-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Freighter troubled in Bulgarian waters, tilt and list after water ingress Aoû 01, 2020 at 14:45. Romania general cargo ship DENIZ S ran into trouble in Bulgarian waters off Obzor, northeast of Burgas, on Jul 31. There was water ingress in forepeak area, ship developed fore tilt and portside list. During Jul 31 the ship reportedly and according to track, was towed to Burgas. Since late Jul 31, the ship was positioned in the middle of Burgas port entrance, status unclear. As of 1430 UTC Aug 1 she remained in the same position, with 2-3 tugs at her side and nearby. Understood salvage under way and she’s considered too unstable to be docked at port. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hamburg Sud owned container ship disabled by fire at Balboa, Panama Aoû 02, 2020 at 04:57. Container ship CAP JACKSON reportedly suffered fire in engine room while at anchor at Balboa, Panama, where she arrived on Jul 29 from Manzanillo Mexico. 1 crew injured, one generator completely destroyed. CAP JACKSON port of call was Puerto Colon, she was to transit Canal. As of 0430 UTC Aug 2, she remained at anchor. CAP JACKSON operates on the MPS service for Hapag-Lloyd and the MCPS service for Hamburg Sud, from Livorno Italy through the Panama Canal and north to ports in the US and Vancouver Canada. Hapag-Lloyd, a slot charterer on the Mediterranean Pacific Service (MPS), already notified its’ clients on this accident. She’s to be undergo repairs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dutch cargo ship fire, Izmir Aoû 02, 2020 at 07:38. Fire erupted in reportedly, container, on board of multipurpose cargo ship FWN SPLENDIDE, berthed at Izmir Turkey, in the afternoon Aug 1. Fire was extinguished by firefighter engines in about an hour, understood it didn’t spread further, but number of damaged containers is unknown. As of 0730 UTC Aug 2, the ship remained berthed at Izmir. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ferry sank off Samui island, 7 missing, Thailand UPDATE Aoû 02, 2020 at 08:42. Aug 3 UPDATE: 1 body (skipper) was recovered, and 2 persons were rescued. 4 remain missing, SAR continues. Ferry RAJA 4 was caught in rough weather at night Aug 1, capsized and sank, while en route from Koh Samui island to Donsak Ferry Pier, Surat Tani province, Thailand, Gulf of Siam. There were 12 crew and 4 passengers (3 truck drivers and 1 woman) on board, and a cargo of garbage, 3 big lorries and a pickup. Police patrol boats and RIBs responded, 9 people were rescued, 7 remain missing. Passenger ro-ro cargo ship RAJA 4, IMO 7812517, GT 324, built 1978, flag Thailand, operator Raja Ferry Plc (Don Sak - Koh Samui ferry line). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sightseeing boat capsized in Bangkok, 75 tourists narrow escape Aoû 02, 2020 at 15:16. River sightseeing boat Lai Si Chan 1 with 75 passengers aboard interrupted her scenic trip along Chao Praya river in Bangkok in the afternoon Aug 2, and headed for nearest pier, after boat started to take water and list starboard. Boat made it to pier just in time to safely disembark passengers. All were safely evacuated, no injures reported. The boat capsized and sank along pier, with parts of superstructure remaining above the waterline. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Armed guard rioted, took control of bulk carrier Aoû 03, 2020 at 07:32. Rather unusual incident involving armed guard took place on board of bulk carrier JAEGER, manager by one of the biggest bulk carriers operating companies, Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. On Jul 21 JAEGER took on board 3-men strong security team in Arabian sea while en route from Singapore to Suez, understood from private security vessel or boat, to provide safe passage via Gulf of Aden and Red sea. Once on board, one of the guards did not surrender his weapon to the vessel’s Captain as protocol requires, and then took control of the ship, as he voiced his grievances and demanded several months wage delay. According to Eagle Bulk Statement: “Eagle Bulk in coordination with maritime security experts, worked to deescalate the situation and after a period of approximately three days, the guard surrendered his weapon and allowed the ship to continue on its original course”. Reportedly he was disembarked on Aug 1, not clear how, where and by what means. As of 0700 UTC Aug 3, the ship was already in Suez Canal on a northbound transit. Eagle Bulk has nothing to do, of course, with guard’s wage delays, it’s security agency’s fault, but on the other hand, if Eagle Bulk is hiring low-rate security (like many other owners and operators do, in GoA region), Eagle Bulk is partially responsible for incidents involving armed guards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Oil tanker grounded by river pilots in Congo River Aoû 03, 2020 at 08:59. The Oil Products Tanker VENLO is the second oil tanker to be grounded in the past two months due to river pilots ignoring marker buoys. In June, the Oil tanker SEA FORCE had to be pushed off a sandbank by a tugboat brought from Pointe Noire to Boma. Fortunately, the ship sustained no damage. Charterers suffered costs and 3 days delay. The VENLO was grounded on Friday 31 July as the ship was approaching Kuntuala Terminal near to Boma, DR Congo. It was clear that the ship was being directed some 200m to the wrong side of a navigation buoy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another cruise shipping company stops operation Aoû 03, 2020 at 13:30. Last week the FTI Group announced to discontinue various divisions, brands, and subsidiaries. Major restructuring due to the consequences caused by the corona pandemic leads to the decision. One of the affected subsidiaries is the one-ship shipping company FTI Cruises operating the small classic cruise ship MS BERLIN. She was built in 1980 and carried up to 412 passengers on her trips to the Caribbean. MS BERLIN moored in Málaga, Spain with little movement since May 2020. The vessel will be offered for sale. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Container ship contacted lock wall, inflicting serious damages, Kiel Canal Aoû 04, 2020 at 05:07. Container ship BOMAR VALOUR contacted wall at new North Lock in Brunsbuettel, while entering Kiel Canal, at around midday Aug 1. Accident was caused reportedly, by the delay with handling stern mooring line. Lock wall was severely damaged, suffering a hole or dent of 10x1 meters, 4 meters deep, size. The ship was said to sustain slight damages, she was allowed to continue voyage from Bremerhaven to Helsinki, where she arrived in the morning Aug 4. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crane Crash Kills 11 in India's Premier Shipyard Aoû 04, 2020 at 06:33. A huge jetty crane at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, India crashed and killed 11 workers. As per the Indian government, the incident took place during load testing of the crane, which weighs a staggering 70 tonne. During the test, the crane crashed along with 10 workers in the same cabin, consisting of engineers and other shipyard workers. The workers did not survive the crash, giving up to the huge iron structure. On investigation, it was found that the cabin got separated from the base of the crane during testing, with the crane coming down with a loud thud. HSL officials announced an inquiry by a core team into the accident, headed by engineers across multidisciplinary fronts from one of India's premier engineering colleges. Apart from probing into structural defects, the team would also see if there was any human error that caused such a mishap. The port city of Visakhapatnam is of vital importance to India as it houses the Eastern Command of the Indian Navy, apart from many other naval bases. Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), is one of India's premier shipyards, having manufactured a multitude of submarines, corvettes, frigates, and surveillance ships for the Indian Navy, as well as the Indian Coast Guard. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LPG tanker engine room fire, Antwerp Aoû 04, 2020 at 09:32. Fire erupted in engine room of a PLG tanker MORITZ SCHULTE, berthed in Atwerp at Industrial Dock, ESSO Refinery, in the morning Aug 4. ESSO and city fire engines responded, fire was extinguished, one person treated for smoke inhalation. No news on damages yet. Tanker arrived at Antwerp on Aug 2 from the UK. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Korean freighter grounding, Nagoya Aoû 04, 2020 at 15:09. General cargo ship DONG MYUNG ACE ran aground in front of Tobishima, Nagoya, at around 0500 UTC Aug 4, on arrival from Funabashi, Japan. The ship was refloated at around 0700 UTC with high tide, and tug assistance, and safely berthed. No information on damages. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capesize bulker broke off moorings, contacted berthed container ship VIDEO Aoû 04, 2020 at 16:43. Capesize bulk carrier CHINA STEEL GROWTH, moored to mooring buoys in Kaohsiung Harbor in front of container terminal, broke off her moorings when strong storm hit Kaohsiung at around 0400 LT (UTC + Aug 4. Giant ship drifted astern, and contacted by stern berthed WAN HAI container ship. Both ships reportedly, were damaged. Gantry crane was reportedly, also contacted, but luckily, that contact resulted in just some sparks. Understood contacted container ship is WAN HAI 162, she unmoored at around 0830 LT, left harbor and was anchored at Kaohsiung outer anchorage. As of 1630 UTC, she remained in the same position.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beirut port explosion mystery solved? UPDATES: 3 ships disappeared. VIDEO Aoû 04, 2020 at 18:40. Aug 5 1515 UTC UPDATE: Cruise ship ORIENT QUEEN, berthed at Beirut near blast site, was seriously damaged, started taking on water, capsized and sank starboard along berth, remaining partially above waterline. 