Local Shipping – Bezzina’s former Scottish Ferries ABERCRAIG and SCOTSCRAIG at Malta

Salvatore Bezzina, the founder of BEZZINA GROUP, began offering commercial services to the British Admiralty in the early 1940s. His company, Salv. Bezzina & Sons Ltd, was established in May 1966 and provided various services in the heavy engineering industry, including civil marine engineering, heavy haulage, dredging, steel fabrication, and erection of steel structures. Over the […]
BFT Season 2024 – French & Libyan Purse Seiners at Malta – 18-21.04.2024

The eastern bluefin (BFT) migration has supported valuable fisheries in the Mediterranean since antiquity. Initially based on hand lines and beach seines, these fisheries were dominated after the 16th century by tuna cages placed in the path of migrating tuna. After the expansion of purse seines and longlines in the Atlantic (in the 1950s) and […]
Maiden Call – Damen built tug SEA VANQUISH – 30.01.2024

One of the Damen built tugs, the 2013 built Damen Stantug 2909 series SEA VANQUISH called at Grand Harbour, Malta on Tuesday 30th January passing breakwaters at 1629 hrs (local time) coming from Haydarpasa, Turkey after she towed the disabled 2004 built general cargo ship MAXIMUS-1. She was built at Damen Shipyard Galati at Galati, […]
Local Shipping – Jack Up Barge ALASTAIR IV

One of the few local owned jack up barge around was the 48 m ALASTAIR IV owned by Alastair Offshore Services Ltd part of Zammit Group of Companies. She was built in Malta by Malta Shipbuilding Co Ltd (MSCL), delivered during early September, 2001 as a drilling barge prototype. She was built in record time […]
Dredging – GRANE R dredging inner part of Grand Harbour – August 2022

After nearly a month anchored at Bunkering Area 3, the 2010 built DP 2 multi purpose offshore vessel GRANE R entered Grand Harbour on Friday 12th August originally coming from Viana do Castelo at Portugal of which she passed breakwaters at 0839hrs. Transport Malta issued Local Notice to Mariners no 136 regarding the dredging works […]
BFT Season 2022 – Movements – 21 to 26.05.2022

May is here and Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) Season is here with interesting Turkish fishing vessels coming to tow tuna cages from various spots that belong to Licensed Tuna Farms – Saturday 21st May, 2022. 1453 hrs – 1993 built TUR flag purse seiner SUAYIP KETENCI with fishing matricola 34A 4901 entered Grand Harbour coming from […]
Dredging – Suction Dredger DIANNE K
One of the interesting vessels that was laid up in Malta was the converted 1954 built suction dredger DIANNE K. She was originally built as the coaster AURIGA at the GJ van de Werff’s Scheepsbw in Westerbroek with yard number 268 for the Dutch owner Jan Kuiper & Egbert Mooij based at Groningen, Netherlands homeported […]
Tugboat – 1970 built SIR IAN

One of the 22 ships built by Appledore Shipbuilders at Appledore was the 1970 built tug COLERAINE. She was ordered in 1969 with her keel laid on 29th September 1969 and launched on 8th January 1970 as yard number A.S. 70 completed for J. Cooper (Belfast) Ltd and homeported at Belfast. During June, 1971 she […]
Fishing Vessels – SLEBECH

One of the fishing vessels that used to be in Malta was the 1974 built longliner SLEBECH. She was built in Spain by Astilleros Del Atlantico at Santander as BETI DONOSTI for the Spanish based Fishing Company – Laurak Bat Fisheries and then she was sold to Betty Fisheries in 1980 and renamed SLEBECH homeported […]
Maltese Fishing Vessels – 1971 built CARMELA

One of the North Sea Standby Safety Vessel that was bought locally in Malta was the 1971 built steel hulled CARMELA. She was brought to Malta early 90’s as CAM SPRITE sporting black hull and was based at Mgarr Harbour, Gozo. She was built in UK by W. R. Cunis Ltd., Woolwich as FARID with […]