News

The 'Ocean Safe' was detained in Xiamen on Oct 27, 2026, with five detainable defiencies: 07114 - FIRE SAFETY - Remote Means of control (opening,pumps,ventilation,etc.) Machinery spaces (no responsibility of RO) 07113 - FIRE SAFETY - Fire pumps and its pipes (no responsibility of RO) 07114 - FIRE SAFETY - Remote Means of control (opening,pumps,ventilation,etc.) Machinery spaces (no responsibility of RO) 11101 - LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES - Lifeboats (no responsibility of RO) 03110 - WATER/WEATHERTIGHT CONDITIONS - Manholes/flush scuttles (no responsibility of RO).

The 'Brothers Way' was detained in Bartin on Oct 24, 2026, with four detainable defiencies: 10111 - Safety of Navigation - Charts - no responsibility of RO; 13105 - Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - UMS - Ship - no responsibility of RO; 15150 - ISM - ISM - no responsibility of RO; 8108 - Alarms - UMS - alarms - no responsibility of RO. The ship was released again on Oct 27 and arrived in Navodari on Oct 29.

The 'Alisuvar Mammadov', enroute to Varna, suffered a main engine malfunction, while transiting the Bosphorus in the Istanbul region on Oct 28, and was forced to anchor off Kanlıca, on Istanbul’s Asian side. Coast Guard boats and tugs operated by Türkiye’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety were dispatched to the scene. Ship traffic through the Bosphorus was suspended in both directions while the technical issue was being addressed, temporarily disrupting the passage through the waterway. After repairs were completed, the ship resumed its journey with tug escort and was safely anchored in pos. 41° 16' N 029° 04' E. The authorities subsequently restored traffic through the strait in the south-to-north direction. Report with photos: https://www.trthaber.com/haber/turkiye/ekipler-mantar-ararken-mahsur-kalan-yasli-cift-icin-seferber-oldu-961554.html

The Kerala High Court was informed on Aug 11, that the wreck of the 'MSC Elsa 3' contained hazardous materials and therefore, may have to be removed under Section 356J of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, and provisions of the Nairobi Convention on the Removal of Wrecks. The submission was made before the Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar, which was hearing a batch of public interest litigations. The hazardous materials were including calcium carbide, rubber chemical anti-oxidants, and plastic nurdles, which could affect the marine environment if they are released. The Union government has also informed the High Court that it has sought the help of the Navy to inspect the condition of the containers. The Union Ministry of Shipping's position was that the ship itself should be removed from the sea. A letter was written to the shipping company requesting this. A year later, the shipping company's response explained that the ship or its contents were not a threat and that the ship did not need to be removed from the sea, the reply filed by the central government explained in the affidavit. The Shipping Ministry and the Director General of Shipping filed the affidavit in response to public interest litigations filed by Congress leader T.N. Prathapan, seeking compensation for fishermen affected by the shipwreck. The court will consider the matter next week. The affidavit also states that even if the Navy was willing, the underwater inspection would not be carried out until the monsoon season was over. The ship was not currently a threat to navigation. The responsibility for removing hazardous materials from the ship was with the shipping company. The affidavit also stated that the study report conducted by the C.S.I.R.-National Institute of Oceanography should also be taken into account to understand the environmental impacts. The affidavit was filed by Captain Tapesh Ghosh, a nautical surveyor in the Marine Mercantile Department.

Beached at Aliaga 28.10.26

arrived Gadani Anchorage 28.10.26

On the afternoon of Oct 27, the CCS of Salvamento Maritimo in Tenerife was notified from the Civil Guard regarding a possible cayuco 10 nautical miles south of El Hierro. The 'Salvamar Navia' was mobilised to investigate and located a cayuco, which was subsequently escorted to La Restinga. After disembarking, 139 people were confirmed, including nine minors.

The 'Lefu' was detained on Oct 19, 2026, in Tianjin on Oct Oct 19, 2026, with four detainable defiencies: 14104 - POLLUTION PREVENTION - MARPOL ANNEX I - Oil filtering equipment (no responsibility of RO) 07117 - FIRE SAFETY - Jacketed high pressure lines and oil leakage alarm (no responsibility of RO) 07114 - FIRE SAFETY - Remote Means of control (opening,pumps,ventilation,etc.) Machinery spaces (no responsibility of RO) 07109 - FIRE SAFETY - Fixed fire extinguishing installation (no responsibility of RO). The ship was released again on Oct 21.

