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The US Coast Guard has decommissioned the 'Mustang (WPB 1310)' during a ceremony in Seward on April 15, 2025. Capt. Christopher Culpepper, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska & U.S. Arctic, presided over the ceremony honoring the nearly 40 years of service of the 'Mustang' and its crews. Commissioned on Aug 29, 1986, the 'Mustang' was the 10th Island-Class cutter to join the fleet. She has been stationed in Seward since it was commissioned, and its crews have since responded to over 200 SAR cases and completed over 2000 law enforcement sorties. The Coast Guard is replacing the aging Island-Class patrol boats with Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) which feature enhanced capability to meet service needs. There are currently four FRC's homeported in Alaska, with two more scheduled for delivery in the near future. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4154295/coast-guard-cutter-mustang-decommissioned-after-nearly-40-years-of-service/

The major fire aboard the 'Delphine' was moreless under control after five hours of extinguishing at the CLdN terminal on the border of Heist and Zeebrugge. The fire started on the cargo deck of the ship. All 26 crew members and other people present were immediately evacuated. Only the captain remained on board to help coordinate the situation. The police also set up a large perimeter on land and on the water. The emergency services were present in large contingents throughout the afternoon and evening. Two fire boats were deployed as well as the Ghent fire brigade, which came to provide reinforcement. It was not clear how many of the vehicles present caught fire. There were about 190 new vehicles on the third deck, 60 of which were electric. It was one of those electric vehicles that caught fire. The affected cars were presumed to be a total loss. The heavy smoke was blowed towards the sea and therefore did not pose a danger to the residents of Knokke-Heist and Zeebrugge. The automatic fire extinguishing system was activated shortly after the fire, and as a result, the fire was limited to one deck. The affected deck of the ship will also only be reopened after the rescue forces have taken the necessary precautions. According to an initial estimate, around 60 to 70 vehicles have completely burned out. A boom has been laid out around the ship so that harmful substances released into the water cannot spread further. The fire brigade remained present all night to monitor the situation and blow nitrogen into the deck that was brought over from Antwerp. After a whole night of extinguishing the fire, the emergency services were still unable to open the doors due to the high temperature on April 17. There may also be damage to the ship itself, where deformations were to be seen, The emergency services were now waiting for CO² to be supplied to fill the tanks on board the ship. These are completely empty due to the extinguishing work, and in order not to take any risks, they were waiting for it to be replenished, which is expected at around noon. Then it will take another 6 to 8 hours to fill the tanks completely. The fire brigade has to stay on site all that time and may be even for days, as ince the temperature is low enough and the doors can be opened, the vehicles will probably have to be removed from the ship one by one. The fire brigade will also have to remain present in this case. It is not yet possible to give a precise timeline to this, but it is clear that it will be a long-term job. The damage to the ship will then also have to be assessed. Reports with phtoos and video: https://www.pzc.nl/brugge/zelfs-na-hele-nacht-koelen-is-temperatuur-in-cargoschip-in-zeebrugge-nog-te-hoog-te-gevaarlijk-om-ruimte-al-te-betreden~ad3dd5f3/ https://www.hln.be/brugge/blusboten-vechten-al-uren-tegen-zware-brand-op-schip-met-bijna-200-wagens-in-zeebrugge-blijven-hele-nacht-aanwezig~a781ce15/ https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20250416_95102958 https://www.egear.be/brand-haven-zeebrugge-2025-04/ https://www.hbvl.be/regio/brand-in-schip-met-ruim-honderd-wagens-na-uren-blussen-onder-controle-geen-gewonden/57933000.html

The UK government and the Port of Southampton have teamed up to launched the UK’s first Port Economic Partnership (PEP), a way of creating stronger links between ports and government in order to long-term trade and economic growth. For the partnership, the UK Department for Transport (DfT) will work with ABP’s Port of Southampton to focus on leveraging public and private sector investment and ensuring that planning processes are as efficient as possible. The unique partnership was launched this week during an event at London International Shipping Week. The creation of PEPs was outlined back in January as part of the launch of the UK’s ‘Maritime 2050 – Navigating the Future’ strategy, envisioning creating a strong business environment for ports which, in turn, will help trade and benefit the UK economy.

