A ruptured hydraulic hose spraying fuel on a hot engine caused a fire aboard the 'Desperado' in Louisiana’s Lake Salvador, according to a report of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which was published on July 10, 2024, on Feb 17,2023, when the tug was transiting near Bayou Perot. The three crew members - the captain and two deckhands - were unable to extinguish the blaze with portable extinguishers. They quickly secured ventilation and fuel to the engine room and evacuated to a nearby vessel. By the time a fire boat arrived, the fire had already been extinguished. The captain, who also owned the vessel, had over 30 years of maritime experience. Since 2010, he had served as captain on 21 inland towing vessels similar to the Desperado. The two deckhands, each with about three months of maritime experience, had worked together with the captain since the vessel entered service in mid-November 2022. NTSB investigators praised the crew’s prompt actions to remove the fuel and oxygen sources, which helped limit the fire damage and extinguish the flames. No pollution or injuries were reported, and the damage to the vessel was estimated at $30,000. The NTSB investigators identified issues with the installation of the hydraulic hose. Contrary to manufacturer guidance, the hose exceeded its bend radius and lacked proper clamps, fittings, or protective covering. Full report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2418.pdf
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OLIVER
The "Oliver" with 340 passengers on board, which had left Split on July 25, 2024, at 10.30 a.m. bound for Vela Luka and was scheduled to arrive shortly after 1 p.m., arrived in Korčula only in the evening with the help of a tug, after after technical failure occurred, which caused the failure of both main engines. The crew tried to solve this problem for about half an hour and temporarily succeeded, but the technical problem arose again.
PAXOS EXPRESS
On June 25 at noon, the Port Authority of Lefkimmi was informed about mechanical damage to the starboard side main engine of the 'Paxos Express', which was carrying out a scheduled route from the port of Corfu to the port of Gaios Paxos. The ship sailed under its own power and safely to the port of Lefkimmi, where it disembarked its 45 passengers. The Port Authority of Lefkimmi banned the ship from sailing until the repair of the damage was confirmed by the attending classification society.
C. EPSILON
En route from Ceuta to Abu Qir the crew of the 'C Epsilon' spotted a person in boat, which was adrift/26 nautical miles off the coast on July 25, 2024. The CSS of Salvamento Marítimo in Almería was notified and mobilized the lifeboat 'Salvamar Spica', which rescued the man, while the cargo ship remained on standby. Report with photos: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1816443058235293760
GOVT VESSEL 67
The commanding officer of the USS 'Cole', Cmdr. Tim Clark, was transferred to the aircraft carrier USS 'Theodor Rossevelt'' for undisclosed medical reasons, the Navy said in a statement on July 23, 2024. Capt. Ryan Leary, deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 23, temporarily assumed command of the 'Cole'. The Navy did not indicate the seriousness of Clark’s medical condition. The Navy couldn’t say on July 24 if Clark was still aboard the 'Theodor Roosevelt' or receiving medical treatment. The 'Cole' was on a scheduled deployment to the 5th Fleet area of operations, which includes the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman Since at least November, the Navy has kept a nearly continuous presence in the Red Sea as part of the Operation Prosperity Guardian mission to protect ships in the waterway against Houthi militant attacks. In June, the 'Dwight D. Eisenhower' Carrier Strike Group left the area after nearly seven months. It returned to Norfolk on July 14 after a historic nine-month deployment. The 'Theodore Roosevelt' Carrier Strike Group entered the 5th Fleet area of responsibility on July 12. On Monday, the group was in the Gulf of Aden.
SLAVYANIN
The Ukrainian Navy, along with other units of defence forces, have severely damaged the 'Slavyani' in the port of Kavkaz on July 23, 2024. The Russians had utilised this ferry to move railway carriages, trucks and containers for military objectives. The 'Slavyanin' was the Russian Federation's third and last railway ferry in this region. This operation significantly blows Russian logistics, potentially disrupting their supply lines and military transport capabilities. Report with photo: https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/07/23/ukrainian-military-severely-damage-russian-ferry-slavyanin-in-kavkaz-port/
ANDROS KING
The Greek shipping company Golden Star Ferries on July 24, 2024,has officially announced the purchase of the 'Volcán de Taburiente' from Naviera Armas which, it was inspecting in person in La Palma last February. The Greek shipping company, in a press release issued this day, announced: "Golden Star Ferries, within the framework of reliability, responsibility and evolution, is pleased to announce the purchase, with equal funds, of F/B Volcán de Taburiente ( ...). Our new acquisition will be one of the newest and most modern ships operating in the Greek seas and will mark the beginning of a new phase of development, making Golden Star Ferries a landmark in Greece. At the same time, it will contribute to further developing the group of islands that will be activated, improving their transportation needs and serving local communities. The ship will leave for Greece in September to operate in the Aegean Sea, although first it will have to undergo a remodeling to comply with Greek regulations, and will be renamed 'Golden Star'.
