The 'Austro Carina' smashed into rocks off the Banks Peninsula on Sep 24, 2024, after sharply turning towards the shore while its wheelhouse was empty, a report of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission's report, released on March 25, 2025, found out. The trawler was carrying about 10 tons of diesel and 400 litres of hydraulic oil when it ran aground near a marine reserve at Red Bay. The four crew members abandoned the vessel, took shelter on shore, and were later winched to safety by a rescue helicopter. The vessel, however, received extensive damage, with its structural integrity deteriorating in the following days. The wreckage also threatened endangered species, including little blue penguins, hoiho/yellow-eyed penguins and seals. Wild weather which had battered the peninsula at the time also ripped a hole in the hull. Salvage efforts stalled because of the remote and rugged coastline before an insurer hired a salvage company to remove the wreck between Jan and Feb 2024. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) launched an inquiry in the days following the accident. The TAIC said the ship stranded because there was "nobody in the wheelhouse monitoring the vessel's course, speed and position while the vessel was turning to starboard. The master was assisting the crew on deck at the time of the stranding. Had the master maintained a continuous navigational watch, it is virtually certain they would have adjusted the vessel's course and speed, avoiding the stranding. While fishing, it was not uncommon for a master to step away from watchkeeping duties to help out on deck. The company's instructions to the master and watchkeepers were not explicit to require the wheelhouse to be attended at all times while fishing."" The commission recommended the vessel's operator, the Pegasus Fishing Limited, review its safety management system and take steps to ensure safe navigational watchkeeping principles are observed during all phases of the fishing operation. The report also said that the Maritime New Zealand's seafarer competency framework and the vessel operators safety management system prioritised collision avoidance over stranding and safe navigation: "This increases the risk of watchkeepers on fishing vessels not always maintaining a safe navigational watch when fishing." Maritime New Zealand said it supported the commission's intent and focus on watchkeeping, but was rejecting the recommendation: Its watchkeeping regulations aligned with international standards and its expectations were very clear in its position statement released in early 2024. "For these reasons, we do not consider that changes to competency frameworks will have a significant impact on reducing the instances of watchkeeping failures. We will, however, continue to work in partnership with the maritime sector on improving poor watchkeeping practices through a range of different initiatives. Watchkeeping is looking to see what is on the water around your vessel, such as other boats, the coast and hazards. Failing to keep watch has the potential to cause harm to those on vessels, others on the water near them, and the environment." Report with photo: https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-christchurch/fishing-boat-smashed-rocks-when-no-one-wheelhouse
News
MSC BALTIC III
All eight containers of polymeric beads have been removed from the 'MSC Baltic III. The polymeric beads were listed as dangerous goods. Over the weekend of March 22/23, the salvors managed to get the tug '360 Handler' (IMO: 9950454) from St. John's and a barge alongside the vessel and used the ship’s cranes to get the eight containers of beads off the vessel. A major concern now was getting the 1.7 million litres of fuel removed safely from the ship. Winds gusting to 25 knots and three metre high waves hampered salvage of the ship near Lark Harbour on March 24. However, the salvage crews will use every opportunity possible with the weather expected over the next few days. T&T Salvage has the necessary equipment on site to begin offloading the fuel. They will have to heat the oil first and pump it into tanks, and the tug and barge is waiting in the Bay of Islands. Reports with video: https://ntv.ca/environmental-checks-continue-on-grounded-msc-baltic-cargo-ship/ https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6700032
SALVAMAR ARCTURUS
On March 25, 2025, the 'Salvamar Arcturus' has rescued three people who were trying to reach the coast of Cádiz aboard a toy-type rubber boat southeast of the Trafalgar lighthouse. The alert was given by an informant ashore at around 2:55 p.m.. The 'Salvamar Arcturus" was deployed from the CCS of Salvamento Marítimo in Tarifa Coordination. The Civil Guard was also informed. The rubber boatwas located several miles from the lighthouse, on Banco del Hoyo. The three occupants were rescued in apparent good condition and taken to the port of Tarifa. After being treated by Red Cross volunteers, they were sent to a Temporary Assistance Center for Foreigners (CATE).