The government of the Panama has officially approved the modification of the Panama Canal tolls structure, following a recommendation from the Panama Canal board of directors and a period of consultation with shipping line clients. The approved modifications include the tolls charged to neopanamax dry bulk vessels carrying iron ore, neopanamax dry bulk vessels transiting in ballast, the vehicle carrier/roro segment, and for the liquid bulk segment (including oil and product tankers, chemical tankers, LPG and LNG vessels).

An interim factfinding report on the allision of the' Maersk Shekou' at Fremantle on Aug 22, 2024, which was published on April 17, 2025, suggested that the vessel's helmsman and pilots were operating with different goals. The helmsman was actively steering to maintain a heading of 083 degrees, his last received helm order. Meanwhile, the pilots were trying to make an emergency turn to port, using full ahead thrust, assist tugs, bow thrusters and the port anchor, They unaware that their helmsman was applying starboard rudder to counteract them. Early on Aug 22, the 'Maersk ShekouÄ began heading inbound into Fremantle's harbour and took aboard two pilots. The primary pilot assigned for the transit was fatigued, so the backup pilot took charge during the master/pilot exchange. At about 06.10 a.m., as they entered the narrow entrance channel for the inner port, southwesterly winds picked up to about 40 knots on the starboard quarter. The ship began to swing to starboard. The pilot ordered the helmsman to steer 083; the helmsman correctly acknowledged the order at about 0613:45 a.m. This was the heading that the helmsman would try to maintain throughout the final minutes of the casualty sequence. At the time that the order was given, the helmsman had the rudder hard to port to counteract the effects of the strengthening wind. It wasn't enough to do the job, and the 'Maersk Shekou's heading was about four degrees off to starboard (087). The master suggested going to full ahead to increase steering forces, and at about 0614:34 a.m. the pilot agreed. There was a pier ahead, and they needed to turn to port fast in order to enter the harbor. With more power and a series of assist tug movements, the 'Maersk Shekou' began to swing back to port. As it swung back from 087 through 086, the helmsman moved to check the swing: he brought the helm to midships, then briefly to 33 degrees starboard. The vessel steadied up squarely on 083, the last ordered heading he had received, which was straight towards the pier. The pilot was unsure why the vessel had stopped swinging to port, and at 615:33 a.m. he told the secondary pilot that something was wrong. The secondary pilot had been on a phone conversation at the back of the bridge and had not been involved in the back-and-forth among the bridge team, but he interrupted the call and joined the decisionmaking process. Together, without checking in with the helmsman, they began working the assist tugs to try to turn Maersk Shekou to port. The rudder was amidships at this point, and the helmsman was maintaining a steady heading of 083.5 towards the moored tall ship 'Leeuwin II', now less than a ship length away, with the boxship full ahead and making seven knots. At 0615:54 a.m., the master put the bow thrusters full to port. At 0616:10 a.m., the secondary pilot ordered stop engines, then full astern, and the master ordered the crew to prepare to drop the port anchor. Beginning at 0616:21 a.m., as these emergency measures to turn to port were under way, the helmsman applied more starboard rudder to try to counteract the effort to turn to port. The rudder would be over to starboard as much as 29 degrees over the course of the next minute. At 0616:49 a.m., the engines reached full astern and the 'Maersk Shekou' began to slow. The anchor, tugs and bow thruster managed to start a swing to port, but not fast enough to avert an allision. At about 0618 a.m., the 'Maersk Shekou' hit the 'Leeuwin II' at about three knots. The 'Maersk Shekou' came to a full stop by about 0618:30 a.m., but continued to spin in place. The bow thrusters were still on full to port, and the ship was swinging to port at about 13 degrees per minute. At 0619:52 a.m., the master noted to the pilots that the bow thrusters were still running with full power to port, and the thrusters were shut down,but not quickly enough to prevent contact in the narrow confines of the harbour. 40 seconds later, a stack of containers on the 'Maersk Shekou's starboard quarter hit the roof of the Western Australia Maritime Museum. The ship's hull scraped along the wharf for a short distance, damaging the quayside and breaching a small section of the hull plating above the waterline. The ATSB continues its investigation and will release its full report, including its formal conclusions, when it has completed its review. Interim report: https://www.atsb.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-04/MO-2024-001%20Interim%20report.pdf

