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The 'Initiatives-Cœur', skippered by Violette Dorange, returned to Roscoff, just hours after the start of the Route du Rhum on Nov 1, 2026, after a collision at sea with Romain Pilliard's trimaran 'Use it again' (MMSI: 228049890), for a technical stopover and a check-up of her monohull with her team. The force of the collision caused significant damage to both yachts. The 'Initiatives-Cœur' had to head to Lorient (Morbihan), the home port, to repair the IMOCA and try to continue the journey to Guadeloupe. It had suffered a few cracks in the foil, all along the starboard side, a little bit at the stern, but the most serious damage was that the crash box, the watertight compartment at the front of the boat, which was completely fractured. The team was now trying to analyse the situation to know when the yacht can set sail again. To carry out the repairs, the yacht had to proceed to Morbihan. To get there, the team had to plug the leak and secure the boat in Roscoff. The yacht has to cross finish line before it closes on Dec 3. Dorange in 2024 became the youngest participant in the Vendée Globe. "The whole point is to repair it as quickly as possible, because we have to cross the finish line before it closes on December 3rd," explains Dorange. The race against time is on.

On Nov 3, 2026, at 8 a.m. the 'Dupuy de Lôme" (A759)' was emitting black smoke at Burøya in Bodø. The main rescue center informed that the was scheduled to dock in Bodø. Bodø Port was following and would not accept any more emissions. The smoke emission came from auxiliary engines that had not been running for a while when being started. The ship has regularly been observed on missions in northern waters and ports in Norway – such as Bergen and Tromsø – to monitor Russian military activity in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. Report with video: https://www.nettavisen.no/nyheter/svart-royk-over-bodo-skyldtes-fransk-spionskip/s/80-95-214460

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.

The US Coast Guard medevaced a 53-year-old man from the 'Ever Elite', enroute from Vancouver to Tokyo, about 34 nautical miles off San Francisco on Oct 31, 2026. At 10:56 a.m., Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received a notification that the crew member was experiencing a medical distress situation, while the vessel was sailing approximately 225 miles off the coast. The watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and a C-27 Spartan aircraft from the Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento to assist, after the vessel moved closer to the shore. The watchstanders used the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system to identify nearby commercial vessels that could assist with the medevac. At 10:08 p.m., the Dolphin helicopter arrived on scene, hoisted the patient aboard and transported him to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at the Air Station San Francisco. The Spartan aircrew provided on-scene coordination and overwatch. EMS personnel then transported the man to Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula Medical Center for further care.

The 'Algrace' was detained in Shanghai on Nov 2, 2026, with five detainable defiencies: 11104 - LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES - Rescue boats (no responsibility of RO) 07113 - FIRE SAFETY - Fire pumps and its pipes (Qualitas Register of Shipping S.A. (QRS)) 07106 - FIRE SAFETY - Fire detection and alarm system (Qualitas Register of Shipping S.A. (QRS)) 10109 - SAFETY OF NAVIGATION - Lights, shapes, sound-signals (Qualitas Register of Shipping S.A. (QRS)) 07114 - FIRE SAFETY - Remote Means of control (opening,pumps,ventilation,etc.) Machinery spaces (no responsibility of RO).

The HM Coastguard has issued a distress alert, after the 'Océans' capsized in the North Atlantic in pos. 49° 38.73' N 013° 52.00' W on the early afternoon of Nov 2, 2026. The sailing vessel. an Orma class yacht, was leading the Vintage Multi category in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe race and had departed from Saint-Malo on Nov 1. The last AIS transmission was at 12:39 p.m. UTC, the distress alert was received at 1:57 p.m. UTC via COSPAS-SARSAT 406MHz. ​The Skipper Francis Joyon, 70, was rescued by the container m/v 'Maersk Columbus' (IMO: 9332987), enroute from Bremerhaven to Norfolk, Virginia, at 11 p.m. The weather conditions were good, with 20 to 25 knots of wind and a wave height of two metres. Francis Joyon spent approximately eight hours in his overturned trimaran. On Nov 3, the 'Maersk Columbus' was sailing southwest of Ireland, where Joyon was to be dropped off on the early afternoon. The SAR operation was coordinated by the CROSS Jobourg and British authorities. Considered one of the greatest French sailors, Joyon was participating in the Route du Rhum for the ninth time. In 2018, he overtook François Gabart from Charente a few miles from the finish in Guadeloupe to secure his first overall victory.

