On Jan 18, the 'Glen Sannox', serving on the route Troon-Brodick, suffered an issue with a blown fuse which affected the bow doors. The issue has since been resolved, but sailings for the rest of the day remained subject to delay and liable to disruption or cancellation’. As a consequence, the scheduled departure from Brodick at 08:40 a,m, was delayed by more than one hour, while the 10.50 a.m. sailing from Troon was also delayed, leaving the mainland at 11.25 a.m. instead. The timetable was expected to return to normal by the end of the day.
News
BLACKROSE
The Odisha BJP MLA Padmalochan Panda announced a formal inquiry into the sinking of the''Black Rose' near Paradip, alleging BJD's involvement in foul play and iron-ore smuggling. The MLA reiterated former claims by his party regarding possible foul play and the involvement of high-profile personalities behind theshipwreck. Further, he stated that Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was in discussion to proceed with the inquiry, which will focus on identifying who was importing goods through the ship, whether it had the required permits and licenses, and what activities were being carried out on it: “The previous BJD government never inquired who operated the ship, who had ordered the shipment or whether it had a permit to enter the port. Massive corruption has taken place during the previous regime and CM Majhi will soon announce a formal inquiry to expose the truth." The renewed investigation call follows earlier demands from Odisha BJP for a CBI probe into the sinking of the vessel on Sep 9, 2009, carrying 23,847 metric tons of iron ore and 920 metric tons of furnace oil to China. Speculations had then arisen that the iron ore worth crores of rupees was being smuggled abroad. While 26 of the 27 crew members were rescued, the chief engineer died. Additionally, no concrete reasons behind its sinking were ever known. Before forming the current government, the Odisha BJP alleged that BJD leaders were involved in the case. Moreover, it had also alleged that despite multiple demands for a CBI inquiry and intervention by the Orissa High Court, the previous government allegedly suppressed the matter.
BAYESIAN
The salvage of the 'Bayesian' has been postponed, with the work unlikely to begin until April 2025. Work was expected to begin in January, but the complexity of operations has caused delay. Plans for the salvage officially started in Dec 2024, when a syndicate of insurers led by the British Marine – which has insured the 'Bayesian'– presented eight possible plans to the prosecutor's office in Termini Imerese, which included turning the vessel onto its keel and resurfacing it using cranes or innovative buoyancy systems. The salvage poses significant logistical challenges for the parties involved, as the integrity of the yacht's structure is crucial to the ongoing investigation led by prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano. The Italian Coast Guard will also have to approve the salvage proposal. Once resurfaced, the wreck will likely be transported to Palermo for forensic examination.
ELIAS
New drone footage from Jan 18, 2025, has given a fresh look at the 'Alta', almost five years after it washed up on Ballyandreen Beach near Ballycotton in 2020, showing that it has suffered extensive damages since 2024. The new video starts with a slow pan showing the vessel's front half, showing some gaping holes in the hull that were nowhere near as bad last year. The upper deck has seen some wear and tear too, now caked with rust and almost completely covering its white and blue painted body. The second half of the ship, just a few metres away, is in a better state with no major holes or tears visible. In summer 2024, the Department of Transport confirmed there were no plans to remove the vessel from the area. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beSrFtk8j2c&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.corkbeo.ie%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE
LEFKA ORI
The trial into the death of the 36-year-old Antonis Kariotis, who drowned while trying to board the 'Blue Horizon", now sailing as 'Lefka Ori', in Piraeus in Sept 2023 was scheduled to start in the city on Jan 20, 2025, with the ship’s captain and three crew members facing serious charges. The three men are accused of deliberately pushing Kariotis into the swirling water as he ran onto the loading ramp while the ferry was getting ready to leave the port, bound for Iraklio. The ship sailed off in front of dozens of outraged witnesses and it did not return to port until 40 minutes later when ordered to do so by a prosecutor. One of the crew members has been charged with homicide with possible intent and the other two for aiding the crime. The captain, meanwhile, has been charged for breaching shipping regulations.