2 crew reportedly (but not yet confirmed) died. Aug 5 0730 UTC UPDATE: Three ships were berthed near explosion site, AIS of all these ships are off during last 14-16 hours, immediately or shortly after, the blast. General cargo ship MERO STAR, IMO 8321682, dwt 4110; general cargo ship RAOUF H, IMO 8325535, dwt 6343; Livestock carrier JOURI, IMO 9174775, GT 4033. Aug 5 UPDATE: In Jul 2014, I’ve been asked by one of Russian national newspapers to investigate the story of general cargo ship RHOSUS, stranded in Beirut with cargo of ammonium nitrate, following the letter they received from the Captain of the ship. That’s what I found out: General cargo vessel RHOSUS called Beirut, Lebanon, in October last year. Vessel loaded with ammonium nitrate was destined for another country, the reason she called Beirut is unclear, maybe for supplies or due to some mechanical trouble. RHOSUS was detained after PSC inspection, which found a number of deficiencies. Since then vessel is stranded in Beirut. By now only four crew stay on board – Master (Russian nationality), Chief and Third Engineers and Bosun, all of them Ukrainians. Vessel was owned and operated by Mr. Grechushkin Igor, Russian citizen now Cyprus resident (last known manager Teto Shipping, Cyprus). RHOSUS actually, is abandoned – owner doesn’t communicate, doesn’t pay salaries, doesn’t provide supplies. Owner of the cargo declared abandonment, too. Beirut authorities don’t permit the remaining crew to leave the vessel and fly to home. The reason is obvious, port authorities don’t want to be left with abandoned vessel on their hands, loaded with dangerous cargo, explosives, in fact. Why don’t they want to arrest vessel with cargo, to release the crew and replace it with temporary local crew, is unclear. Many believe that yesterday's explosion in Beirut was caused by that ammonium nitrate cargo on board of RHOSUS. Probably. A powerful explosion occurred in Beirut port area on Aug 4, killing and injuring dozens of people, and causing widespread damage. As of evening Aug 4, there’s no clarity with regards to the cause of explosion/explosions, and what triggered it. Russian witness insists he saw the ship on fire prior to blast, he managed to record fire and explosions on his mobile phone.
Crew kept hostages on a floating bomb – m/v Rhosus, Beirut Jul 23, 2014 at 08:27. General cargo vessel RHOSUS called Beirut, Lebanon, in October last year. Vessel loaded with ammonium nitrate was destined for another country, the reason she called Beirut is unclear, maybe for supplies or due to some mechanical trouble. RHOSUS was detained after PSC inspection, which found a number of deficiencies. Since then vessel is stranded in Beirut. By now only four crew stay on board – Master (Russian nationality), Chief and Third Engineers and Bosun, all of them Ukrainians. Vessel was owned and operated by Mr. Grechushkin Igor, Russian citizen now Cyprus resident (last known manager Teto Shipping, Cyprus). RHOSUS actually, is abandoned – owner doesn’t communicate, doesn’t pay salaries, doesn’t provide supplies. Owner of the cargo declared abandonment, too. Beirut authorities don’t permit the remaining crew to leave the vessel and fly to home. The reason is obvious, port authorities don’t want to be left with abandoned vessel on their hands, loaded with dangerous cargo, explosives, in fact. Why don’t they want to arrest vessel with cargo, to release the crew and replace it with temporary local crew, is unclear. Russian and Ukrainian authorities do nothing, while as it seems, their involvement is a must, in order to achieve some kind of agreement with Beirut authorities, and work out a joint plan either to replace the crew with locals unconditionally, or finance the crew and vessel until she’s auctioneed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cocaine found in parasite tube, attached to US tanker hull Aoû 05, 2020 at 06:12. Police detected so-called “parasite”, a steel tube attached to, understood, underwater hull of a product tanker MTM POTOMAC, docked at Santo Tomas De Castilla, Guatemala, where she arrived on Aug 4 from Colombia. Tube was filled with packages containing, it is believed, cocaine, 56 packages in total. Interestingly, there was a GPS transmitter in tube, to track the shipment and help traffickers, who were to receive the drugs, to locate it. Crew and ship’s management weren’t mentioned, understood they’re clear of suspicions and have nothing to do with drug trafficking. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gantry crane collapsed in Ngava Sheva UPDATE 3 cranes collapsed Aoû 05, 2020 at 15:46. Aug 6 UPDATE: Three giant cranes at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust came crashing down due to high winds on Aug 5. JNPT authorities are assessing the damage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Renewed COVID19 outbreak on Norwegian cruise Aoû 06, 2020 at 06:38. Renewed COVID19 outbreak on a Norwegian cruise raises second wave fear in the country. MS ROALD AMUNDSEN, owned by the Norwegian company Hurtigruten had made it to the headlines when it became among the very first cruise ships to resume operations in the post-COVID period. The company has once again made it to the news because of a COVID outbreak on its MS ROALD AMUNDSEN, affecting at least 36 crew members and 5 passengers. Moreover, this outbreak has raised fears of a second wave of COVID outbreak in Norway. Hundreds of passengers who had boarded the cruise ship are now in quarantine facilities, waiting for test results. This is a massive PR failure of Hurtigruten. The company accepted that there was a breach in their internal procedures, as said by the company CEO Daniel Skjeldam. Officials fear that hundreds of people, along the Western Norwegian coast, could have been infected by the unprecedented outbreak. Most of the crew members, numbering around 158, have been tested for the virus. Among them, 122 tested negative. The ship is currently docked in Tromso, with the local municipality urging travellers to contact the local health officials. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Container ship disabled, towed to safety, Vietnam Aoû 07, 2020 at 06:10. Container ship PROMOTE suffered engine failure and was disabled on Aug 6 east of Cam Ranh, Vietnam, en route from Saigon to understood, northern Vietnamese port. Coast Guard responed and sent a tug, the ship was towed to safe anchorage in Phan Rang waters, south of Cam Ranh. As of Aug 7, the ship probably, already fixed problem and is under way. Her AIS is off for more than 24 hours. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Major oil spill off Mauritius Island Aoû 07, 2020 at 07:18. The island of Mauritius is facing an environmental catastrophe after oil began leaking from a grounded vessel. Mauritius on Thursday announced that oil was leaking from the bulk carrier WAKASHIO that had run aground in the southeast of the island in late July. The ship had no payload at the time but was carrying over 200 tonnes of diesel and more than 3,800 tonnes of low-sulfur bunker fuel oil. The bulk carrier began to breach, releasing some of the bunker fuel. Boom is in place to prevent the oil from spreading but all efforts to stabilise the vessel and pump up the oil failed so far due to bad weather conditions. "The public in general, including boat operators and fishers, are requested not to venture on the beach and in the lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg,” the environment ministry of Mauritius said in a statement. Officials launched an investigation. The grounding happened at Pointe d'Esny, which is listed under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and near the marine park of Blue Bay. Ecologists fear the ship could break up, which would cause an even greater leak and damage the island's coastline. The country depends crucially on its seas for food and for tourism, boasting some of the finest coral reefs in the world. The WAKASHIO is a 203,130 deadweight tonnes bulk carrier measuring 300 meters in length. It is registered in Panama. The WAKASHIO was built in 2007 by Universal Shipbuilding in Kawasaki, Japan. It is managed by Okiyo Maritime / Nagashiki Shipping of Japan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hong Kong bulk carrier contacted pier, both ship and pier damaged, Klaipeda, Baltic sea Aoû 07, 2020 at 16:40. Bulk carrier PEARL ISLAND contacted pier while maneuvering to berth at Klaipeda port, Lithuania, on Aug 6, on arrival from UK. Both ship and berth suffered damages, extent yet unknown. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 stowaways jumped from container ship, drowned in Valencia Harbor, Spain Aoû 07, 2020 at 17:02. Container ship LETO informed authorities of port of Valencia, Spain, that two stowaways jumped overboard shortly after the ship arrived at Valencia, in the morning Aug 7. Civil Guard and police searched the area, both stowaways were found dead, in the vicinity of ship’s bow. Both migrants are of African origin. Prior to Valncia, LETO called Cameroon and Ivory Coast. Hopefully, the crew won’t be blamed for these deaths. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cargo ship struck embankment, Shanghai VIDEO Aoû 08, 2020 at 06:49. Cargo ship HONG PU 89 lost control and struck left-side embankment of Huangpu river in Xuhui District, Shanghai, while sailing upstream, at around 2000 LT Aug 7. Both ship and embankment were damaged, assessment under way. The ship resumed moving at reduced speed, probably under tow, and was berthed at around 2300 UTC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bulk carrier damaged in collision, Nigeria UPDATE VIDEO Aoû 08, 2020 at 09:22. Aug 8 UPDATE: BUDVA was struck by a stern of berthing bulk carrier PLUTO, and suffered hull breaches and gashes in starboard bow area, some of fore mooring lines broke. No information on PLUTO damages, probably slight. Aug 7: Bulk carrier BUDVA collided with unnamed cargo ship in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, on Aug 6. BUDVA is docked at Harcourt since Jul 27, so probably, it happened during BUDVA shift or another cargo ship berthing. BUDVA was reportedly, damaged to an extent, that she’s in need of repairs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greek Panamax found positive, crew to be changed Aoû 09, 2020 at 07:12. 11 out of 22 crew of a Greek Panamax bulk carrier PATRA were found test positive, almost immediately on arrival at Yuzhniy Port, Ukraine, Black sea. The ship was anchored at outer anchorage, crew underwent medical screen, several were found to have flu symptoms, and after that, all crew were tested. The ship has been moved to port and berthed at night same day at quarantine pier, with all crew on board. 11 positive crew may be hospitalized, or may remain on board, not yet clear. All crew are to be changed, the ship is to be disinfected, according to Ukrainian pandemic chief, one Golubyatnikov (Director of infectious diseases Laboratory of Ministry of Health), who also added, that Ukraine has somehow, to seal the “virus-prone” shipping loophole. Ukrainian sources report the ship arrived from Egypt, but it is not correct, after Egypt she called Algeciras. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAERSK tanker stuck off Malta with 27 migrants on board Aoû 09, 2020 at 14:07. Product tanker MAERSK ETIENNE was ordered to rescue illegal migrants on Aug 4, while underway in Gulf of Gabes, Med, SW of Malta, being en route from Genoa Italy to Port of La Skhira, Tunisia. Not exactly clear what organization ordered the ship to pick up 27 distressed migrants, whether it was MRCC Malta or some other body, but anyway, the ship interrupted her voyage, picked up migrants early Aug 5, and arrived at Malta outer anchorage in the evening Aug 5. As of Aug 9, she was still at anchor, waiting for the problem to be solved – what coastal State will allow migrants to disembark. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAL heavy lift aground with wind turbine blades, USA Aoû 10, 2020 at 04:57. Heavy lift cargo ship IMKE ran aground while approaching Ogdensburg, northernmost port in New York State, St. Lawrence Seaway, at around 1830 UTC Aug 8. The ship arrived at Ogdensburg from Montreal with cargo of wind turbines. Stern is probably damaged. She was still aground as of 2300 UTC Aug 9 according to last AIS, tug or tugs were assisting refloating. Seems like they’ve been pushing her towards berth. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Container ship rammed into pier, Manila UPDATE VIDEO Aoû 10, 2020 at 14:28. UPDATE: Ship’s fore starboard hull was severely damaged, a gash or a breach on a waterline level, several meters long and at least meter high, judging from video sent by Sailors.tv Cette vidéo est privée. Veuillez vous connecter pour vérifier que vous pouvez la regarder.
No doubt, portside was also damaged, extent yet unknown. In fact, the ship remained stuck in pier for quite some time after accident. Maybe there were technical problems of taking her out, or maybe, it was decided first, to patch, at least partially, huge breach. Container ship OCEAN ABUNDANCE rammed into Pier 2 of North Harbor, Manila, early in the morning Aug 10, while maneuvering to berth. Engine reverse control malfunction is thought to be the cause of an accident. Pier is severely damaged, container ship bow, undoubtedly, is also damaged, though there are no details yet on ship’s damages extent. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thailand maritime and sailing news, latest Aoû 11, 2020 at 07:09. Two good news from Thailand One of the largest container ships of the world, MSC MINA, called Laem Chabang One of the largest container ships of the world, MSC MINA, called Laem Chabang port, Thailand, on Jul 30, it was a breakthrough event, a first ever mega container ship, with 20000+ TEU capacity, call in Thailand. The ship left Laem Chabang on Jul 31, bound for Nansha China, but she will come back. MSC MINA is deployed on an Asia – Europe service, with rotation Busan - Ningbo - Shanghai - Yantian - Tanjung Pelepus - Cenes - Antwerp - Le Havre - Feli. Xstow - Algeciras - Singapore - Laem Chabang - Nansha - Yantian - Shanghai - Long Beach – Auckland. MSC has established itself in Thailand since 2001, and opened a new office in Laem Chabang Port in November last year. In July, MSC has launched a new service, called “Seahorse”, which is connecting 8 Asian countires, including Thailand. Sail training vessel Vela being launched from Thailand July 22, 2020…Phuket, Thailand--The 34.14m / 112' custom sail training schooner 'Vela' is being launched by Marsun Public Company Ltd. in Thailand at their Samutprakan shipyard. “We just finished sea trials aboard Vela, our new sail training vessel and sister ship to STV Argo, also built at the Marsun Shipyard. She’s a beauty! Their mission is the same as Argo, circumnavigating the world with trainee crew at the helm. Argo has sailed around the world six times with trainees since her launch in 2006. And, by the way, we are sailing Vela to Singapore in about two weeks”, reports Jim Stoll of Global Expeditions Group, writing to Gordon Fernandes of Asia Pacific Superyachts in Phuket. Both Vela and Argo are two-masted Marconi rigged schooners, certified and inspected by the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a Category “0” vessel, allowing them unrestricted operation in the world's oceans. The schooners are operated by Sea|mester, a study abroad training program for student crew trainees. Vela’s highly functional, sophisticated yet classic design and engineering are the work of the Langan Design team from Newport USA, Travis Yates from Global Expeditions Group, and the Marsun Shipyard team, located at the mouth of the river to Bangkok. Marsun has built over 300 vessels for various clients (VELA is hull #300) and has a highly technical engineering department allowing them to build or repair vessels like VELA as well as larger yachts. They have recently expanded their dry-docking capacity so that they can handle a variety of projects at any one time. ASIA PACIFIC SUPERYACHTS www.asia-pacific-superyachts.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In ruins: Insights on Lebanon’s former No 1 maritime logistics hub Aoû 11, 2020 at 07:22. The most important logistics hub for maritime traffic in the Near and Middle East has been irreversibly destroyed on 4 August 2020. 