On Nov 2, the 'Guardamar Urania' rescued 132 people from a patera. In addition, there were two lifeless bodies on board, and according to information from the rescued, another five lifeless bodies were thrown into the sea during the journey. The rescued were disembarked in Arrecife. The 'Salvamar Al Nair' rescued 35 people from a first patera and another 36 from a second. They werw disembarked in Arrecife. The 'Salvamar Acrux' assisted a patera with 59 people. The occupants were disembarked in Arrecife. The 'Salvamar Navia' escorted two cayucos to the port of La Restinga at different times. From the first, 90 people disembarked, and from the second, 19. The 'Salvamar Diphda' escorted another cayuco to the same port, from which 30 people disembarked. The rescue operations were coordinated by the controllers in the centers of Salvamento Marítimo in LasPalmas and Tenerife.

Just hours after leaving the port of Donges on Oct 31 , 2026, at 9.45 p.m., an oil terminal within the Nantes-Saint-Nazaire maritime port, the 'Aretea', with 26 crew members on board, broke down off Noirmoutier-en-l’Île, in the Vendée region, on Nov 1, at 1.30 a.m. The captain reported a major mechanical problem, which was directly affecting the main engine of the vessel, rendering it inoperable. The tanker dropped anchor, and regular contact was maintained between the ship and government services. The captain indicated that he was not requesting emergency towing assistance immediately, preferring to call upon a specialised engineer appointed by the shipowner, which was scheduled to arrive during the afternoon of Nov 2 to conduct a thorough investigation of the propeller shaft and the engine block. The maritime authorities were monitoring the situation closely in order to prevent any risk to navigation and the coastal environment. On Nov 3 at 7.30 a.m., repairs were completed, and the ship resumed its voyage to Setúbal with an ETA as of Nov 6. The vessel has a rigorous inspection history. Regularly inspected by international port authorities over the past 11 years, the ship had, until now, been the subject of no reservations or major deficiencies.

The 'Huckleberry Finn' was to be moved to the Helsinki-Tallinn route in in the first quarter of 2027 in the TT Line's collaboration with Viking Line. Viking Line announced this in a press release on Nov 3. The 'Huckleberry Finn' was currently operating between Trelleborg and Travemünde. The announcement raised questions what flag the ship would receive and what would happen to the TT-Line employees who were currently working aboard the 'Huckleberry Finn', but Eleonora Hansi, Head of Communications at Viking Line Scandinavia, could not give answers. In early October, TT-Line and Viking Line announced that the two shipping companies would start a partnership on the Helsinki-Tallinn route. The partnership meant that the TT-Line was entering the ferry market between Finland and Estonia for the first time.

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 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

The HM Coastguard has issued a distress alert, after the race yacht 'Océans' (MMSI: 228222460) capsized in the North Atlantic in pos. 49° 38.73' N 013° 52.00' W on the early afternoon of Nov 2, 2026. The sailing vessel. an Orma class yacht, was leading the Vintage Multi category in the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe race and had departed from Saint-Malo on Nov 1. The last AIS transmission was at 12:39 p.m. UTC, the distress alert was received at 1:57 p.m. UTC via COSPAS-SARSAT 406MHz. ​The Skipper Francis Joyon, 70, was rescued by the 'Maersk Columbus', enroute from Bremerhaven to Norfolk, Virginia, at 11 p.m. Francis Joyon spent approximately eight hours in his overturned trimaran. On Nov 3, the 'Maersk Columbus' was sailing southwest of Ireland, where Joyon was to be dropped off on the early afternoon. The SAR operation was coordinated by the CROSS Jobourg and British authorities.

