05 JUNE 2024 On Wednesday, an MSC boxship lost control of its main engine and accelerated to 17 knots on the Cooper River at Charleston, South Carolina, forcing the temporary closure of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. At about 1217 hours, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston received a call from …
Read More »IMO STRENGTHENS RULES FOR REPORTING OF CONTAINERS LOST OVERBOARD
03 JUN 2024 The rules governing the reporting of containers lost overboard are being amended starting in 2026 to require masters of vessels to report incidents and add specific requirements and a process to the reporting. The Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization recently finalized the efforts that …
Read More »CREWMEMBERS KILLED AND INJURED IN BULKER EXPLOSION OFF MOROCCO
31 MAY 2024 Moroccan authorities are investigating after an explosion killed at least seven crewmembers and others injured aboard a bulker chartered by a company in Ethiopia. The vessel Toro Rosso (91,384 dwt) was anchored off the port of Jorf Lasfar waiting to proceed in to load Moroccan phosphate …
Read More »CALLS FOR INTERVENTION AS SEAFARER ABANDONMENT REACHES RECORD LEVELS
30 MAY 2024 One of the perennial issues in the industry is the plight of seafarers abandoned by shipowners and operators often without food and resources in violation of international treaties and the Maritime Labour Convention. In a new exposé, the Associated Press is shining a light on the issue …
Read More »CLIMATE CHANGE MAY BE FUELING A RESURGENCE OF PIRACY ACROSS AFRICA
24 MAY 2024 In the churning waters off Nigeria, armed pirates in small skiffs speed towards a cargo ship. They clamber aboard, seizing control of the vessel and its valuable cargo. This isn’t a scene from a swashbuckling film; it’s a stark reality for seafarers in many parts of the …
Read More »CREW TIED UP AND ROBBED ON PRODUCT TANKER IN ATLANTIC FAR FROM AFRICA
22 MAY 2024 In a rare instance of piracy outside the hot zones such as off Somalia, the Singapore Strait, or the Gulf of Guinea, security reports are indicating the crew of a product tanker was robbed in the middle of the Atlantic last week. The crew was uninjured, and …
Read More »RUSSIA TEAMS WITH CHINA FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE
21 MAY 2024 Russia is seeking Chinese support in the development of its Northern Sea route. While briefing President Putin during a state visit to the Chinese city of Harbin last week, Rosatom’s head Alexei Likhachev said that they have formed a Russian-Chinese sub-commission for the Northern Sea Route (NSR). …
Read More »COLLISION WITH DANUBE RIVER CRUISE SHIP KILLS TWO AND LEAVES FIVE MISSING
20 MAY 2024 Hungarian police are continuing to scour the Danube near Budapest after a river cruise ship and a small pleasure boat apparently collided overnight. They recovered two bodies from the river and are looking for five people who are reported missing while also interviewing the sole survivor. The …
Read More »HOUTHI ATTACK DAMAGES SHADOW FLEET TANKER CARRYING RUSSIAN OIL
19 MAY 2024 Shortly after midnight local time May 18 reports began coming in that a tanker had been struck while heading south in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. They are indicating that there was a fire aboard and damage to the vessel but it received assistance …
Read More »CAPE OF GOOD HOPE DIVERSIONS THREATEN CII GRADES – AND SHOW VALUE OF DATA
18 MAY 2024 The shipping industry has been enveloped by a sustained period of intense geopolitical volatility. Previous challenges – like the emergence of the Russian ‘dark fleet’ and the reduction in traffic through the Panama Canal – have now been superseded by the mass re-routing of vessels via the …
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