The 'Antonia S', which had been struck by Russian drones in Chornomorsk on Aug 19 and had suffered severe damages in the accomodation area, the bridge and around the funnel, was towed through the Bosphorus for repairs on Oct 28 by the tugs 'Kurtarma 9' (IMO: 9598581), 'Kurtarma 10' (IMO: 9598593) and 'Kurtarma 12' (IMO: 9854404) of the General Directorate of Coastal Safety. During the passage, ship traffic in the Strait was suspended in both directions. Reports with photos: https://www.habererk.com/foto/dron-saldirisina-ugrayan-antonia-s-bogaz-dan-gecti_358498/ https://www.birgun.net/haber/dron-saldirisina-ugrayan-geminin-gecisi-nedeniyle-istanbul-bogazi-trafigi-durduruldu-743158

The 'High Roller III' was pulled off the breakwater on Oct 20 at about 7 p.m. The successful attempt followed an earlier one that failed, a little after 6:30 p.m. In that case, the established tow line snapped, with the ship remaining stubbornly aground. During the day, specialised divers and the Coast Guard had been present, and two large airbags were attached to the bow. Pumps were draining the water off the vessel during the day. No spills of oil or hydraulic fluids were reported. While the ship was towed towards Bay de Verde, the bow was rapidly sinking deeper, but it remained firmly fixed to the tug 'Dalton Warrior' with its stern, while it was moved into the port. On Oct 21, it remained attached to the tug, down by the bow down, was surrounded by an oil boom. There was no sufficient lifting capacity in the port. Crews went onboard on the afternoon and started removing gear, such as the new Mustad autoline system that was recently installed, parts and bridge electronics, and even a PlayStation. Divers have also been in the water. Work was ongoing on the morning of Oct 22, with crews removing fishing gear and electrical equipment from the vessel. On Oct 24 crews continued removing everything from the vessel that was salvageable before it heads for scrap. On Oct 25, the 'Dalton Warrior' towed the 'High Roller lll' from the dock in Bay de Verde to the area cleared across the harbour for the dismantling of the vessel. The trawler reached its final resting place at 7.40 p.m., and on Oct 26, dredgers commenced tearing the wreck apart and first removed the wheelhouse, which was dropped off on the shore. On Oct 28 she was finally disposed of with nothing remaining in the water. Reports with photos: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/high-roller-iii-update-9.7388255 https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/tri-county-vangaurd/crew-rescued-in-n-l-waters-from-southwest-n-s-fishing-boat-vessel-being-scrapped

Seagrass in the waterintake of the propulsion system disabled the 'Halunder Jet' in the port of Heligoland on Oct 27, 2026. The catamaran was unable to depart from the isand on the evening. The 188 passengers were left stranded on the island until the 'Helgoland' of the Cassen Eils company stepped in to assist and brought them back to Cuxhaven. The 'Halunder Jet' made it back on Oct 28, and the scheduled crossing in that day was suspended.

Beached at Chittagong 28.10.26

Experts from the Lloyd Yard Bremerhaven were on board both the 'Mein Schiff 3' and 'MSC Victorine' to assess the extent of the damage. Reportedly, the cruise ship was to be moved to Lloyd Werft on Oct 30, but would not be drydocked. The initial plan was apparently to repair only the most serious damages and make the ship seaworthy again. Shorter cruises with a reduced number of passengers should then be possible. The 'MSC Victorine' was to be moved to a different shipyard quay for repairs. The container ship departed on Oct 28 at midday with the assistance of tugs, turned around a little further north, and was moored alongside the quay with her damaged side facing the dock. It was likely that the intention was to recover containers or to use shore-based cranes to access the damaged areas. Regarding the cause of the allision, it looked like the wind that was prevailing at the time of departure was taken into account correctly, considering that the actual departure went smoothly. The cruise ship pulled away cleanly from the pier and immediately gained speed to maintain sufficient rudder power and control against the wind. However, shortly after departure, a very strong gust apparently hit, and it was no longer possible to counteract it, neither with the ship's own power nor with the additional tugs. As the gust was significantly stronger than anticipated, while still maneuvering relatively slowly and at close range to other vessels, there was no way to react. The question was whether it was foreseeable that such an extreme gust would occur. What was particularly unfavourable was that it was a very strong westerly storm, and the Strom Quay runs almost directly north-south. There were no sailing bans on the Weser River due to the wind conditions.

