisdiction because the trawler made two stops in the Malvinas during the four months in which these alleged abuses against crew members continued. Sources from the legal representation of the shipowner, Profesionales Pesqueros, did not specify details regarding the intervention by police officers. The captain was now with his family, awaiting the holding of a court hearing, which will determine whether or not he should be extradited to Argentina to give a statement there. The hearing will be held at the National Court, under the provisions of article 12 of the Passive Extradition Law. On Nov 13, 2024, the captain's arrest was ordered by the Federal Court of Caleta Olivia, which had issued the red notice through Interpol. The red notice is a request addressed to law enforcement agencies around the world to locate and provisionally detain a person pending extradition or surrender. The arrest was concretized by the Spanish police on Dec 18; the captain gave a statement for three hours and was provisionally released. He is accused of a «crime of human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation», taking advantage of the vulnerable situation of the evacuated sailor, E. Thiam, aged 35 at the time.

Sweden has released the 'Vezhen', after the investigation has shown that this case was not a case of sabotage, according to the public prosecutor. The ship therefore allowed to leave Karlskrona and continue its journey. The cause of the cable damage between Latvia and Sweden is now considered to be a combination of weather conditions and deficiencies in equipment and seamanship, according to senior public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist. At the same time, however, it was said that they were convinced that the "Vezhen" was responsible for the damage on the night of Jan 26. The affected submarine cable is used by the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC), and the damage occurred in Sweden's exclusive economic zone. Latvia sent naval divers to the site of the damage shortly afterwards. As of Feb 3, the 'Vezhen' remained statioary in pos. 56° 04' N 015° 32' E. Reports with photos: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/0Vq3O0/haver-beslag-av-fartyg-inget-sabotage https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/aklagaren-haver-beslut-om-beslagtaget-fartyg

Fearing an earthquake, more and more residents and tourists want to leave the island of Santorini, which is why existing ferry connections are fully booked. The company Blue Star Ferries announced that it supports the local communities with consistency and responsibility. As a result, the "Kissamos" coming from Crete and the ferry "Bluestar Patmos" from Rhodes were diverted on the night of Feb 3, 2025, with an additional stop in Santorini. Video: https://twitter.com/i/status/1886275740888694936