PACIFIC 01
The 'Pacific 01' was attacked by Yemen's Houthi terrorists in the Red Sea early on July 26, 2024, but the ship's crew was unharmed. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center initially reported the ship had been struck by a missile off the port city of Hodeida but later on July 26 said that a further inspection of the vessel in daylight found no damage. The ship was continuing on its way. The private security firm Ambrey said the tanker with armed guards aboard had a near miss on July 25 off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. Tthe ship had been Israel-affiliated but changed owners in February. The tanker previously had been owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which has been repeatedly targeted by the Houthis. That company is ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.
JSW RAIGAD
The 'JSW Raigad' ran aground in severe weather conditions on July 25, 2024, at 1.27 p.m. on rocks after dragging anchor between Jaigar and Salav, off the Kolaba Fort, an old fortified maritime base located in Alibag in the Raigad district. The engine room was breached and started flooding. The Raigad district administration provided assistance in the rescue operation. The Coast Guard could not reach the spot, but was monitoring the situation. The vessel was two nautical miles away from the shore. On the morning of Juzly 26 the 14 crew members were taken off by a CG helicopter and dropped off at Alibag beach. The ICG station Murud Janjira coordinated with local authorities for further aid. Reports with photos and video: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/cargo-ship-with-15-crew-members-run-aground-off-kolaba-fort-in-raigad-101721935413082.html https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/14-crew-members-rescued-after-maritime-vessel-ran-aground-off-raigads-kolaba-fort20240726104805/ https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/14-crew-members-rescued-from-bulk-carrier-off-raigad-coast-3123250 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dnys0vr_7po https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7dmSOLZD8U https://x.com/htTweets/status/1816457500058612134
GRIGORIY MIKHEEV
The Russian Emergencies Ministry reported the death of Dmitry Okhrimenko, head of the firefighting service for the Arkhangelsk region, on July 24, 2024, after he was helping to extinguish a fire on the 'Grigory Mikheyev'. However, his death was not related to the fire on the vessel. The exact circumstances under which Okhrimenko died were not specified. The federal Emergencies Ministry statement said that on the day of his death, Dmitry Okhrimenko was "on duty." The fire on the 'Grigory Mikheyev', which was moored in Solombala, occurred on the afternoon of July 24. There were 15 crew members and eight expedition members on the vessel. 22 people evacuated on their own. The automatic fire extinguishing system was activated The first fire and rescue units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia arrived at the scene within seven minutes. Firefighters brought one victim to fresh air and handed him over to doctors. There was no information about his health condition. The search for the source of the fire was complicated by heavy smoke. The fire brigade managed to cope with the fire an hour after the fire alarm was raised. Three units of the gas and rescue service worked in an environment unsuitable for breathing. Foam generators were sent to extinguish the fire. In total, 10 units of fire-fighting equipment and more than 35 specialists were involved. At 4:45 p.m., the fire was extinguished on an area of 20 square meters. Barrels have been brought in to cool the vessel. The cause of the fire was being determined. Reports with photos: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/6852498 https://www.dvinainform.ru/incidents/2024/07/25/73833.html
ST NIKOLAS
Iran has released the 'St. Nikolas' without the cargo one million barrels of Iraqi crude oil. The seizure was in retaliation against the ship’s manager, the Empire Navigation, Greece. In 2023, the Empire Navigation helped the US authorities to seize the Iranian cargo aboard the vessel, formerly named 'Suez Rajan'. The US Court ordered the seizure of Iranian cargo from Suez Rajan. In August 2023, the Iranian cargo was offloaded from the vessel at the Texas coast. Following this, the tanker was renamed and returned to the Middle East. It was seized along with its cargo by Iran on Jan 11. The oil cargo has been transferred through ship-to-ship onto the 'T.'Semahat' (IMO: 9804148) near Larak Island between July 23 and 25 . Tupris, a Turkish refiner, stated that it had purchased the crude oil from SOMO, an Iraqi state oil company. The refiner also noted that the crude oil is now destined for the refinery and scheduled to arrive in September. The 'T.SEMAHAT was moored at Khor Fakkan Anchorage on July 26.
HMS DAUNTLESS
The planned sailing of the HMS 'Dauntless' from Portsmouth has been cancelled due to engineering issues on July 24, 2024. The ship was due to leave the city and travel past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth at 3 p.m.,
OVERSEAS SANTORINI
Collectives, associations, unions and political parties from all over Andalusia met on July 23, 2024, to organize actions in the Port of Algeciras to reject the possible docking of the 'Overseas Santorini'. The tanker had sailed from Corpus Christi (Texas), bound for the port of Ashkelon, transporting 300,000 barrels of military fuel for F-16 and F-35 aircraft of the Israeli air force and is scheduled to stop in Algeciras next July 30. The group of activists and organized people, in collaboration with the Solidarity Network Against the Occupation of Palestine (RESCOP), echoed the 'No port for genocide' campaign launched by the Progressive International, Disrupt Power, the Palestinian Institute for Public Diplomacy, Valero outside Corpus and the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature. The campaign calls on Mediterranean port cities to refuse to allow these tankers to dock at their facilities.