Aa dead humpback whale was found near Grace Islands, after the 'Queen of Surrey' struck a whale while navigating the waters between Gambier and Keats islands on Oct 19. The whale was thrashing in the water after the impact, visibly injured and leaving a reddish hue in the wake. The ferry did not reduce speed after the collision, creating concerns over the lack of communication from the crew regarding the incident and any subsequent action. The MERS has now confirmed that a deceased humpback whale has been located in the vicinity of the incident position. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) responded to the report. Recovery efforts for the whale carcass were commenced. BC Ferries has acknowledged the situation and confirmed that their crew spotted the deceased whale, subsequently reporting it to the DFO. It remained, however, unclear whether the deceased whale was the same one that was struck or the cause of its death. The whale had surfaced suddenly, providing the crew with little time to react. Humpback whales are currently frequenting the waters around Vancouver Island to feed before embarking on their lengthy migrations to warmer waters. This period of intense foraging might impair their awareness of surroundings, making them particularly vulnerable to strikes. The MERS has proposed multiple solutions aimed at enhancing situational awareness for large vessel operators. One of the recommendations included the use of the Whale Report Alert System, which had previously reported sightings of humpback whales in the affected area. Furthermore, acoustic detection tools and infrared cameras for better whale monitoring were suggeted, as well as the implementation of speed reductions for large ships in critical whale habitats.

The 'Zhong Chang 528' was detained on Oct 16, 2026, in Constanta with six detainable defiencies: 10112 - Safety of Navigation - Electronic charts (ECDIS) - no responsibility of RO; 1308 - Certificate and Documentation - Documents - Records of rest - no responsibility of RO; 13105 - Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - UMS - Ship - no responsibility of RO; 18203 - Labour Conditions-Conditions of employment - Wages - no responsibility of RO; 4109 - Emergency Systems - Fire drills - no responsibility of RO; 5108 - Radio Communications - Performance standards for radio equipment - no responsibility of RO. The ship was released again on Oct 26 and left the port on Oct 28 en route to Port Said with an ETA as of Nov 1.

The bulk carrier 'Jincheng' (IMO: 9878838) was targeted by a Russian drone at the port of Chornomorsk on Oct 3, 2026. The accomodation block and bridge suffered severe damages. A fire broke out, but could be extinguished. One sailor died, and three other crew members were injured and had to be hospitalised. The sailor who was killed was an engineer in the engine compartment. 13 other crew members were evacuated from the vessel. Also the 'Antonia S', that had been docked at the port for about a month, was subjected to three Russian drone attacks targeting its hull. No injuries were reported among the crew of the bulk carrier, and rescue teams were able to quickly extinguish a fire on board of this ship too. "This is yet another deliberate attack by Russia on civilian shipping. Russia continues to terroris the peaceful merchant fleet and sailors who risk their lives every day to ensure the operation of Ukrainian maritime routes", said the Sea Ports Authority. The attack came amid an international call for Russia to halt attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea and allow the passage of grain exports.

A court has lifted a stay on a state-appointed committee of government officers, permitting negotiations to resume with the MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, as the court continued to consider both an admiralty suit filed by the state as well as multiple claims for compensation and loss due to the sinking of the ' MSC Elsa 3'. The Kerala High Court had placed a curb on any negotiations with MSC and its insurance companies in June 2025, requiring the state to file an admiralty suit. The company has filed, seeking to limit its liability, and has argued the state’s claims are inflated. The company has sought to limit its liability to approximately $14.8 million while the Kerala State Government filed a $1.1 billion admiralty claim. The company posted a bond of approximately $133 million at the court’s direction. The court on Oct 27 directed the committee to resume negotiations for compensation. It would cover the remedial work, economic losses, and damage to the environment and the fishing community. The purpose of the committee was to resolve the case without undue delay. The state had no objection to resuming the negotiations, but the committee is not empowered to conclude a final settlement or binding agreement. Details still had to be submitted to the court. The authorities have suggested to the court that the remaining containers might have to be removed from the wreck. Lawyers for MSC argued in court that 437 tonnes of fuel and contaminants had already been pumped from the vessel and that attempting to lift the waterlogged containers could cause them to break and release further potential contamination. They have been discussing a proposal for a multibeam survey of the wreck. MSC had proposed that the scope of the survey should be jointly formulated by the stakeholders. The court permitted India’s Directorate of Shipping to proceed with meetings that took place on Oct 17 and 20, selecting a company, C-Trck Surveys, to conduct the environmental assessment of the wreck. The court gave the Kerala State Pollution Control Board one week to submit its suggestions for the survey. The survey was to be undertaken at the cost of the vessel owner. The court scheduled the next hearing regarding the 'MSC Elsa 3' for Nov 24.

arrived Chittagong Anchorage 28.10.26

arrived Gadani Anchorage 28.10.26

A 406MHz distress beacon was detected for the 'St. Joseph & Peter' with five crew members on board on Oct 26, 2026, in pos. 27-25.33 N 092-38.67 W, approximately 154 nautical miles southest of Galveston, Texas. The vessel had lost all propulsion and generators. Ships able to assist, were asked to contact the USCG RCC New Orleans. The ship has since been located, and some reports indicated that it also had regained propulsion.