News

The captain of the 'Lady Ariane' has been reprimanded by the Disciplinary Board for Shipping on Oct 30, 2026, because he sailed into the Caland Bridge in Rotterdam on March 26, while it had not yet fully opened. One crew member was injured in the collision. According to the Disciplinary Board, the captain should have waited until the passage was permitted. The 'Lady Ariane' had departed that evening from the Brittannië Port in the Rotterdam Europoort area with a cargo of steel coils, bound for Spain. The captain had requested a bridge opening via radio. When the ship approached the Caland Bridge, it had not yet been cleared for shipping. The ship was sailing towards the bridge at a speed of over five knots. The signal showed red over green. According to the Inland Waterways Police Regulations, this meant that passage was still prohibited, but would be permitted shortly. The captain stated that he had to maintain speed due to the strong wind and current to keep the ship steerable. Otherwise, he feared being pressed against the bridge piers. However, the bridge did not open quickly enough. The 'Lady Ariane' struck the bridge with the top of the foremast, while still sailing at over four knots. Among other things, the radar scanner broke off. It fell onto the 2nd officer, who was standing on the foredeck. He sustained a collarbone injury. According to the captain, he has since fully recovered. The Disciplinary Board found that the captain should have adjusted his speed earlier. According to the Board, he should have waited in the line-up position, with the bow into the wind and, if necessary, using the bow thruster. Only after the bridge had opened and the ship was controllable and correctly positioned should he have initiated the passage maneuver. The Board determinef that the captain not only violated his responsibilities as a good seaman but also failed to comply with the regulations of the Inland Waterways Police Regulations. Prior to the incident, the captain had already accepted and paid a settlement proposal of 700 Ruros from the Public Prosecution Service. Despite this, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate requested disciplinary proceedings, as other skippers could learn from the accident. When determining the penalty, the Disciplinary Board took into account the previously paid 700 euros and issued a reprimand. This esd an official reprimand, without suspension of the sailing license. In its ruling, the Board emphasised that skippers must adjust their speed when approaching movable bridges in such a way that they could stop in time. Even in strong winds, passage may only be initiated once the bridge has been cleared and the vessel was sufficiently under control.

On Oct 30, 2026, at 8.15 a.m., the Japanese Coast Guard was notified of a fire aboard the 'Cebu Hope' (ex 'Shojin Maru'), with six Japanese crew members on board, approximately 20 nautical miles north of Miyako Island in the Okinawa Prefecture. The Japan Coast Guard launched an SAR operation. An aircraft from the base in Ishigaki was able to locate a life raft 300 metres from the burning 'Cebu Hope' at 9.30 a.m. A helicopter from the same base hoisted the raft’s five occupants between 10:00 a.m. and 10:24 a.m. One crew member, the 65 year old chief engineer, was initally missing. Patrol vessels from Miyakojima and Naha responded with special rescue personnel from Haneda, three of whom boarded the tug at around 3:50 p.m. They found the engineer unconscious in the engine room with severe burns at about 4:10 p.m. Japan time. The Miyakojima Coast Guard Office confirmed his death on scene. The fire was declared out at about 5:20 p.m. The tug had just been transferred to the Cebu Asiatic Shipping & Port Services, affiliated with the Philippines' THI, and renamed 'Cebu Hope'. It had departed from Juroku Port on Oct 16 and was on its delivery voyage to the Philippines. The tug berthed at Hirara Port on Miyako Island on the morning of Oct 31. The group relayed the coast guard's assessment that there was no risk of an oil spill. Report with photos: https://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/entry-5582658.html

On Nov 1, 2026, the container m/v 'Mathilde Maersk' (IMO: 9632179), which had arrived from the London Gateway port on Oct 31, lost a container overboard during cargo handling at the Strom Quay in Bremerhaven. The box fell onto the 'Weser Service', which was moored alongside. The damaged container, which was loaded with steel plates, was subsequently recovered and placed on the pier. A sailing ban was issued for the bunker barge, which also sustained damage; it was escorted by a harbour pilot to the Kaiser Port. No one was injured in the incident, and there was no leakage of hazardous materials. The container ship itself sustained no damage. It left the port again on Nov 2 enroute to Hamburg with an ETA as of Nov 3. Administrative proceedings have been initiated against the operator of the loading crane. The further circumstances surrounding the accident were under investigation. Report with photos: https://www.nordsee-zeitung.de/bremerhaven/container-stuerzt-auf-bunkerboot-an-der-stromkaje-427564.html

On Nov 1, 2026, at 3.09 p m. UTC, the 'Selat Storm' with a mainly Indonesian crew on board was hit by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, northwest of the Musandam Peninsula. The offshore tug had just departed Al Hamriyah, where it had been been berthed for weeks. The master of a passing vessel received the ship's radio mayday call and relayed it to the authorities. The 'Selat Storm' was reported to have sunk.

On Nov 1, 2026, the 'Mathilde Maersk', which had arrived from the London Gateway port on Oct 31, lost a container overboard during cargo handling at the Strom Quay in Bremerhaven. The box fell onto the bunker tanker 'Weser Service' (MMSI: 211428750) , which was moored alongside. The damaged container, which was loaded with steel plates, was subsequently recovered and placed on the pier. A sailing ban was issued for the bunker barge, which also sustained damage; it was escorted by a harbour pilot to the Kaiser Port. No one was injured in the incident, and there was no leakage of hazardous materials. The container ship itself sustained no damage. It left the port again on Nov 2 enroute to Hamburg with an ETA as of Nov 3. Administrative proceedings have been initiated against the operator of the loading crane. The further circumstances surrounding the accident were under investigation. Report with photos: https://www.nordsee-zeitung.de/bremerhaven/container-stuerzt-auf-bunkerboot-an-der-stromkaje-427564.html