On April 3, the lift of the 'Loch Portain' was out of order. As a consequence, the operator CalMac amended the Berneray-Leverburgh timetable until May 9. The amended timetable was allowing the crew to support passengers who required assistance, and met statutory requirements for crew hours of rest. Replacement parts for the repair have been ordered for the lift. CalMac issued an amended timetable valid until May 9: https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/service-status/#/service-status/065?route=23

(Sept. 8, 2019) – As Carnival Cruise Line continues to work closely with its partners to deliver relief to the people of Grand Bahama and Abaco islands recovering from Hurricane Dorian, it also plans 41 calls to Nassau, Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays for the remainder of September as those destinations eagerly await cruise guests. Bahamian officials have expressed great appreciation for the support Carnival and its employees and guests have provided but also stressed that the other parts of The Bahamas are open for business and stand ready to welcome guests.

Among a string of new eco-friendly initiatives, the Marseille Fos port authority is to spend €20 million over the next six years to extend shoreside electrical connections for berthed vessels to every ferry, cruiseship and repair quay within the Marseille eastern harbour, the company said in its release. Already available on the Corsica ferry quays, the network will be expanded in two phases to cover North Africa ferry quays and the shiprepair hub by 2022 and the cruise terminal between 2022 and 2025. The zero-emissions investment - backed by national and regional government – recognises the need to maintain the port’s value to the economy while improving the city’s waterside air quality.

On the morning of April 16, 2025, the Port Authority of Argosaronic Gulf of the Central Port Authority of Piraeus was informed by the Captain of the 'Acaheos', that ahead of the departure on its scheduled route from Piraeus to Aegina and Agistri with 628 passengers, 97 vehicles and 28 two-wheelers on board, a malfunction of two of its main engines occurred. The Port Guard prohibited the ship from sailing until the damage was repaired and a certificate of class maintenance was presented by the classification society that monitors it. The passengers and vehicles were forwarded to their destinations with the care of the shipping company.

On April 16, 2025, at 1.15 a.m. the 'Anaconda', sailing on the Rhine en route from Frankfurt upon the Main to the Hanau Oil Tankking, was in collision with another tank barge near the Loreley at St. Goarshausen, loaded with 1400 tons gasoline, with an unloaded tank barge. After the ships hit sideways, the tanker got stuck on the right river embankment at river kilometre 553,600. There was a small water ingress, but the crew was able to patch the leak. The other ship could continue its voyage as it had remained undamaged, before the Rhine was barred for ship traffic between Bingen and St. Goar. The tanker could be refloated at 9.30 a.m. by the inland container ship 'Belicha' (MMSI: 244660037), en route from Antwerp to Ludwigshafen, and berthed in Bendorf, where it remained stationary as of April 17. The river was released for ship traffic after the successful salvage. Reports with photos: https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/koblenz/schiffsunfall-st-goarshausen-rhein-schifffahrt-gesperrt-100.html https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/04/16/tanker-op-de-rijn-vaart-in-oever-na-aanvaring/

In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian which caused widespread devastation across the Bahamas, Norwegian oil giant Equinor is setting about cleaning up the spills from its South Riding Point oil terminal on Grand Bahama. The South Riding Point oil terminal has sustained damage from the hurricane and oil has been observed on the ground at the terminal site and in neighbouring areas. The size of the spill is not yet clear. Equinor has secured vessels and equipment for oil spill response in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, and from various ports across southeast Florida.

Last month, an investment of USD 31 million in asset replacement and capacity improvements over the past year at the Port of Salalah paid off. The Port recorded the highest productivity ever achieved in the region, APM Terminals said in its release. The Port of Salalah is Oman’s major regional gateway port and transshipment hub, located on the Arabian Sea. With an annual capacity of around 5 million TEU, the port set a new productivity record this month, delivering 412.97 Port Moves per Hour (PMPH) on vessel Cap San Tainaro. The Port handled 3,820 moves in a port stay of 9.25 hours.