Local Shipping – Former Shell Tanker – STAR ONE
One of the former Shell ships operating at Malta was the 1966 built Oil Products Tanker STAR ONE. She was ordered as ESK BANK by Shell-Mex & BP Ltd. on 17th August 1965 from Grangemouth Dockyard Co. Ltd., Grangemouth, with yard number 537. She was launched a year later exactly on the 16th August 1966 […]
Casualty – Semi Submersible Drilling Rig OCEAN VALIANT agrounds off Tunisia – 12.01.2025
On the night of 11th January, the 1988 HHI built semi submersible drilling rig (ssdr) OCEAN VALIANT ran aground in the Mediterranean Sea at Dherwa beach 20 kilometers west of Bizerte, Tunisia. She was being towed by the offshore supply vessel SPM NEEL PRATAP 180 , former MAERSK TRACER from Scotland bound to Aliaga, Turkey […]
Cable Layer – CERTAMEN
The world’s first icebreaking cable repair ship built was the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) ship CCGS JOHN CABOT named after John Cabot, a Venetian explorer from the Age of Exploration of which was built in Montreal, Canada and commissioned on 31st May 1965. During 1996 she was decommissioned, refitted for more service and acquired by the […]
Broken Up – Heavy Load Carrier HAPPY BUCCANEER – October 2024
One of the Japanese built ships trading around the world , the 145.89 metres long heavy load carrier HAPPY BUCCANEER was beached last Wednesday 16th October, 2024 at Aliaga, Turkey to be broken up after 40 years of sterling service. Built by Hitachi Zosen at Innoshima, Japan with yard number 4755 she was completed during […]
Broken Up – Semi Submersible Heavy Load Carrier TERN – 14th March 2017
One of the Norwegian built ships , was the semi-submersible heavy load carrier TERN who throughout her 35 year long career, she transported a large variety of heavy loads. She was built at Kaldnes Mekaniske Verksted at Tonsberg in Norway as DYVI TERN trading until January 1988. In 1988 she was renamed to TERN H.I. […]
Aerial Photography – IONION PELAGOS towing bulker ADAMASTOS – 24.07.2015
On Friday 24th July, 2015 the Norwegian built tug IONION PELAGOS towing the 224.07 metre bulker ADAMASTOS was photographed from the air by MALTA SHIP PHOTOS (MSPAP) underway to Aliaga, Turkey from Cadiz, Spain to be broken up. More images can be found here – https://maltashipphotos.com/photo/ionion-pelagos-24-07-2015/ The 224.07 metre bulker ADAMASTOS was built by Hyundai Heavy […]
Aerial Photography – DIAVLOS PRIDE towing HULL 818 tbr DEEP EXPLORER – 31.10.2015
On Saturday 31st October, 2015 the South Korean built anchor handling/supply ship DIAVLOS PRIDE towing the 157 metre offshore support vessel (osv) HULL 818 was photographed from the air by MALTA SHIP PHOTOS (MSPAP) underway to Norway from Vard Tulcea at Romania for the osv completion. DIAVLOS PRIDE was built in South Korea by Samsung Shipbuilding […]
Broken Up – Seismic Ship RAMFORM CHALLENGER – 20.10.2019
During 2019, the Norwegian built and owned seismic/research vessel RAMFORM CHALLENGER was sold to shipbreakers at Aliaga, Turkey and was beached on Sunday 20th October, 2019. She was built by Langsten Slip & Batbygg – Tomrefjord, Norway with yard no 169 though her hull was built by Tangen Verft A/S – Kragero, Norway with yard […]
Malta Naval Visits – FS Malabar A 664 from 23-26.05.2016
One of the interesting ocean going tugs in service with the French Navy (Marine Nationale) that visited Malta was the Tenace Class Ocean Going Tug FS MALABAR A 664 assigned as a Fishery Protection Vessel during BlueFin Tuna Season 2016. The Tenace Class were designed to tow disabled French nuclear submarines under any conditions. All […]
Breaking Up – Italian Navy Maestrale Class Frigates – March 2024
After the semi submersible heavy lift vessel (sshl) YACHT EXPRESS loaded 4 former Italian Navy units at Augusta, Sicily back to August 2021, it was the turn of the sshl SEAWAY ALBATROSS to load more naval units, this time – Maestrale Class Frigates from La Spezia, Italy. These were the lead ship of her class […]
