Malta Naval Visits – June 2024

Monday 3rd June. The operated Military Sealift Command of the US Navy Pathfinder Class Oceanographic Ship USNS MARIE THARP T-AGS 66 left Valletta, Malta from DWQ 2 wharf passing breakwaters at 1515 hrs. Tuesday 4th June. The Marine Nationale (French Navy) Vulcain Class MCM Diving Tender FS ACHERON A 613 left Valletta passing breakwaters at 0919 hrs from […]
Ferry – 2009 built ropax GNV SEALAND seen again at Malta – May 2024

The Bari homeported ropax GNV SEALAND was seen again in 2024 for few calls replacing a chartered roro while she was drydocked on the route Palermo-Malta-Palermo. She was last here last year (2023) at Palumbo Malta Shipyard to install the scrubber system and drydocking. Below are images while she was berthed at Parlatorio Wharf. More […]
Malta Naval Visits – February 2023

Naval Visits for the year 2023 started from February – Saturday 4th to Tuesday 7th February The First Naval Ship was the Italian Navy Gaeta Class Minehunter ITS VIAREGGIO M 5559 that entered at 0924 hrs. She was seen for the first time in Malta back to 2001 when she was only 5 years old. […]
Palumbo Malta Shipyard – Barge BENEDETTA from 15.07 to 11.08.2022

On Friday 15th July the 1974 built ITA flag and owned 40.70 m barge BENEDETTA towed by the 1992 built ITA flag and owned tug PAUL which is a familiar tug in our territorial waters arrived off Grand Harbour (OGH) to be handed over to local tugs for drydocking at Dock 4. BENEDETTA was built […]
Casualties – Tugboat FRANCO P sank with 5 fatalities and 1 rescued off Bari, Italy – 19.05.2022

On the evening of Wednesday 18th May, 2022 the 1978 built tugboat FRANCO P issued a distress call while she was towing the crane barge AD 3 sparking a rescue mission and request for aid assistance from all vessels in the area. The search for the seamen – 4 Italians (2 from Puglia & 2 […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – 86 souls rescued by German Sailing Yacht NADIR – 16.06.2021

Currently at the Grand Harbour, under COVID-19 Quarantine there is the 18 metre long German sailing yacht NADIR anchored in Bighi. She entered Grand Harbour on Friday 18th June at 1736 hrs and proceeded to Bighi Bay on anchors as instructed by Valletta VTS after she dropped anchors close to the Tank Cleaning Farm ( […]
Scrap Iron – WILSON AVILES at Malta – June 2021.

Metal waste is exported in Malta and from time to time, ships call at Grand Harbour, Malta berthing at Laboratory Wharf South 2 for loading scrap iron bound to Turkey. Another interesting shipment was seen in June 2021 when on Monday 7th June, 2021 the 88 metre long Luxembourg Flag (LUX) but Norwegian owned ship […]
Casualties – Tugboat MACISTONE lost deck barge AMT MARINER in a storm – 06.02.2020

On Wednesday 5th February, 2020 the Italian tugboat MACISTONE lost her tow – the deck cargo barge AMT MARINER and finished aground 5 nautical miles South of Bari near San Giorgio beach. MACISTONE left Augusta, Sicily on Thursday 30th January (Above images are on mentioned day) towing the 91 metre long deck cargo barge AMT […]
Ferry Service – Grimaldi boosts its Italy-Greece connections – 05.06.2020

The Grimaldi Group announced the enhancement of its maritime connections between Italy and Greece. Starting from the 11th June, the ropax vessel VENEZIA will be deployed on the Venice-Igoumenitsa-Patras line, guaranteeing an increased transport capacity for both freight and passengers between the two countries. VENEZIA flying the Italian flag (ITA), has a carrying capacity of […]
Casualties – REINA 1 sank after collision – 19.10.2011

8 sailors have died with 2 rescued seafarers after the 3,400 tons Turkish owned Maltese registered bulk carrier REINA I sank in Albanian waters overnight after a collision with the Turkish flagged ropax ANKARA. The collision happened around 0100 hrs local time, 20 miles from the Albanian Port of Durres. One body was taken aboard […]