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The 'Caledonian Isles' will not return to service by July 7, the date when the 'Alfred' comes off-service for essential maintenance until July 21. Last week, deployment plans were shared for the whole network based on having thf 'Caledonian Isles' and on the basis of not having her. Now CalMac will be implementing the deployment plan which accounts for not having the vessel in service. This plan covers the two-week period July 7-21, when the 'Alfred' is off service, taking into account the 'Lord of the Isles' being off service for between July 9-11 for cylinder head works on her main engines. These works are essential to reducing the risk of a serious failure in the engines which would take the vessel out of service for much longer than three days and cause further disruption. Potential deployment from July 22 onwards will be shared at a later date and are subject to further developments with the 'Caledonian Isles'.

On June 29, 2025, at around 11 a.m. the tug 'Cala Gullo' (IMO: 9791509 sank in the Port of Barcelona after the collision with the 'Cape Sounio'. The three crew members were rescued unharmed by the port pilots with a pilot boat. The accident happened during a turnaround maneuver alongside the container ship, while the tug was supporting it, when leaving the Hutchison Port Best terminal. The 'Cala Gullo' then started to list and went down stern first, with the bow tip sill protruding from the water. The container ship left the port again on July 1, next headed to La Spezia with an ETA as of July 2. The incident prompted the activation of the Maritime Interior Plan (PIM) in the alert phase to assess any oil spill in the water, which was later ruled out. Work was commenced to refloat the tug. Report with photo: https://infopuertos.com/un-remolcador-se-hunde-en-el-puerto-de-barcelona-tras-una-colision-con-un-buque-de-msc/ https://portalportuario.cl/remolcador-termina-hundido-tras-impacto-con-portacontenedores-en-puerto-de-barcelona/

The investigation into the fire in the 3500 tons of scrap aboard the 'Altay' will continue the next few days, with the ship remaining stationary as of July 1. The fire fighters were looking at it as an accidental cause. The Humberside Fire and Rescue Service was called to Albert Dock in Hull on June 27 at about 10:20 a.m. BST. It took crews until June 28 at 05:00 a.m. BST to put the deep seated fire out. Report with photo: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/cargo-ship-fire-in-port-likely-to-be-an-accident/ar-AA1HHITz

On June 29, 2025, at around 11 a.m. the 'Cala Gullo' sank in the Port of Barcelona after the collision with the 'Cape Sounio' (IMO: 9727625). The three crew members were rescued unharmed by the port pilots with a pilot boat. The accident happened during a turnaround maneuver alongside the container ship, while the tug was supporting it, when leaving the Hutchison Port Best terminal. The 'Cala Gullo' then started to list and went down stern first, with the bow tip sill protruding from the water. The container ship left the port again on July 1, next headed to La Spezia with an ETA as of July 2. The incident prompted the activation of the Maritime Interior Plan (PIM) in the alert phase to assess any oil spill in the water, which was later ruled out. Work was commenced to refloat the tug. Report with photo: https://infopuertos.com/un-remolcador-se-hunde-en-el-puerto-de-barcelona-tras-una-colision-con-un-buque-de-msc/ https://portalportuario.cl/remolcador-termina-hundido-tras-impacto-con-portacontenedores-en-puerto-de-barcelona/

The sinking of the 'Morning Midas', carrying 3,048 Chinese vehicles, including 750 electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, is costing the industry an estimated $560 million, according to the Anderson Economic Group. This incident, the third major EV-carrying ship loss in three years, highlights growing risks in EV shipping. The 'Morning Midas' was transporting vehicles from Chinese automakers like Chery Automobile Co. and Great Wall Motor Co. Combined with the sinking of the 'Felicity Ace' in 2022 and the fire aboard the 'Fremantle Highway' in 2023, these incidents have racked up an estimated $1.8 billion in losses, highlighting the risks of shipping EVs in closed containers. These figures excluded the additional expenses like environmental cleanup, medical costs, or replacing the ship itself, meaning the true impact could be even higher. For EV manufacturers, these losses strain budgets and disrupt supply chains, potentially delaying deliveries to markets like Mexico, where demand for affordable EVs is growing. Ship crews, often limited in size, lack the specialized training needed to handle EV fires. Most crews receive only basic firefighting training and may not even know where EVs are stored on board. This gap in expertise and resources complicates emergency responses. Better fire monitoring systems and increased spacing between EVs” could help control fires. Spacing EVs farther apart could slow fire spread, though it would reduce the number of vehicles per ship. These changes could raise shipping costs, as fewer vehicles per trip mean higher per-unit expenses. Automakers and shippers must balance efficiency with safety. Enhanced monitoring, better crew training, and revised cargo layouts are regarded as critical steps towards preventing future disasters.