On Sep 9 the 'Cable Innovator' was at work in the Salisbury Sound 25 miles north of Sitka, mending a broken fiber optic cable that took Sitka offline in late August, but it could be close to a week until repairs have been finished. The GCI, Sitka’s primary internet and cellular service provider. is part of a professional service group that allows for these repair ships to become available in the rare event of a break. The fiber repair shift was mobilized to get to Sitka and arrived on site over the weekend, of Sep 7/8. The break occurred in a stretch of fiber optic cable between Sitka and Angoon in Salisbury Sound. The cause of the problem was still unknown. The repairs should be completed by the end of the week. Meanwhile, the company has restored basic internet and cell service using a combination of satellite and microwave technology. Report with photo: https://www.kcaw.org/2024/09/09/repair-ship-working-to-mend-cable-break-that-took-sitka-offline/
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AP REVELIN
The 'AP Revelin' ran aground on the Paraná River on Sep 6, 2024, at around 11 p.m., completely blocking the main channel at river kilometer 341.8. The ship, which was sailing with a draft of 9.54 meters, was carrying 32,074 metric tons of soybean meal bound for Turkey, after having loaded at the port of San Lorenzo. The incident has caused the temporary suspension of all operations on the waterway. The blockage was affecting both cargo ships and other vessels that use ther waterway. Immediately after the grounding, the captain requested urgent assistance. In response, the tug 'RE Candela S' was dispatched and arrived at the scene on Sep 7, at 1:20 p.m. to try to free the ship and restore navigation. The causes that led to the grounding were being investigated. After having been stuck for 12 hours, the bulk carrier was refloated on Sep 7 at 1.15 p.m. and taken to San Pedro for surveys.
EVEREST ENERGY
The 'Everest Energy', operated by a recently establish India-registered enterprise, sails across Arctic waters as part of a shady Russian scheme established to bypass sanctions in Russia’s covert efforts to ship liquified natural gas from the sanctions-ridden Arctic LNG 2 project. Along with a fleet of at least seven vessels, the 'Everest Energy' is involved in the shipments from the port of Utrenny in the Gulf of Ob. This week, the ship made port call in Utrenny, the terminal in the Gulf of Ob, and picked up LNG from the Arctic LNG 2 production facility frp, Sep 7-8. It subsequently set course for east Arctic waters and markets in Asia. However, although clearly located in the area, the ship is not listed in the registries of the Northern Sea Route Administration, the Russian state body that regulates shipments on the route. All ships that sail in the remote Russian Arctic waters are normally listed in registry. The 'Everest Energy' and the other notorious tankers are hired by Novatek and its partners to circumnavigate sanctions. The shady operations are supported from the highest level in Moscow. The Russians have found useful partners in India. The ship owner is the Ocean Speedstar Solutions Opc Private Ltd., a company registered in Mumbai and established in Jan 2024. The 'Everest Energy'will inevitably encounter sea-ice on its voyage along the Russian Arctic coast, as parts of the North Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea still have significant volumes of sea-ice. The carrier has a sea-ice classification of +1A1, which means that it is able to operate in light ice conditions and localized drift ice.
CARNIVAL BREEZE
The US Coast Guard medevaced an 52-year-old man from athe 'Carnival Breeze' off Galveston, Texas, on Sep 5, 2024. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a medevac request at 7:55 p.m. from the cruise ship, stating a 52-year-old male passenger presented symptoms of a stroke aboard the vessel. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac. The watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter air crew to conduct the medevac. The helicopter arrived on scene, embarked the passenger and transported him to the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in stable condition.
FV PEPE BARREIRO
The Master of the '‘Pepe Barreiro’ pleaded guilty at Bandon District Court Sep 7, 2024, to illegal fishing activity. The vessel was detained at Castletownbere port on Sep 6 following an inspection by Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). The court heard evidence of how Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers conducted an inspection of the vessel and detected the non-recording of Common Sole in the fishing logbook; retention of undersize Crawfish onboard the vessel; failure to separately stow Sole and Megrims and failure to have a stowage plan recording Common Sole.