The 'Isle of Cumbrae', , serving on the route Largs-Cumbrae, suffered a technical issue on April 19. The 'Loch Shira' continued operating the route as timetabled. After the issue has been resolved, the vessel was available for service if required.
News
B-LPG SOPHIA
The tanker 'Captain Nikolas' (IMO: 9008108)( was arrested at Chattogram on April 11, 2025, following an order from a Bangladesh court. The lawsuits leading to the arrest were filed due to the vessel's involvement in a fire at the port on Oct 16, 2024, at around 12:45 a.m., during an LPG transfer with the 'B-LPG Sophia'. While the fire on the 'Captain Nikolas' was extinguished by 3:30 a.m, the fire on the other ship continued to burn for another 12 hours, and the ship was found beyond repair and has been broken up in Chittagong since. The LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh alleged that the origin of the LPG cargo aboard the LPG tanker was unclear and that the records regarding its origin were falsified. The issue that the vessel possibly had violated sanctions was under investigation separately. The 'Captain Nikolas' was seized following the fire and remained stationary in Chattogram since due to legal disputes, still holding around 34,000 tons of cargo. The two separate court orders stem from the two admiralty suits filed against the vessel. One suit was filed by the Atlantis Gas DMCC, the owner of the 'B-LPG Sophia', which led to an arrest warrant being issued on April 9. The second admiralty suit was filed by theXenon Energy DMCC, a UAE-based company, which led to a warrant being issued against the same vessel on April 10. The vessel was finally seized on April 11, following two separate court orders for its arrest. The owner of the 'Captain Nikolas' has appointed counsel to contest the lawsuits and was trying to get the vessel released.
Toulon
More than 1,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier 'Charles de Gaulle' have tested positive for COVID-19, a number that could continue to surge as the crew awaits approximately 930 more test results. The outbreak onboard the French navy’s flagship forced leadership to call off the remaining two weeks of the carrier’s scheduled deployment to the North Atlantic. The ship, which carries a crew of nearly 1,800, pulled into port last week at Toulon Naval Base in southern France. In all, 1,081 crew members from the Charles de Gaulle naval group have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That total comes almost entirely from the carrier, and includes at least two U.S. sailors who were assigned to the ship as part of the U.S. Navy’s Personnel Exchange Program. The American sailors have since been removed from the ship and were receiving excellent host nation medical care at French facilities. The declining health of one French sailor, meanwhile, necessitated a transfer to the intensive care unit. Partially complicating the early detection process onboard the 'Charles de Gaulle' was the rate of asymptomatic carriers. Of the confirmed cases, nearly half showed no symptoms. Additionally, masks were not made available until late in the ship’s deployment. T The debilitating spread of the virus onboard France’s lone carrier, has sparked concern about the nation’s ability to remain ready to fight. Unlike the U.S. Navy, which touts 10 other active carriers in addition to the coronavirus-stricken USS 'Theodore Roosevelt', losing the 'Charles de Gaulle' for an extended period could cripple France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities.
Turku
On March 31, 2020, around 9 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the new built Panama flagged cruise ship 'Mardi Gras', 183200 gt (9837444), which is currently built at the Meyer yard in Turku. The fire occurred in a cabin on the upper deck, and fire crews managed to limit the fire to one cabin. In total, 18 fire brigade units were sent from the rescue service to the shipyard, but the fire could quickly be extinguished by the shipyard's own fire department. However, the ship must be checked to make sure there were no remaining hot spots. All workers were evacuated from the ship, but no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire was still unclear.