On Oct 30, 2026, at 8.15 p.m. the 'AS Dream' (identified as 'Antepli' and listing 'AS Dream' among its former names, besides 'Kıvanç', 'Susanna I' and 'Susanna'), with ten crew members - consisting of nine Indian nationals and one Cameroonian - and a cargo of salt on board, suffered water ingress and started sinking about 90 nautical miles west of Paphos, within the SAR area of the Republic of Cyprus. The JRCC activated the "NEARCHOS" Special National Plan and launched a rescue operation, mobilising a helicopter from the 460th Search and Rescue Squadron of the National Guard General Staff (GEEF), the patrol vessel 'Ammochostos' of the GEEF Naval Command, the patrol boat Pentadaktylos' of the Port and Marine Police, as well as the container m/v 'MSC Hannah III' (IMO: 9316347), which was in the vicinity on its way from Gioia Taurus to Beirut. Under the coordination of the Larnaca Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), the crew was rescued by the cargo ship and subsequently transferred to the patrol boat, which transported them to the Port of Limassol. After paramedics from the Ambulance Service confirmed that they were all in good health, the rescued seafarers were taken into the care of the competent state authorities. The embassies concerned have been notified of the incident. The foreign ministry has started dealing with the case through diplomatic channels. The 'AS Dream' has a very checkered past. It was identified with deficiencies on its past 17 port state inspections, dating back to 2012, and was the subject of an unresolved case dating from Sep 1, 2025, in Ashdod. The original complaint involved eight seafarers, four months of unpaid wages and shortages of fuel and provisions. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) reported that it had purchased diesel for the generators and coordinated the supply of food and water with a local customs official. Three Indian crew members were subsequently repatriated and paid. However, the case remained officially unresolved. In September 2026, Tansania’s maritime administration was seeking an updated status from the International Transport Workers’ Federation. On Sep 3, the ship was detained in Alexandria for a week with 21 deficiencies following a port state control safety inspection. Grounds for the detention included a missing AIS test report and expired firefighting equipment and appliances. The inspectors also found expired inflatable life rafts on the ship. The maintenance of life-saving appliances was not as required, and rescue boats and the radar were inoperative. The cause of the sinking was unknown. Report with photos and video: https://cyprustimes.com/astynomiko-reportaz/diesosan-10-naftikous-apo-ploio-pou-vythizotan-anoikta-tis-kyprou-dramatikes-stigmes-deite-vinteo/

On Nov 2, the 'Guardamar Urania' rescued 132 people from a patera. In addition, there were two lifeless bodies on board, and according to information from the rescued, another five lifeless bodies were thrown into the sea during the journey. The rescued were disembarked in Arrecife. The 'Salvamar Al Nair' rescued 35 people from a first patera and another 36 from a second. They werw disembarked in Arrecife. The 'Salvamar Acrux' assisted a patera with 59 people. The occupants were disembarked in Arrecife. The 'Salvamar Navia' escorted two cayucos to the port of La Restinga at different times. From the first, 90 people disembarked, and from the second, 19. The 'Salvamar Diphda' escorted another cayuco to the same port, from which 30 people disembarked. The rescue operations were coordinated by the controllers in the centers of Salvamento Marítimo in LasPalmas and Tenerife.

On the evening of Nov 1, 2026, the 'Haltbakk Bunker' suffered engine trouble and needed assistance, while being located on the east side of Stormolla, in the middle of the channel on the way into Ulvsvågssundet amid wind speeds of around 7-8m/s. The NSSR lifeboat 'Sundt Flyer' was deployed to the tanker and took it in tow to Svolvær. The ship was pulled to the quay in Osan and safely moored. Report with photo: https://livecenter.norkon.net/frame/lofotposten/23033/default?p=lc-12760181-23033-lofotposten

The 'Saint-Patrick' has been immobilised at the STEB Terminal in Dunkirk since Oct 11 due to the engine trouble, due to which the ferry was initially announced as being out of service for "at least two weeks". Now it will remain in Dunkirk until at least Nov 11 for permanent repairs.

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

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.

The 'Cape Syros', enroute from Hong Kong to Manila, was targeted by suspected pirates in waters north of Bataan on Nov 2, 2026. A group of young Filipino individuals allegedly boarded the vessel and stole copper materials and liferafts. The circumstances surrounding the reported incident, including the safety of the crew and the extent of the alleged theft, have yet to be independently confirmed. The ship was anchored in pos. 14° 36' N 120° 50' E.

On Nov 2, 2026, the 'Nuevo Bosco', while sailing 17 nautical miles from Llanes, requested the nedical evacuation of an injured crew member. The CCS of Salvamento Marítimo in Gijón mobilised the SAR helicopter Helimer 207, while 112Asturias coordinated an ambulance to El Musel. The Helimer 207 hoisted the injured on board and handed him over to the medical personnel ashore.