News

The 'Kvaløy' suffered technical problems and had to be removed from the route Småge – Finnøya – Sandøya – Ona on July 28., The speed boat 'Lagertha' was inserted as a replacement with a departure from Ona at 12:00 p.m., following the established timetable and taking a maximum of 46 passengers. The 'Kvaløy' was sidelined in Småge and expected back in operation on July 30, departing from Ona at 05:20 a.m. Between 10 and 15 cars that were supposed to travel by ferry were stuck at the ferry pier of Ona for the time being.

The 'Colimetals', en route from Antwerp to Ghent, allided with the tank barge 'Rijnvallei' (MMSI: 244700930) on July 25, 2025, at around 10:40 p.m. at the waiting quay in Sas van Ghent. No injuries were reported, but the vessels were damaged. The 'Colimetals' suffered sigfnificant bow damage mainly at starboard side, when it struck the 'Rijnvallei' at the stern, which sustained damage to its rudder system and had to be taken to a shipyard for repairs. The ship left Ghent on July 28 and berthed in Hansweert on July 29. The 'Colimetals' remained stationary in Ghent as of July 29. Report with photo: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/07/28/belgisch-schip-raakt-achterkant-nederlandse-tanker-bij-sas-van-gent/

The Rotterdam District Court has ruled that the owner of the 'Perficio' is entitled to limit its liability for damage caused by the allision with the lifting bridge at Humbeek-Sas on June 29, 2023. The judge rejected an attempt by the Flemish government to halt the Dutch proceedings in favour of a Belgian lawsuit. The accident had caused significant damage to the bridge. De Vlaamse Waterweg NV (DVW), the bridge's manager, held the vessel and its owners liable. Shortly thereafter,the Perficio Shipping, together with its insurer EOC, initiated limitation proceedings in the Netherlands. With these proceedings, ship owners attempt to financially limit their liability, based on the international CLNI Convention. A few days later, DVW also initiated civil proceedings in Belgium, demanding, among other things, that the ship owner not be entitled to limitation of liability. The Belgian case preceded the Dutch proceedings, and the Rotterdam court should therefore postpone its judgment (the so-called lis pendens defense). However, the court disagreed: the limitation proceedings in Rotterdam had been initiated earlier and constituted the starting point for the subsequent substantive proceedings, the so-called reckless proceedings. The case in Rotterdam revolved solely around the question of whether the damage was caused by intent or gross negligence on the part of the shipowner or their representatives. Only in that case would there be no right to limitation of liability. The court concluded that this was not the case: there was no evidence that the allision was caused by consciously risky behaviour or intent. The court also ruled that the CLNI Convention contained sufficiently clear rules and that no additional Belgian or Dutch law was necessary for its interpretation. Consequently, the court also rejected the DVW's subsidiary request to adjourn the case until the Belgian expert investigation by the Nautical Commission has been fully completed. As a result, the Perficio Shipping and its insurer may settle the claim within the limits of the limitation fund they established. DVW has been ordered to pay over €2,000 in legal costs.

As of July 29, the 'Hein' in Brake still could not be salvaged and remained stuck in pos. 53° 21' N 008° 30' E. The dredger first broke through a jetty for reasons still unknown and then crashed into the edge of a quay. As a result, a loading crane on the quay collapsed and fell onto the ship. A specialist company must first detach the head of the crane that fell onto the deck of the vessel with the sheerleg 'BHV Athlet' (MMSI: 211523490), supported by shore based mobile cranes. The salvage of the ship will continue for the next few days. The conveyor system, the overturned crane, and the damaged dredger have beem wedged together as a result of the impact. To prevent further damage to the ship and port infrastructure, comprehensive securing of the respective structures was being undertaken. These preparatory measures were a prerequisite for a safe and coordinated salvage of the ship. They will continue over the next few days. The steel and wood structure of the jetty has also suffered significant damage. The crane runway beam was largely destroyed, and a loading crane located buckled under the force of the impact and collapsed completely onto the ship. In addition, a conveyor belt and housing on the quayside were severely damaged. A hydraulic line on the crane was ruptured, causing a small amount of hydraulic fluid to leak into the port basin. The fluid was contained and removed on July 25 by the Brake Volunteer Fire Department and the NLWKN (Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal Protection and Nature Conservation). Several cracks were discovered in the bow area of the 'Hein'. The Ship Safety Department of the Maritime Accident Insurance Association (SEE BG) therefore immediately issued a sailing ban. The affected area of the port has been closed to shipping. Operations in other port areas were continued. Report swith photos and video: https://www.nwzonline.de/wesermarsch/schiffsunfall-in-brake-bergungsarbeiten-nach-kollision-mit-kaianlage-starten_a_4,2,1470611428.html https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/nach-unfall-im-seehafen-brake-schiffsbergung-ist-noch-nicht-moeglich,brake-100.html

The self propelled barge 'Colimetals' (MMSI: 205336190), en route from Antwerp to Ghent, allided with the 'Rijnvallei' on July 25, 2025, at around 10:40 p.m. at the waiting quay in Sas van Ghent. No injuries were reported, but the vessels were damaged. The 'Colimetals' suffered sigfnificant bow damage mainly at starboard side, when it struck the 'Rijnvallei' at the stern, which sustained damage to its rudder system and had to be taken to a shipyard for repairs. The ship left Ghent on July 28 and berthed in Hansweert on July 29. The 'Colimetals' remained stationary in Ghent as of July 29. Report with photo: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/07/28/belgisch-schip-raakt-achterkant-nederlandse-tanker-bij-sas-van-gent/