CAPTAIN NIKOLAS
The 'Captain Nikolas' was arrested at Chattogram on April 11, 2025, following an order from a Bangladesh court. The lawsuits leading to the arrest were filed due to the vessel's involvement in a fire at the port on Oct 16, 2024, at around 12:45 a.m., during an LPG transfer with the tanker 'B-LPG Sophia' (IMO: 9175846). While the fire on the 'Captain Nikolas' was extinguished by 3:30 a.m, the fire on the other ship continued to burn for another 12 hours, and it was found beyond repair and has been broken up in Chittagong since. The LPG Operators Association of Bangladesh alleged that the origin of the LPG cargo aboard the LPG tanker was unclear and that the records regarding its origin were falsified. The issue that the vessel possibly had violated sanctions was under investigation separately. The 'Captain Nikolas' was seized following the fire and remained stationary in Chattogram since due to legal disputes, still holding around 34,000 tons of cargo. The two separate court orders stem from the two admiralty suits filed against the vessel. One suit was filed by the Atlantis Gas DMCC, the owner of the 'B-LPG Sophia', which led to an arrest warrant being issued on April 9. The second admiralty suit was filed by theXenon Energy DMCC, a UAE-based company, which led to a warrant being issued against the same vessel on April 10. The vessel was finally seized on April 11, following two separate court orders for its arrest. The owner of the 'Captain Nikolas' has appointed counsel to contest the lawsuits and was trying to get the vessel released.
Galveston
The US Coast Guard medevaced a crewmember from a 600-foot tanker at anchorage approximately 15 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, on April 19, 2020. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a report of a 58-year-old man reportedly experiencing symptoms of an upper respiratory illness. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon as well as local CDC and county health partners who recommended the medevac. Watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Station Galveston 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew. The RB-M boat crew transferred the patient to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at Station Galveston who transported him to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
Turku
On March 31, 2020, around 9 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the new built Panama flagged cruise ship 'Mardi Gras', 183200 gt (9837444), which is currently built at the Åbovarvet Meyer Turku. The fire occurred in a cabin on the upper deck, and fire crews managed to limit the fire to one cabin. In total, 18 fire brigade units were sent from the rescue service to the shipyard, but the fire could quickly be extinguished by the shipyard's own fire department. However, the ship must be checked to make sure there were no remaining hot spots. All workers were evacuated from the ship, but no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire was still unclear.
SISAK IV - RESCUE 1
After serving the Greenland Police for 36 years, the 'Sisak' has been sold at auction by B2B Auctions. The police cutter brought in 3.1 million Danish Crowns, 100,000 more than the expected sale price. The vessel remained berthed at the quay in Nuuk, but it can only remain there until May 1, 2025. Before the new owner sails away, all external signs that it was a police cutter must be painted over, and all police equipment on board must be removed or reprogrammed. The money from the sale will be included in the pool available to the Greenland Police for the acquisition of new and more modern vessels. The defense has previously sold phased-out naval cutters in Greenland.
Guam
One crew member of the USS 'Theodore Roosevelt' which was being anchored off Guam has died of a corona virus infection on April 14, 2020. The woman had been in intensive care but died of health complications. More than 550 crew members of the 5.000 crew members were tested positive. The ship has been largely evacuated during the recent days. Commander Brett Crozier had been fired as he wrote a letter expressing his concern about the crew situation and asked for help by the Navy.
Cape Town
A 52-year old Cape Town truck driver was killed on March 20, 2020, when the spreader from a Transnet Port Terminal crane collapsed and crushed his truck cab inside the container terminal. The accident occurred around 11h00 on Friday morning when the truck arrived to collect a container at the TPT terminal. The reach stacker crane passed over the truck when the spreader bar was dislodged and fell onto the cab of the truck. The reason why the spreader fell was not clear but one witness claimed that the crane involved in the accident had been receiving attention from a technician shortly beforehand. Immediately following the accident the crane operator attempted to hoist the spreader off the truck but was unsuccessful. The driver of the truck was trapped in his cab and died at the scene despite the efforts of Transnet paramedics who were quickly on the scene. Following the accident the South African Police Services opened an inquest docket for further investigation. Operations remained suspended for some hours until all regulatory authorities currently onsite, concluded their assessments. The maintenance of the Kalmar equipment at the port was recently taken over by Transnet.