Local Shipping – Another Bomb Threat aboard Gozo Channel Line Ropaxes – 26.10.2024

Less than 24 hours another bomb threat was received around 1530 hrs aboard Gozo Channel Line ropaxes with the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) inspecting all 4 vessels and both Gozo & Cirkewwa Terminals. At the time both NIKOLAOS and MALITA were berthed at Mgarr Port. In the meantime Valletta VTS issued a securite warning […]
Local Shipping – Converted RAF Rescue Launch into Motor Yacht BARRACUDA at Malta

One of the former British Admiralty Boat still trading around is the 21 metre motor yacht BARRACUDA. Built by Vosper Ltd at Portsmouth, UK in 1957 with yard no 2512 for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a Rescue Target Towing Launch (RTTL) Mk II 2758 Above image is of RTTL C 71 (Ex 2771) […]
Maltese Fortifications – Saint Anthony’s Battery at Qala, Gozo

One of only two surviving batteries on Gozo that was built by the Order of Saint John between 1731 and 1732 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the coasts of the Maltese Islands is the SAINT ANTHONY’S BATTERY at Qala. It was built by the Order of Saint John on the eastern […]
Destination Gozo – SEA CLOUD II off Gozo – 15.05.2017

One of the passenger ships that from time to time anchor off Mgarr Harbour, Gozo and transferring passengers to shore and back to the ship apart from Comino Charters etc is the 2001 built sailing passenger ship SEA CLOUD II. Unlike the SEA CLOUD , she is a newbuilding, built at the Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros […]
Maltese Islands – Ta’ Kenuna Tower, Gozo

One of the buildings anyone will spot once you approach the sister island of Malta – Gozo , from Mgarr Harbour side is no doubt the Ta ‘Kenuna Tower. It is a semaphore tower on the cliffs of Nadur and it was built by the British in 1848, as one of three semaphore towers in Malta. The tower was […]
Maiden Call – Dutch Built general cargo ship LHOTSE C – 02.02.2024

One of the Ferus Smit Shipyard built vessels trading around is the 1985 built general cargo ship LHOTSE C homeported at Moroni with Comoros flag (COM). She was built in 1985 as the WATUM and 10 years later she was sold and renamed as DIAMANT of which both at Malta & Gozo use to be […]
Sailing – Carrack replica NAO VICTORIA at Malta once again – September 2023

After an absence of 3 years, the 1992 built carrack replica NAO VICTORIA was seen again in the Maltese Islands, this time berthed at Mgarr Marina, Gozo since filming is taking place in the north of Malta. She was last here back to August 2020, moored at Kalkara Marina and she was used at Cirkewwa […]
Casualties – Ferry COSSYRA on fire after leaving Lampedusa – 29.09.2023

On Friday 29th September, 2023 around 2340 hrs a fire broke out in the engine room on the 1980 built ITA flag and owned ferry COSSYRA, off Linosa Island whilst sailing from Lampedusa to Porto Empedocle, with 177 souls on board, including 150 passengers (83 of them were migrants) and 27 crew members. After the […]
Aerial Photography – MPP ship MARTINA loaded – 03.08.2023

One of the Multi Purpose (MPP) Ships trading worldwide, the 109 metres vessel MARTINA, was photographed from the air by MALTA SHIP PHOTOS (MSPAP) last Thursday 3rd August, 2023 She was leaving within territorial waters (wtw) after she uplifted bunkers at OPL Malta of which she was photographed offshore Gozo on a beautiful hot sunny […]
BFT Season 2023 – 2021 built French OPV for Fisheries Patrol

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 […]