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English fisheries inspectors arrested and inspected five Belgian beam trawlers in the Bristol Channel. The trawlers had to stop fishing and procered to an English port. There, computers were confiscated. The crews were also arrested. A One of the trawlers inspected was the 'Z-26 Avanti' of Steve Depaepe from Damme. Skipper of the beam trawler is Clancy Snauwaert. The ship had to sail eight hours to Newlyn. The hard drives of the on-board computers were confiscated there. The fishermen were placed under arrest and considered suspicious, but they were not told what we were suspected of. Eventually, after a long wait, they were released again, but did not get the hard drives back. Without them, you cannot fish regularly. Because they did not have any spare drives on board, they had to return to Zeebrugge. All in all, there were three days of fishing loss which cost then at least 40,000 to 50,000 euros.’Minister Crevits took the matter very seriously and has visited the crew of the trawler in Zeebrugge.

The US Coast Guard interdicted and detained 12 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing and seized approximately 1,400 pounds of fish in federal waters off southern Texas, on April 21, 2025. The Coast Guard Cutters 'Alert' and 'Jacob Poroo' along with the Coast Guard Station South Padre Island, and the Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center watch standers, detected and interdicted a total of 12 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing north of the Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) in the Gulf of Mexico. After interdicting three lanchas, Coast Guard crews took the fishermen into custody, brought them ashore, and transferred them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for processing. Coast Guard personnel also seized approximately 550 pounds of red snapper, 850 pounds of shark, along with fishing gear and equipment found on board the vessels. The lanchas were seized/towed back Station South Padre Island. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4162139/coast-guard-detains-12-mexican-fishermen-seizes-1400-pounds-of-illegally-caught/

On April 10, 2025, the 'Multratug 17' was detained in Valletta with nine deficiencies, eight of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Certificate & Doc - Endorsement by flagstate Missing 2) Certificate & Doc - Tonnage certificate Not properly filled 3) Certificate & Doc - International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate Entries missing 4) Certificate & Doc - Ballast Water Management Certificate Missing 5) Certificate & Doc - Cargo Ship Safety Radio (incl exem)' Invalid 6) Safety of navigation - Nautical publications Missing 7) Pollution Prevention - AFS Supporting documentation Missing 8)) Emergency systems - Fire pumps and its pipes Insufficient pressure The tug was released again on April 21 and left the port en route to Tripoli via Marsaxlokk with an ETA as of April 24. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The salvage of the "Bayesian," which was due to start on April 20, has been postponed. The highly complex operation to raise the yach off Porticello is now scheduled to begin on April 27, one week later than planned, due to unfavourable weather conditions. However, the question also arises as to whether the Perini Navi shipyard bears any responsibility for the sinking of the yacht. The salvage operation is scheduled to be completed by mid-May. After being raised, the ship will be brought to the port of Termini Imerese near Palermo, where the public prosecutor's office is also located. The cost of the salvage operation is estimated at around US$30 million and will be covered by an international insurance consortium. On April 19 the Dutch crane vessel 'Hebo Lift 10' (IMO: 8010506) left the Port of Rotterdam. If weather conditions are favourable, it will arrive in Palermo on May 4, after which it will move to Porticello on May 5. Preparatory work on the wreck, including the dismantling of the rigging, is scheduled to begin as early as April 28. The yacht is considered structurally sound, and the 75-meter-high aluminum mast with six rows of spreaders is still firmly in place. The yacht is lying approximately 49 metres below the surface, which is a challenging depth for divers, likely requiring specialist equipmen, such as a saturation diving system. After dismantling the rigging, the hull will first be righted and secured against possible fuel leaks. Once the mast is removed, the divers will drain the fuel on board - approximately 18 tons - and rig the sailing yacht to the 'Hebo Lift 10', which will then perform a controlled lift to remove the 'Bayesian' from the water. Authorities plan for the wreckage to be completely recovered by the end of May. The Bayesian will then be transferred to the port of Termini Imerese, where it will be made available to the judiciary for technical and legal investigations. The salvage operation is considered crucial to determining the causes of the sinking. The Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating British Captain James Cutfield and two crew members for negligent average and negligent homicide: Chief Engineer Tim Parker Eaton and Deckhand Matthew Griffith, who was on watch on the bridge at the time of the accident. At the same time, the British Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has also launched its own technical investigation, which is currently suspended until the Italian judiciary completes its investigation. Technical experts from both countries will be granted access to the wreck to examine possible structural damage, human error, or technical defects.