MSC HOUSTON V
With two large mobile cranes on the quay and a lifting platform on a floating pontoon, the clearing of the container chaos on the aft deck of the 'MSC Houston V' has begun in the port of Vigo on March 25. Ttwo large mobile cranes have been positioned on on the quay and a smaller one on a floating pontoon. As of March 27, the ship remained moored in pos. 42° 15' N 008° 43' W. Report with photo: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/03/25/opruimen-containerchaos-op-msc-houston-v-gestart/
SCENIC CRYSTAL
On the early morning of March 15, 2025, the 'Scenic Crystal', carrying 133 passengers and 56 crew members. allided with a road bridge near the Berching lock on the Main-Danube Canal, when entering the lock chamber en route to Nuremberg. The captain was steering the ship from the outside control station. He forgot to lower the wheelhouse. As a result, the roof hit the underside of the bridge. It was torn off and was pushed behind the wheelhouse. No one was inside the wheelhouse at the time of the accident, so only material dama occurred. The bridge remained undamaged. The captain reported the accident to the lock control center in Dietfurt and was able to safely berth in the upper water of the lock until an expert had assessed the functionality of the technic. The passengers 56 crew members remained on the ship for the time being. The passengers were then transported by bus to the next destination in Nuremberg. Shipping was disrupted for about two hours until the bridge and lock gate were inspected. The damage to the wheelhouse roof was estimated at around €200,000.
ISLE OF MULL
The 'Isle of Mull', serving on the route Oban-Lochboisdale-Castlebay, suffered an issue with the radar on March 25. The defect required further investigations. As a consequence, the scheduled 1:35 p.m. departure from Oban was delayed. The vessel finally departed Oban one hour behind schedule.
QUEEN ANNE
Passengers aboard the 'Queen Anne' have been warned that pirates are active in the area, while the ship was sailing through the Sulu-Celebes Sea near the Philippines, en route from Darwin to Manila. There was a loudspeaker announcing: "This area is known for piracy threats...therefore we will be operating at a heightened level of security alertness during this period." The external promenade deck was being closed to guests from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from March 14 to March 15, 2025, and only essential lighting would be used at night and that guests should draw their curtains. All the blinds were shut, and the lights were down to the minimum during the night. According to Cunard, as part of standard maritime procedures, their captains may make precautionary announcements when sailing through certain regions. There was no specific threat to the ship or its guests, and the onboard experience remained uninterrupted. The ship berthed in Manila on March 16. The 111-night journey of the 'Queen Anne' had set off in Hamburg on Jan 7. The ship will return to Hamburg on April 29 after visiting England, New York, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam, South Africa, Singapore and Malaysia.
SEABOURN ENCORE
A gastrointestinal virus outbreak was reported on March 21, 2025, aboard the 'Seabourn Encore', which had departed from Singapore for a voyage to Japan and then across the Pacific. Relatively few people were affected, mostly crew members, with 22 out of 405 falling ill, and seven passengers out of 461. Predominant symptoms were vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. The pathogen was identified as the norovirus. The 'Seabourn Encore' is currently en route to Honolulu with an ETA as of March 31.
