The "Kotor" completed the unloading of a cargo of wood pellets in the port of Tyne on Aug 6, 2025, but due to an order from the British PSC inspection, it will not be able to sail from that port until further notice. On Aug 4, PSC inspectors conducted an expanded inspection of the bulk carrier in Tyne and Wear, and found 22 defiencies, some of which have to be rectified before the ship is allowed to continue its voyage. Most of the shortcomings related to minor problems that indicated that the crew of the "Kotor" was unmotivated to perform daily tasks on the ship, which included its regular maintenance and cleaning, due to untimely payments by the company Crnogorska plovidba, which has been facing the problem of insolvency for months. There was a chronic lack of spare parts for timely repair of minor defects on the ship: corrosion on some fire pipes, damaged insulation on some electrical installations on deck, non-functional fire detectors in several rooms of the ship, defective insulation devices used in the event of a fire, hydraulic system pipes for opening and closing the broaching devices from which hydraulic oil was leaking, leaks in the fuel pumps on cylinders 1 and 4 of the main engine, water leaks from the main engine cooling system, corrosion on the part of the door leading from the superstructure to the ship's deck, porous exhaust system of the third auxiliary engine, limitedly functional buckle on the lifeboat, lack of a couple of screws on the lid of one of the ballast tanks. The PSC inspectors found that some areas on the ship, such as the sanitary facilities on the bridge and in the engine room, were insufficiently clean, there was an increased presence of flies in the ship's galley, and the refrigerator had not been cleaned, greasy rags and waste were found in the engine room in places where they should not be, the floors were either greasy or covered in water. The inspectors also found several deficiencies on the ship related to the living and working conditions of seafarers, i.e. violations of the MLC Convention, as they determined that there was no running hot water in several rooms on the "Kotor", as well as the fact that two seafarers had been on board continuously since July 22, 2024, which exceeded the industry standards maximum permitted duration of embarkation of nine months. The crew of the "Kotora" received their last salary for the month of June, after which the ship was detained in the port of Savannah. The crew complained to the inspectors that on as many as eight occasions from December2024, to July, their salaries were late or were paid in half. The British PSCV inspectors also determined the same thing that US Coast Guard inspectors had previously determined in the port of Savana, a poor implementation of the International Safety Management Convention (ISM), for which they gave Crnogorska plovidav three months to remedy it. A few days ago, Crnogorska plovidba put both of its ships, the "Kotor" and the "Dvadesetprvi maj", on the used ship market, because at the initiative of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, which claimed that the state allegedly no longer had any legal possibility to support this 100% state-owned company to maintain liquidity, the Government made a decision to urgently sell both of Crnogorska's ships. Until this happens or the deficiencies have been rectified, the "Kotor" will remain detained. The ship had been berthed in Savannah from June 14 until July 13 and arrived in Tyne on Aug 3.
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BALTIC LIFT
A pilot project for munitions recovery was to start on Aug 9, 2025, on the Mecklenburg Baltic coast off Boltenhagen. In 30 days, up to 15 tons of old World War II munitions were to be retrieved from the seabed at a depth of around 22 meters. The munitions will then be disposed of. The company, Baltic Taucherei- und Bergungsbetrieb (Baltic Diving and Salvage Company), in Rostock was contracted for this task, and the "Baltic Lift," was scheduled to depart Rostock on Aug 8 toward the Bay of Wismar. The majority of the 80-year-old munitions, such as grenades and rocket-propelled grenades, was likely buried under meters of sediment and mud. The 30-day operation near Großklützhöved off Boltenhagen (Rostock district) is part of the emergency program for the removal of old ammunition in the North and Baltic Seas, for which a total of 100 million euros in federal funds has been made available. The cost of the salvage off Boltenhagen is estimated at around five million euros. In the Bay of Wismar, the old ammunition was sunk together with a barge, which is why the majority of the ammunition is likely located next to the barge, which is lying bottom up. The total volume was estimated at just under 1,000 tons. The project's primary goal was to gather information about ammunition and salvage. The clearance work was to run 24/7 with the team working in two shifts of 24 employees each. On board the converted "Baltic Lift," formerly a tanker, are several submersible elevators that take the divers to a depth of 22 meters. The ammunition is pre-sorted underwater and loaded separately into crates. It is then transported by ship to Wismar, from where it is transported to a federal disposal facility.
PERLA DE PALAMOS
On Aug 7, 2025, at around 5:00 p.m. the medical evacuation of a crew member from the'Perla de Palamos' was requested, while the ship was sailing 5.5 nautical miles west of Llafranc. The CCS Barcelona of Salvamento Mar´itimo mobilized the SAR boat 'Salvamar Sirius', which embarked the fisherman and transported him to Palamós for further medical attention ashore.
FORTUNE
The 'Fortune' has sparked controversy for carrying a cargo of coal destined for Hadera. The shipment violates a Colombian government decree banning coal exports to Israel, due to ongoing concerns over Israel's actions in Gaza. The ship had sailed from Colombia on July 24, 2025, with an ETA as of Aug 14. The Colombian government classifies coal as a "dual-use item", which could support military activities, in addition to its civilian use for energy production. Activists claimed that the shipment was breaching the decree issued by the Colombian president in 2024,banning exports of coal to Israel. The Colombian President Gustavo Petro says he would order the Colombian Navy to intercept vessels bound for Israel. The 'Fortune' has not broadcast the vessel's location for the past nine days.
TRACKHOUND
On Aug 5, 2025, the ' Trackhound' was detained in Novorossiysk with 11 deficiencies, eight of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Radio communications - Facilities for reception of marine safety inform Not as required 2) Emergency systems - Fire pump and its pipes Inoperative 3) Emergency systems - Water level indicator Inoperative 4) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water Management System Not as required 5) Pollution Prevention - 15 PPM alarm arrangements Not as required 6) Pollution Prevention - Other (Marpol Annex I) Other 7) Labour conditions - Morring ropes/lines and wires Not as required 8)) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Auxiliary machinery Not as required The vessel was released again on Aug 7. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591