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in a storage hall in the Beirut port area, killing hundreds of people and causing widespread damage. The highly explosive cargo came to Beirut on board the general cargo ship RHOSUS sailing from Georgia to Mozambique with an unscheduled halt in Beirut port in October 2013. Later the owner of the vessel declared abandonment due to financial difficulties. In the past six years, the dangerous cargo was stored in a warehouse at the port without special safety precautions. The port of Beirut is left in ruins. The medium-sized port was the largest and most important container port in Lebanon. FleetMon's port usage rate based on AIS data indicates 55% usage by cargo vessels, 26% usage by sailing ships and yachts, and 14% port usage by tankers. Around 500 vessels called the port per month before the incident. 70% of Lebanese imports entered the country through the port of Beirut. The commodity value of imports is $ 20 billion, while the value of exports is only $ 3.5 billion. Most of the goods are imported from China as well as Italy, Greece, Germany, and the USA. Before the blast, Beirut was amongst the ten most important ports in the Mediterranean and considered the gateway to the Middle East with 12 direct connections. Eight direct routes lead to China and 27 to Europe showing its importance in global shipping. Large parts of the port infrastructure and superstructure have been destroyed as well as ample storage complexes like the huge grain silo, which shaped the port's scenery. It has been blown away by the explosions in port. Significant amounts of grain were stored there to supply extensive parts of the country's population. According to the United Nations, the devastation in Beirut's port could also affect the situation of many people in the neighboring country Syria. The port of Beirut was an essential hub for handling humanitarian aid. Lebanon and Syria have been struggling with an economic crisis and lack of medical supplies due to the coronavirus pandemic before. The secretary general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Kitack Lim, stated in response to the explosion, "I express my deepest condolences and sincerest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Lebanon following the catastrophic explosions in the Port of Beirut. The port provides a vital artery bringing food, medicines, and supplies to the country, and its destruction will have devastating consequences. The United Nations is assisting the immediate response to the incident. The IMO stands ready to assist in any way we can." Shipping traffic is now temporarily diverted to the port of Tripoli in the north of Lebanon. The port is much smaller, but because of the country's economic crisis, the number of vessels docking in Lebanon is fewer than in the past, which will help Tripoli handle the additional shipping activity. Nevertheless, the crisis-plagued country is hit hard by the destruction of its most important port. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAERSK Drilling eyes for investment in new carbon-negative energy Aoû 11, 2020 at 13:09. After it's successful deployment in the Aerospace Industry, the Shipping and Offshore sector will soon see the deployment of carbon-neutral energy. In an agreement signed by the Danish shipping behemoth and California based Clean Energy Systems, Maersk Drilling has agreed to invest a net amount of $1 million, aimed at net carbon neutrality. When deployed on a full-scale basis, the project will yield the production of renewable fuel as well as power, while removing greenhouse gases from the environment. We delved deep into the concept of Carbon-Negative Energy and found out that the principal ingredient to the process is biomass. After using biomass in place of traditional fuels, syngas will be produced. This syngas will then be separated by chemical processes, separating natural gas and hydrogen, which will be sold off separately. After this process, the syngas, now depleted of all its hydrogen, will produce electricity, capturing all the CO2 emitted in the process. This CO2 will then be stored in permanent CO2 storages, resulting in the complete removal of CO2 from the environment, thus, attaining net carbon neutrality. Morten Kelstrup, COO of Maersk Drilling said, "We believe the world needs a broad portfolio of technologies and solutions to meet the challenge posed by climate change." The move comes amid rapid environment-friendly steps being taken by the company to reduce its carbon footprint. A.P. Moller-Maersk had announced in 2019 that it aims to help the Shipping Industry attain a carbon-neutral future, promising that all ships in its fleet would be having a net-zero emission by 2050. Søren Toft, Chief Operating Officer, Maersk, said, “The only possible way to achieve the much-needed decarbonisation in our industry is by fully transforming to new carbon-neutral fuels and supply chains.” Developing energy-efficient solutions has been the top priority of the company, which invested over $1 billion in the same. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WAKASHIO latest, owner statement, comment Aoû 11, 2020 at 16:11. Nagashiki Shipping Statement Aug 11: Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd the owner and manager of the bulk carrier, M/V Wakashio, reports the following update in relation to the grounding of the vessel off the island of Mauritius on July 25th 2020 and the resulting breach of a bunker tank on August 6th 2020. Situation of leaked Fuel Oil As of July 25 Local Time when the vessel ran aground, it had approximately 3,800 MT of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil(VLSFO) and 200 MT of Diesel Oil(DO) onboard. By August 11 Local Time, approximately 1,020 MT of VLSFO onboard had been pumped out and transferred onto small tankers. Approximately 1,000 MT had leaked out from the vessel fuel tank from this incident, and460 MT is estimated to been manually recovered from sea and coast. About 1,600 MT of VLSFO and about 200 MT of DO remain on the ship, and the transfer work is continuing. Situation of the Ship We confirm the crack inside the hull of the ship had expanded. The situation is being continuously monitored by a professional team of salvors. Since this ship is unable to navigate by itself, a tow connection has been established between a tug and the Wakashio. In order to secure the vessel so that it will not drift. Comment: There are some 1,600 tons of fuel left on board, discharging of this fuel into tankers continues. With any luck (and salvors professional skills), the ship won’t break up, and will be salvaged, depending on a number of factors. Even if the ship breaks in half, it doesn’t mean, that the remaining fuel (if there will be any remaining fuel) will leak out. Ship’s wreckage – if she will break up – will be removed. It is highly likely, that both halves, should the ship break in two, may be sealed and towed away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Three crew died while cleansing cargo tank of tanker, Philippines Aoû 12, 2020 at 05:22. Three crew of tanker ANDRINA 200 reportedly, died of suffocation in a cargo tank, on Aug 10, at Calaca, Batangas, southwest Luzon, Philippines. Seamen were cleansing cargo tank and inhaled fumes from cargo residues on the bottom of tank. They lost conscience, were recovered by other crew and sent to hospital, to be found dead on arrival to hospital. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scrap fire in cargo hold of Thai bulk carrier, Netherlands Aoû 12, 2020 at 06:06. Fire erupted in cargo hold of a Thai bulk carrier VIYADA NAREE at Dordrecht, Netherlands, in the evening Aug 11. The ship was loading cargo of scrap. Fire reportedly, was quickly taken under control by fire teams. Extent of damages unknown. As of morning Aug 12, VIYADA NAREE was still berthed at port, probably continuing scrap loading. All photos https://www.zhzactueel.nl/2020/08/11/brand-op-zeeschip-in-dordrecht/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tanker NORDIC WOLVERINE found positive, quarantined Aoû 12, 2020 at 07:51. As of morning Aug 12, tanker NORDIC WOLVERINE was still at anchor t Cano Dulce area, west of Barranquilla, Colombia, reportedly assessing damages she sustained while being aground during Jul 19-30. well Colombian authorities decided not to waste an opportunity, ran tests and found three test positive crew members. Tanker is under quarantine now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VLCC tanker completed repairs, but was disabled by positive test Aoû 12, 2020 at 17:14. Very large crude oil tanker AMUNDSEN SPIRIT sailed from Gdansk Poland on Aug 10 after completing repairs at Pilsudski Shipyard, but had to anchor at outer anchorage same day, after 13 out of 32 crew were tested positive prior to departure. One crew was taken to hospital, but character of his illness is unknown. The rest of the crew remain on board, Polish Authorities said they have no authority over tanker, because she’s anchored in international waters, so probably, tanker may leave anchorage and sail away. If say, there’s a pending voyage of 14+days duration, that will be quarantine in itself, though authorities globally, in most part, lost common sense long ago, and may quarantine hapless tanker, notwithstanding time she spent at sea. As of afternoon Aug 12, she was still at anchor. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tanker boarded by Iranian Special Forces in Gulf of Oman VIDEO Aoû 13, 2020 at 05:07. Product tanker WILA was boarded by Iranian Special Forces from helicopter in the afternoon Aug 12, in international waters off Khor Fakkan Anchorage, UAE, Gulf of Oman, according to USA Navy and Gulf media reports. Tanker is probably, deployed in bunkering operations in UAE waters. Tanker AIS was off during some 2 hours, then reappeared, as of 0430 UTC Aug 13 she was either cruising at slow speed, or drifting, north of Khor Fakkan Anchorage.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vietnamese freighter aground, Philippines VIDEO Aoû 13, 2020 at 05:07. General cargo ship GLOBE 6 ran aground at around 2330 UTC Aug 12 in Bulalacao Bay near Nagubat island, southern Mindoro, Philippines. The ship with cargo of rice is en route from Ho Chi Minh Vietnam to Davao, Philippines. As of morning Aug 13, the ship is understood to be still aground.