GRANDE NAPOLI
As of March 26, 2025, the 'Grande Napoli' remained berthed in Vigo at the Ocean Liner Dock, amid uncertainty and delays. The ship had suffered an engine failure on Oct 29, 2024, and had to be towed into the port, where it has been stationary since. After repairs, its departure was initially scheduled for March 25, but it has been postponed due to the need for additional technical testings. On March 27 at 10 a.m. UTC the ship left the port. Report with photo: https://www.vigoe.es/vigo/maritima/el-grande-napoli-sigue-anclado-en-vigo-incertidumbre-y-retrasos/
MSC HOUSTON V
The 'MSC Houston V', en route from Piraeus to Liverpool, has suffered a cargo shift on the aft in rough seas and gusts that reached 90 km/h, caused by the storm Martinho on the North Atlantic, and had to seek shelter in the port of Vigo. On the afternoon of March 20, 2025, it requested support from the Spanish authorities to allow it to make an emergency berth. 15-20 containers were lost off Cape St. Vincent, many more shifted. When the ship was towed into port on the morning of March 21, 2025, several containers were hanging over the starboard site stern. At 8 a.m. UTC, the ship was safely berthed at the Guixar container terminal in Termavi to resolve the problem. the Port of Vigo is currently assessing the situation of the cargo. The container ship 'MSC Fabienne' and 'FWN Atlantic had to seek refuge in the Cíes anchorage. Reports with photos and video: https://www.transport-online.nl/79221/containerschip-msc-houston-v-verliest-containers-tijdens-storm-op-atlantische-oceaan-fotosvideo/ https://cadenaser.com/galicia/2025/03/21/un-buque-sufre-un-corrimiento-de-carga-y-busca-refugio-en-el-puerto-de-vigo-radio-vigo/ https://www.atlantico.net/vigo/portacontenedores-llega-vigo-carga-movida_1_20250321-3457999.html https://www.vigoe.es/vigo/maritima/borrasca-martinho-remolcado-al-puerto-de-vigo-un-portacontenedores-tras-peligrar-la-carga/
UNIVERSE KAISA
On March 25, 2025, at around 4:20 a.m .LT, the Philippine-flagged tug 'Sadong 33' with eight crew members on board, capsized after the 'Universe Kaisa' en route to Iligan City, ran over the tug’s towline in the waters near Maasim, Sarangani Province, after this snapped. The bulk carrier had attempted to pass between the 'Sadong 33' and the 59 meter long landing craft LCT 'Sea Asia' (IMO: 8843551), while the these were en route from Glan, Sarangani to Iligan City. The 'Sadong 33' had between 50 to 100 meters of towline during the incident. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) promptly deployed an SAR team and three boats to the scene. At 8:00 a.m. theSAR team rescued six crew members in good health. However, the captain of the tug was found dead, while one more crew member was initiall still missing. He was working as an oiler and was recovered dead too. The PCG identified the fatalities as Andres Diaz Jr., and his aide, John Jeter Labor. The PCG has ordered the Coast Guard District Southern Mindanao to conduct a maritime casualty investigation and tasked the Harbor Star Salvage Company with retrieving the capsized tug. The PCG conducted an oil assessment following the collision. As of now no oil pollution was observed. The Chinese-owned 'Universe Kiza' has been detained. It was sent to the anchorage at General Santos City. The Coast Guard has instructed its legal officers to handle the filing of appropriate charges against the master and crew of the 'Universe Kiza'. The vessel was transporting a cargo of concrete from Vietnam. Reports with photos: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/two-killed-as-bulker-runs-over-tug-s-towline-in-the-philippines https://mb.com.ph/2025/3/24/at-least-1-dead-as-ph-tugboat-panamanian-flagged-ship-collide-off-sarangani
NP BANGPAKONG
On March 25, 2025, at 2.25 p.m. the 'NP Bangpakong' ran aground near Pattaya City at the Eastern Gulf Coast in pos. 13° 07' N 100° 46' E at the coast of Koh Larn, when the gast tanker was headed from the Bang Pakong District, Chachoengsao Province, to Map Ta Phut Port, Rayong Province, allegedly while trying to avoid the collision with a fishing vessel, the master of which denying the accusation. The local authorities from Koh Larn responded. It was determined that there were no leaks of LPG or fuel spills. Police and marine officials visited the site on the morning of March 26 and had the vessel rechecked to ensure safety in the area, which is near the popular tourist resort of Pattaya. The tug 'Map Ta Phut' was contracted to pull the vessel free from the rocky outcrop on which it is lodged. Engineers and technicians have also been sent to the scene to more accurately assess the vessel’s condition. The first survey showed possible damage to the ballast tanks. The double-hull prevented damage to the cargo tanks, which were empty. An investigation has been launched into the accident. The tanker was refloated on March 26 at around 8.30 a.m. UTC and moored in pos. 13° 11' N 100° 54' E off Laem Chabang at around 10 a.m., where it remained stationary as of March 27. The shipping company stated that the grounding had occurred “due to the employee’s negligence in his duties.” The company accepted responsibility for the incident and promised to implement stricter “preventive measures.” Report with photo and video: https://world.thaipbs.or.th/detail/56985 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K71_AvF-aH0&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.maritime-executive.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE
ROYAL ENGINEER
The mast of the crane barge 'Stevens 1471' hit a North Charleston Terminal ship-to-shore crane on Jan 4, 2024, while this was conducting cargo operations in North Charleston, South Carolina, the US National Transportation Safety Board said on March 26, 2025. The contact resulted in over $4.5 million in damage to the ship-to-shore crane. The 'Royal Engineer' was transiting the Cooper River while pushing the crane barge, and was maneuvering through a narrow area between the docked container ship 'Celsius Nicosia' and a dredgier. The dredger’s floating discharge pipeline was blocking the rest of the channel. The mate of the 'Royal Engineer' was aware of the dredging operations along the tow’s transit route and had transited the area the day before. The mate told investigators that, on the day of the accident, he attempted twice to contact the dredge crew early to make passing arrangements, but was not able to establish communications until about 15 minutes before the 'Royal Engineer' reached the dredging area. His original intention was to request that the dredge break the pipeline so the tow could pass to the east of the dredge. However, the dredge captain’s preference was for the tow to pass to the west of the dredge. The two agreed the tow would proceed through the narrow area between the dredge and the containership. While completing the passing arrangements, the mate of the 'Royal Engineer' did not realize the ship-to-shore crane extended over the side of the container ship and impeded the tow’s route. Had the mate been aware of the ship-to-shore crane boom extending beyond the container ship when he was determining passing arrangements, he likely would have realized the crane was a potential overhead hazard and made a plan to avoid it. Reports with photos and graphic: https://maritime-executive.com/article/ntsb-crane-barge-hit-an-sts-crane-because-mate-didn-t-perceive-hazard https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/incidents/accidents/ntsb-determines-cause-of-45m-terminal-cargo-crane-damage-in-south-carolina
QUEEN MARY 2
183 passengers out of a total of 2,538 aboard the 'Queen Mary 2' reported being ill, ten days after the ship had departed from Southampton, UK, on March 8, 2025, for a voyage across the Atlantic to the Grenadines and back. The outbreak of gastrointestinal infections was reported on March 18. Additionally, 14 out of the 1,232 crew members also fell ill. The predominant symptoms were vomiting and diarrhea; the cause of which was attributed to the norovirus. The 'Queen Mary 2' is currently en route to New York, and scheduled to return to Southampton on April 6.
DEN HELDER
On the afternoon of March 26, 2025, tThere was smoke development on the 'Den Helder-A 834',, the brand new supply ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The navy fire brigade took action. Personnel who were present on the ship have been evacuated. The smoke development originated in the diesel generator room. The cause was being investigated. There was no open fire, and no one was injured. Nothing could be said about the damage yet. The 'Den Helder' had arrived in the Naval Harbour of Den Helder on March 24. The Combat Support Ship (CSS) will not be put into service until Oct 1. Report with photo: https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/regio/noordkop/noordkop-denhelder/rookontwikkeling-op-gloednieuw-marineschip.-personeel-geevacueerd/51572321.html
DALI
11 higher ranked crew members of the 'Dali' are still stuck inBaltimore, one year after the allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2025. The sailors have been asked to stay while the incident is still being investigated by the Federal authorities. Ten other crew members were sent home in June. The affected crew members, who are mainly from India, have spent the past year in hotels. Synergy Marine, the company behind the 'Dali', has been paying the crew’s living expenses and salaries since they were accomodated there. The US has given three crew members permission to return to India temporarily for urgent matters, such as a medical procedure and a wedding. Some of the crew members’ families have come to Baltimore to visit them.
IONIS
On the morning of March 25, 2025, the Port Authority of Lavrio was informed by the Captain of the 'Ionis' about a mechanical failure of the port side main engine, before the execution of its scheduled route to the port of Kea. The ferry was carrying 167 passengers, 22 crew members, 42 cars, 14 trucks and 2 two-wheeled vehicles. The Central Port Authority of Lavrio, which was conducting the preliminary investigation, initially prohibited the departure of the ship. After the repair of the damage and the presentation of a certificate of seaworthiness by the monitoring classification society, the ship was permitted to execute the scheduled route.