The captain of the 'Glomar Venture' was seriously injured in the allision with a Siemens Gamesa wind turbine 24 kilometres off the coast of Callantsoog. He suffered serious facial fractures when he fell and hit a bench. Two crew members, the helmsman and the motorman, one of whom suffered several broken ribs after falling. also suffered broken bones. The crew mainly consisted of Ukrainians. Immediately after the accident, the Coast Guard and units of the KNRM came to help. After treating the injured on board, they were taken to hospital. The affected crew members were not yet approachable. The cause of the accident was still a complete mystery. The 'Glomar Venture' had completed a job and was on its way to Den Helder when the allision happened. It was a very routine trip. The damaged ship remained moored at the quay of Het Nieuwe Werk, in the closed section in its home port of Den Helder as of April 23, where further investigation had to be carried out. Various authorities are involved in this, including the water police and the Environment and Transport Inspectorate. After the accident investigations have been comloeted, the 'Glomar Venture' can be taken to a dry dock. There, further inspection will follow to see if there is any further damage. The insurance company is also involved in this. The Siemens Gamesa offshore wind turbine has been taken offline as investigations were carried out into the damage to the 11MW machine at a Vattenfall-owned project. The 'Glomar Venture' proceeded to Oudeschild on April 23 to the Damen Shipyards for further inspections. A 'Single voyage permit' was issued by the authorities for the departure from Den Helder. Prior to this, representatives of the National Unit (LE) of the water police and the Human Environment Inspectorate (ILT) had been on board. Report ith photos: https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/regio/noordkop/noordkop-denhelder/de-glomar-venture-na-rammen-windturbine-naar-texels-dok-gevaren/60804778.html

On April 22, 2025, at around 4 a.m., the cargo m/v 'Ever Memo' allided with the 'Wan Hai A09' (IMO 9555113) in the Port of Savannah zpon its arrival from Cristobal. The 'Ever Memo' was being turned by tugs in the turning basin when it made contact with the other ship with its stern. The 'Wan Hai A09' was in the middle of cargo operations with five cranes working. There was no serious damage, and the 'Wan Hai A 09' left the port again on April 23 en route to Cristobal. Video: https://www.instagram.com/salvage_and_wreck/reel/DIyK6fzy9eX/

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The Zr.Ms. 'Groningen' has intercepted three drug shipments in the Caribbean in one week. According to a report from Defense on April 23, 2025, hundreds of kilos of cocaine and marijuana were seized. The interceptions took place in the first week of April, but have only now been made public. A total of 1653 kilos of narcotics were seized, of which almost 600 kilos were hard drugs. Last week, the 'Groningen' left her temporary base in Curaçao. Although the Ministry of Defence no longer makes any statements about this ‘for security reasons’, the naval vessel has reportedly set course for its home port of Den Helder. It had served as a station ship in the Caribbean since Jan 23, 2025. Since then, it has intercepted almost 3,500 kilos of cocaine. The largest catch was made on Feb 2, when almost 2,820 kilos of cocaine were intercepted. The smugglers were forced to stop by targeted shots from an on-board helicopter that disabled the engine of their vessel. Five suspects were arrested and handed over to the American Coast Guard with the drugs. The Zr.Ms.' Friesland' will take the place of the Zr.Ms. 'Groningen'. Due to the same 'security considerations' it has not been announced when this sister ship will dock at the Parera naval base in the capital Willemstad.

The US Coast Guard interdicted and detained 12 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing and seized approximately 1,400 pounds of fish in federal waters off southern Texas, on April 21, 2025. The Coast Guard Cutters 'Alert' and 'Jacob Poroo' along with the Coast Guard Station South Padre Island, and the Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center watch standers, detected and interdicted a total of 12 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing north of the Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) in the Gulf of Mexico. After interdicting three lanchas, Coast Guard crews took the fishermen into custody, brought them ashore, and transferred them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for processing. Coast Guard personnel also seized approximately 550 pounds of red snapper, 850 pounds of shark, along with fishing gear and equipment found on board the vessels. The lanchas were seized/towed back Station South Padre Island. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4162139/coast-guard-detains-12-mexican-fishermen-seizes-1400-pounds-of-illegally-caught/

The police bomb squad was called out to Nedstrand in Rogaland on April 16, 2025, at 6:32 p.m., after a suspicious object was found on the 'Ryfylke'. On the toilet wall was an object that looked like a bomb, a box with a timer and wires. It was connected to a wall socket. The passenger who found it contacted the ferry crew, which checked the object on the wall and then called the police. 20 minutes later the ferry docked. The police then showed up, and the police bomb squad came from Oslo in a helicopter. The police evacuated several residents near the ferry location, among other things. The bomb squad was not ready until late at night. The 12 evacuees were able to return to their homes on April 17 at 03.18 a.m. The object was taken to Haugesund police station and the case will be investigated further. A young man has reportedly been arrested by police on suspicion of setting off the “alarm clock bomb”. The police believed it was placed on the ferry to create fear. He was charged with making serious threats. The person was first questioned as a witness on April 17. The police investigation has led to the man now having the status of a suspect, Repprts with photos: https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/KM9EK7/bombegruppen-paa-vei-mistenkelig-gjenstand-paa-ferge https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/73A7lw/helge-38-hittade-vackarklockebomb-pa-farja?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ2MM5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHiqeUcEL3bRbhMjXhHYsNr03wUY_k3koLC1doY6VJI4hpljBM9nI8RNXeQ51_aem_NsGHNwtsaGwZkiNNXqFFWA