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bulk carrier fire, Greece Aoû 14, 2020 at 05:39. Aug 14 UPDATE: The ship moved to Lavrio, either towed or escorted, at a reduced speed, was anchored at around 0000 UTC Aug 14. As of 0515 UTC Aug 14, remained in the same position. Fire probably, damaged engine or other machinery. Aug 13: Greek media reported fire on board of Marshall Islands flagged cargo ship in Kafirea Strait, Aegean sea, Greece, which occurred on Aug 13. Fire was said to be quickly extinguished by the crew, but some SAR boats responded. The ship wasn’t identified. According to available information and ships tracks, it is most probably, bulk carrier STAR CLEO, ballasting from Turkey to Gibraltar. She reduced speed at around 1330 UTC and changed course. As of 1740 UTC, she was either adrift, or moving at a slow speed, no tugs in sight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dubious natural gas search of ORUC REIS continues Aoû 14, 2020 at 09:31. Tensions between Greece and Turkey concerning the natural gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean persist. The research vessel ORUC REIS left the port of Antalya on 2020-08-09. During the entire night of Tuesday, the Turkish research vessel moved in an area that Greece claims as an economic zone for itself. Greek warships called the vessel's captain every 15 minutes to leave the region immediately. However, the calls remained unanswered. The Orup Reis is accompanied by several Turkish warships, reports the Greek state radio. 2020-08-14: The research vessel remains in the critical area, Navigation status is "restricted manoeuverability" which indicateds that ORUC REIS is engaged in surveying or underwater operations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catastrophe off Mauritius averted, WAKASHIO pumped out Aoû 14, 2020 at 10:20. Days after a state of emergency was declared by the government of Mauritius, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth confirmed that all oil from the grounded cargo vessel WAKASHIO has been pumped out. He described the process as a 'race against time' after experts noticed a crack on the ship's hull, which led fears of the ship breaking apart before completion of oil extraction. Japan's Nagashiki Shipping, the owner of the grounded bulker, has been actively involved in the oil extraction, providing another ship for the same. Together with a Mauritian helicopter, as well as help from the French Navy, the fuel has been transferred to the shore. A French military aircraft containing pollution control equipment has been spearheading the efforts to minimise environmental damage, alongside a 6-membered Japanese team. When Ursa Space Systems, an analytics company based out of the U.S used Finnish satellites to map out the spillage, they saw the size of around 3.3 square kilometres. When they remapped the entire spillage again, they saw a 10-fold increase in the spillage area (Around 30 sq. kilometres). Mauritius houses a unique biodiverse marine ecosystem, which has now been exposed to some 1000 tonnes of low graded sulphur fuel. Besides environmental impacts, the spillage will adversely affect the country's economy ranging all the way from fishing to tourism. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Capesize bulk carrier WAKASHIO broke up, fore part under tow UPDATE Aoû 15, 2020 at 17:57. Regretfully, Capesize bulk carrier WAKASHIO, which ran aground on the reefs off Pointe Desny, southeast Mauritius, at around 1600 UTC Jul 25, broke in two, understood on Aug 15, notwithstanding salvage attempts. The bigger, fore, half of the ship is to be towed away or is already under tow, destination unknown. Aft part with superstructure, engine room and fuel tanks, remains on the reefs, posing none or minimal pollution threat, because all fuel was siphoned out during salvage operation. There is no “ecological disaster” or “catastrophe”, even if stern remains on reefs to be dismantled on the site.
Owner Statement Aug 16: Nagashiki Shipping Co., Ltd. the owner and manager of the bulk carrier, M/V Wakashio, report the following update in relation to the grounding of the vessel off the island of Mauritius on July 25th 2020 and the resulting breach of a bunker tank on August 6th 2020. It was confirmed on August 15 that the vessel has broken into two sections. Situation of leaked Fuel Oil, (as of August 15th.) As of July 25th, Local time, when the vessel ran aground, it had approximately 3,800 MT of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil(VLSFO) and 200 MT of Diesel Oil(DO) onboard. The remaining quantity onboard, which is estimated to be around 3,000MT of oil has been recovered from the vessel and transferred to small tankers by August 12th, Local Time. Approximately 100 MT of Lubricant oil and Residual oil onboard had been collected by August 14th. An amount of unrecovered oil is believed to have leaked out of the vessel. In order to collect and clean up the oil, booms and absorbents have been deployed to prevent the oil reaching the shore. At approximately 14:00 local time on August 15th, a crack in the cargo hold No. 8 to the stern side progressed. This caused the vessel to break. A towage plan will be implemented to tow the forward part of the vessel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A suivre suite et fin Août 2020
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Aug 4. Giant ship drifted astern, and contacted by stern berthed WAN HAI container ship. Both ships reportedly, were damaged. Gantry crane was reportedly, also contacted, but luckily, that contact resulted in just some sparks. Understood contacted container ship is WAN HAI 162, she unmoored at around 0830 LT, left harbor and was anchored at Kaohsiung outer anchorage. As of 1630 UTC, she remained in the same position.