1. Tanker attacked in Gulf of Guinea, crew kidnapped
Vessel was attacked by pirates in Gulf of Guinea in vicinity 04 00N 002 05E, 130 nm SE of Lome Togo, at 0800 UTC Dec 15. The ship wasn’t identified, but according to available information, it’s tanker DUKE, en route from Luanda to Lome. Reportedly only one crew avoided pirates, the rest were kidnapped. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/12/15/tanker-attacked-in-gulf-of-guinea-crew-kidnapped/
2. Freighter dragged anchor, breached, Greece
General cargo ship PUFFY while en route from Ravenna encountered mechanical problems in Aegean sea, was anchored off Salamis island, S of Piraeus. Anchor dragged in rough weather on Dec 13 and the ship drifted onto rocks or coast in Akra Tropaia area, Salamis, suffering hull breach in engine room, with controlled water ingress. She was towed to Ampelakia and berthed. Reportedly she’ll undergo repairs at Ampelakia. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/12/15/freighter-dragged-anchor-breached-greece/
3. Floating Dock with submarine sank in Russian Naval Base in Sevastopol
Floating dock PD-16 with diesel submarine B-380 in it sank in Sevastopol, Russian Navy Base, Black sea, early in the morning Dec 15. Submarine was decommissioned in 2016, Naval dock PD-16 was also decommissioned. Later submarine surface in sank dock, see photos.
Russian (Soviet) Navy Tango-class diesel submarine B-380 (Gorgorvskiy Komsomolets), Project 641B known as the Som (Catfish), displacement 4600 tons, complement 76, sea endurance up to 90 days, commissioned in 1982, armament torpedoes and mines. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/12/15/floating-dock-with-submarine-sank-in-russian-naval-base-in-sevastopol/
4. Ro-ro ferry stranded on Dublin Anchorage, not clear why
Ro-ro cargo ship MISTRAL encountered unspecified mechanical problems on Dec 12 while approaching port of destination Dublin, on arrival from Liverpool, and was brought to anchor on Dublin anchorage. A group of truck drivers and some 80 unaccompanied trailers are stranded on board, said news outlet DublinLive.ie. As of 0400 UTC Dec 15, the ship was still at anchor, new ETA Dec 15 midday It is not clear, why the ship couldn’t be taken to port by port tugs. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/12/15/ro-ro-ferry-stranded-on-dublin-anchorage-not-clear-why/
5. Cargo ship hijacked, freed in Somali waters
Somali sources reported hijack of cargo ship in Somali waters, which took place on Dec 9. The ship was released on Dec 13, after Puntland Marine Forces approached pirates and threatened to free the ship by force. Cargo ship was identified as ARS 13, en route from Djibouti to Mogadishu Somali. No data found on this ship, almost undoubtedly it’s a local dhow-type cargo ship, not listed in international ships databases. Somali sources claimed the hijack of ARS 13 was first piracy act against commercial shipping since year 2012. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/12/14/cargo-ship-hijacked-freed-in-somali-waters/
6. Two cargo ships aground in river Don, Russia
General cargo ship NIKOLAY KUZNETSOV ran aground while leaving Rostov Port, river Don, Russia, Azov sea, in the evening Dec 12. The ship is in load, as of 1400 UTC Dec 13 she was still aground. General cargo ship VOLGA-4007 ran aground in the evening Dec 12 while leaving Azov Port, river Don estuary, Russia, Azov sea. The ship is loaded with 5000 tons of wheat. Attempts to refloat her with tugs assistance failed, as of 1400 UTC Dec 13 she was still aground. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/12/13/two-cargo-ships-aground-in-river-don-russia/
7. Russian missile submarine sank in Japan sea
Russian Navy Kilo class missile submarine CHITA in the morning Dec 12 partially sank in Japan sea in Primorye Region waters, while being towed from Vladivostok to Nakhodka for dismantling. Submarine is unmanned, she sank vertically by stern on 42 meters depth, with her length of 73 meters, she’s partially above waterline, with stern resting on bottom. She was on tow of SAR tug LAZURIT (IMO 8832590). CHITA was decommissioned in 2013, remaining in a lay-up. Navy Command is responsible for salvage, she’s to be refloated and transported to dismantling yard. http://maritimebulletin.net/2019/12/13/russian-missile-submarine-sank-in-japan-sea/
8. MSC defends its carbon footprint
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has defended its carbon footprint, having been labelled Europe’s eighth largest polluter in an NGO report earlier this week.
MSC issued plenty of data yesterday to show how its growing fleet is actually becoming far more efficient in recent years (see chart below). https://splash247.com/msc-defends-its-carbon-footprint/
9. Mitsubishi Heavy to sell yard to Oshima
Mitsubishi Heavy is scaling back its commercial shipbuilding operations and will sell its Koyagi dock, a large yard in Nagasaki with one of the biggest drydocks in Japan. The Koyagi plant was opened in 1972 and 12 years ago a 1,200 ton goliath crane was added to the site, which is where the company has mainly engaged in LNG carrier construction, a field it is stepping back from amid immense competition from South Korea. https://splash247.com/mitsubishi-heavy-to-sell-yard-to-oshima/
10. Highland Maritime: Shipmanagement with a smile
Thailand is often referred to as the Land of Smiles. For Thais, this sign of happiness has more meaning than anywhere else – there are actually 13 different identified types of smile in the Southeast Asian kingdom. The facial characteristic has also been adopted by one local shipmanager for its tagline: We Manage … You Smile! https://splash247.com/highland-maritime-shipmanagement-with-a-smile/