The unloaded 'Invictus', en route from Beira to Fujairah, went adrift in the Indian Ocean after an engine room fire which broke out 508 nautical miles east of Mogadishu on the evening of April 22, 2025. The fire was extinguished on April 23 by noon. The state of the engines was unknown due to engine room flooding.An Indian Navy vessel sailing nearby has provided emergency medical assistance to a Filipino crew member of the 'Invictus', who suffered burns. The naval ship, however, did not medevac the man, and the vessel’s managers were looking for ways to get him off the 'Invictus'. The other crew members remained on board as well. European Union naval forces in the area were monitoring the situation. As of April 3, the tanker was NUC in po. 02° 06' N 053° 33' E.

The fire damaged ' Grande Brase'will not be repaired. The ship hasleft the port of Antwerp on April 19, being towed by the tug 'Eraclea' (IMO: 9499656), on its last voyage to breakers in Aliaga with an ETA as of May 16. During the preparatory work, the ship's horn was accidentally activated at 2 a.m. and could be switched off only at 7.30 a.m. The police in Beveren was besieged with complaints of the loud noise. The police and local political leaders continued to investigate the issue. While the ship was leaving port, it was assisted by the tugs 'Multragut 7' as steering tug and 'VB Jade' at starboard side. Report with photos and video: https://x.com/i/status/1913632529115914429 https://www.tugspotters.com/app/content/2025/04/eraclea-met-grande-brasile-naar-turkije/ https://www.shippingitaly.it/2025/04/22/in-rotta-verso-aliaga-turchia-la-nave-incendiata-grande-brasile-di-grimaldi/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ2HmlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnRK2uqS17OBaHdVPTOwi6NC9VeGMXZFaK2Rn0vwRqGOA8R42dURacXYwZsF_aem_tm7BUudKE4aHu0O5la81Hg

On April 22, 2025, at around 4 a.m., the container m/v 'Ever Memo' (IMO: 9935372) allided with the 'Wan Hai A09' in the Port of Savannah zpon its arrival from Cristobal.. The 'Ever Memo' was being turned by tugs in the turning basin when it made contact with the other ship with its stern. The 'Wan Hai A09' was in the middle of cargo operations with five cranes working. There was no serious damage, and the 'Wan Hai A 09' left the port again on April 23 en route to Cristobal. Video: https://www.instagram.com/salvage_and_wreck/reel/DIyK6fzy9eX/