ARGOS GEORGIA
The "Argos Georgia", which ended up in a storm off the Falkland Islands, in all probability collided with a large block of ice. At this time of year, it should be common for large blocks of ice to float in the sea and pose a risk of sinking. 14 people survived the accident, Nine people lost their lives. The survivors have been taken to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for a health check. Everything indicated that there was little or no physical damage to the fishermen. Six crew members from Spain have survived the accident. These were scheduled to be brought home in a military plane on July 26. Before, the four Galicians (three from Ribeira and one from Pontevedra), one from Barcelona and a resident of Sovocos (Albacete), Amparo Burguillos, who was on the ship as a scientific observer, made a statement. Two more Spaniards were dead and two were missing. It is assumed that the missing were also dead, and the search operation has ended due to bad weather in the area. The Falkland Islands Government announced the request for support to the vessels that may be in the area and all other possible options to find the four missing, including the Galicians Antonio Barreiro Torea and Juan Antonio García Rey. The 'Robin M. Lee', with the last survivor, an Indonesian citizen who received remote medical assistance through a Vithas hospital service with a medical team from Vigo. and one deceased on board, and the 'Puerto Toro', which was carrying the bodies of the other eight deceased, have arrived at the port of Stanley on the afternoon of July 25. The survivorwas suffering from hypothermia as a result of the low temperatures in the area where the shipwreck occurred, as well as cardiac arrhythmia, ailments for which he was treated on the 'Robin M. Lee' to the point of being fully recovered.
AGIOS GEORGIOS
On June 23, at around 9.15 a.m. the 'Agios Georgios', with 12 passengers and 70 vehicles on board, suffered mechanical damage to the port side main engine about 4.7 nautical miles north of Iraklion. The Port Authority of Iraklion was notified, while the ferry proceeded safely to the port of Iraklion. The Central Port Authority initially banned the ship from sailing. After a certificate of class mainentance and seaworthynesss was issued by the monitoring classification society, the ferry was permitted to continue sailing on its scheduled service.
CG BERNARD C WEBBER
The small boat of the 'Bernard C. Webber' and Broward County Sheriff's officers rescued two people on July 25, 2024, after their vessel caught fire 11 miles east of Dania Beach. Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders received a report via channel 16 of a 41-foot cabin cruiser taking on water at approximately 1:25 p.m. Sector Miami watchstanders also launched Station Fort Lauderdale. A Coast Guard Auxiliary aircrew also responded and provided overflight support to Sector Miami and boat crews on scene. The small boat crew located two people on a life raft before bringing them aboard with no medical concerns. The Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue boat crews extinguished the fire. The Coast Guard boat crew transferred the two survivors to Broward Sheriff's officers who brought them ashore. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3850347/coast-guard-partner-agencies-rescue-2-people-from-vessel-fire-near-dania-beach/
ULTRA GALAXY
Salvage work on the 'Ultra Galaxy' was continuing, more than two weeks after the vessel ran aground on the evening of July 9 off the coast of Duiwegat, just south of Brand se Baai. The crew of 18 Filipino seafarers, which was taken ashore at St. Helena Bay, has since been evacuated to their homes in the Philippines. The immediate emergency phase of the salvage operation has concluded. This phase included the search and recovery of flotsam and other debris from the ship and sealing the fuel tanks to prevent any oil from spilling into the sea. The salvage company Smit International has been appointed to carry on the next phase, which involved dive inspections that were conductedduring the recent days to recheck the structural integrity of the ship and fuel tanks. In the coming days, a specialised monitoring system will be installed to track the ship’s movement, stresses, and bending moments. This system will help determine the best method to safely bring the ship upright and remove it from the beach. In addition, a bathymetric survey or a water depth survey was being conducted in the water surrounding the ship and further off the coastline. A Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) would be brought in and anchored offshore to help stabilise the Ultra Galaxy. Missing in the sea or along the beaches from Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay was debris that may wash up on the beach, items such as cargo bags, steel hatch covers or other flotsam. The cargo bags will have contained fertiliser although should have dissolved. The SAMSA requested that any items found should be reported to them through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303. The public was also advised not to attempt to salvage any debris themselves. It is important to properly dispose of any debris to minimise harm to people and the environment. In case of an oil spill from the shipwreck, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) remains on standby and ready to respond should seabirds become affected. Report with photo: http://africaports.co.za/#8746
SOLENT FLYER
On the morning of July 25, 2024, there was a cross-Solent travel disruption as the 'Solent Flyer' has developed a fault, leaving the service with no available craft. Services have resumed as of 08:45 a.m. from Ryde.
BONHOMME WILLIAM
The 'Bonhomme William' suffered an interaction with orcas. Within minutes it was reported that she was suffering from a leak and that she was sinking on the night of July 23, 2024, when it was sailing between the waters of Tarifa and Barbate. The RCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Tarifa deployed the SAR boat 'Salvamar 'Enif' to the scene, which was able to rescue the three crew members. They were transferred to Barbate. However, the yacht sank. Report with photo: https://www.lavozdigital.es/provincia/velero-hunde-cerca-barbate-tras-ataque-orcas-20240725111045-ntv.html