A Florida jury has awarded a cumulative $2,888,300 in damages to three former crew members of the 'Utopia IV', as a result of a lawsuit against the yacht and Utopia Yachting LLC. The plaintiffs, Eric Ward, Samuel Parrott and Fred Wennberg, filed suit under the Jones Act for negligence, unseaworthiness and failure to provide prompt and adequate maintenance, cure and wages following the collision with the tanker 'Tropic Breeze' (IMO: 8906315) on the night of Dec 23, 2021, approximately 15 miles north-northwest of New Providence Island. According to court documents, each plaintiff claims to have been injured in the collision, for which the defendants have "admitted liability". The complaint, which was initially filed on Nov 22, 2022, officially went to trial on March 24, 2025. with the jury set to decide whether each of the three Plaintiffs were injured in the collision, and, if so, the extent of their injuries and to then fairly compensate them for their injuries based on the testimony and evidence presented. An accident report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) previously found that the collision was caused by the yacht crew not maintaining a lookout. At the time of the accident, the 'Utopia IV' was carrying seven charter guests and 12 crew members. She was en route to Bimini Island when she hit the stern of the tanker at 10.00pm. The force of the collision pierced the hull, and the tanker sank at a depth of 2,000 metres. The 'Utopia IV' was sailing at 20 knots when she struck the tanker. The captain was not in the wheelhouse, having left 12 minutes prior to check on the guests.The bosun, who was left in the wheelhouse, was not certified as mate or captain and therefore was not allowed by regulations to perform watchstanding duties by himself. The bosun was multitasking and logging navigation data, and therefore was distracted from performing effective lookout duties. The tanker was sailing at a speed of five knots, carrying a cargo of marine gas oil and liquid petroleum gas. The captain of the 'Tropic Breeze' had also left the wheelhouse to use the restroom prior to the incident. None of the watchstanders on both ships reported seeing the other vessel on radar, which was set to a three-mile radius, while visibility was good, in spite of bow spray reported to have been collecting on the windshield of the 'Utopia IV'. Given the relative speed of both vessels, it was likely that none of the watchstanders had looked at the radar in the 12 minutes before the collision or completed a visual assessment of the surroundings. CCTV in the galley of the 'Utopia IV' captured the moment of the collision. Equipment and several of the yacht's crew were thrown to the deck or into bulkheads; three crew reportedly sustained minor injuries. Utopia IV’s captain was in the main dining area and was thrown into the forward bulkhead and door frame. The chief engineer of the 'Tropic Breeze' investigated the damage and discovered that the engine room was flooding rapidly. The captain made a VHF distress call and decided to abandon the vessel; a life-raft was launched. Meanwhile, the 'Utopia IV’s chief engineer restarted the yacht’s engines, which had shut down after the collision, and a distress call was made from the wheelhouse. The yacht attempted to rescue the crew from the tanker, but sea swells prevented them from boarding. The tanker crew were eventually rescued by the passing m/y 'Amara', which had heard the distress calls and diverted its course to assist. The 'Utopia IV’s chief stewardess told investigators she saw the 'Tropic Breeze’s navigation lights illuminated following the collision. According to the 'Utopia IV’s crew, Utopia IV’s lights were all on. 156,500 gallons of marine gas oil was lost with the tanker. The accident resulted in nearly $7.9 million in damages. As the 'Utopia IV' had approached the 'Tropic Breeze' from directly astern, the yacht as the overtaking vessel was required by 72 COLREGS to give way to the tanker. However, as the watchstanders on both vessels had failed to maintain a proper lookout, they were unable to identify the risk of collision and respond suitably. Although the Utopia IV bore responsibility as the overtaking vessel to manoeuvre away from the tank vessel, once the yacht’s intentions were unclear and a close-quarters situation had developed, the tank er should have taken action. The NTSB investigators concluded that the probable cause of the collision was the 'Utopia IV’s wheelhouse crew not maintaining a proper lookout and therefore not identifying the vessel they were overtaking, but with contribution from the 'Tropic Breeze’s bridge team also not maintaining a proper lookout, which is required by the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 and is essential in determining the risk of collision. Full report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2229.pdf

On April 23, 2025, at noon, the Volos Port Authority was informed following a complaint that the 'Express Jet', which was about to sail for the ports of the northern Sporades, had exceeded the load line. Following an inspection by a “Paris MOU” inspector and information from an authorized organization monitoring the ship, it was determined that the ferry was exempt from the load line. The ship was carrying 227 passengers and 16 crew members, while according to the safety certificate its capacity is 430 people. The ship was scheduled to depart at 2:30 p.m. and finally sailed at 3:51 pp.m.

The "Bremerhaven" will not be repaired. A fire in the engine room of the bucket-chain dredger, which had resulted from a technical damage, severely damaged the vessel on Nov 21, 2024. The fire department was deployed with a large contingent to Neustadt Port on that morning. The cause was a cable fire on a dredger. According to the fire department, 28 vehicles, including several boats, were on site. According to an expert's estimate, the repairs would cost at least €2.5 million. This expenditure is also justified given the age of the vessel, which will be broken up. Photos: https://www.brv-zeitung.de/Nachrichten/Eimerkettenbagger-tt510398.html

The 'Sea Panther', sailing more than 100 nautical miles south of the Nigerian coast, was boarded on April 21 by four perpetrators. They approached the vessel at high speed in a black-hulled craft and remained aboard for nearly four hours, taking personal property and equipment from the tanker, before fleeing. The captain and crew were well-prepared and followed mitigation recommendations, quickly fleeing to the citadel, where they remained during the incident. The perpetrators may have tried to enter the citadel, or it was a possible attempt at kidnapping because the pirates remained aboard for nearly four hours. The crew was unharmed. The vessel had departed Lomé on April 20 and arrived on April 23 at Douala.

The "Le Lapérouse" conducted a rescue operation on April 21, 2025, for a migrant boat off the coast of Gavdos Island, Crete. Alerted by maritime authorities, the expedition ship rescued 75 migrants, including three children, who were aboard a boat in distress 20 miles south of the island. The crew provided life jackets, water, food, and essential medical assistance. Report with photo: https://lemarin.ouest-france.fr/shipping/un-navire-de-ponant-porte-secours-a-75-migrants-au-large-de-la-grece-6a3654be-203a-11f0-87cd-08a4dcb5c93e

The 7-meter sailboat 'Aurora' with three crew members on board requested assistance due to an engine failure on April 23, 2025, near the port of Estepona. The CCS Tarifa of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Gadir', which took the yacht in tow and pulled it safely to the port.

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