ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – Guardia Costiera Detain Rescue Ship – 26.03.2023

On Sunday 26th March, 2023 the rescue ship LOUISE MICHEL funded by British street artist Banksy was detained in Lampedusa after Italy’s Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) said the boat had disobeyed her instructions to head to Sicily after carrying out a migrant rescue operation. Guardia Costiera stated that it had ordered the LOUISE MICHEL […]
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. […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – Guardia Costiera rescues 450 immigrants – 23.03.2023

Today Thursday 23rd March, 2023 the Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) rescued 450 illegal immigrants aboard a fishing vessel flying a Libyan Flag on her bow 100 miles east of Siracusa under the coordination or RCC Catania. The fishing vessel , in precarious navigable conditions, was reached and rescued by the Diciotti Class offshore patrol […]
Casualties – Yacht MY SAGA sinks offshore Catanzaro, Italy – 20.08.2022

On Saturday 20th August the Port Authority of Crotone VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) received a distress call from the 39.4 metre motor yacht MY SAGA that she was taking water ingress at her stern while on passage from Gallipoli to Milazzo. Immediately VTS advised Guardia Costiera (Italian Coast Guard) who dispatched CP 321 and a Romanian […]
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 […]
Casualties – 4th body recovered from Ropax EUROFERRY OLYMPIA update no 1 – 24.02.2022

On Thursday 24th February, 2022 rescue crews have recovered a fourth body from the ropax EUROFERRY OLYMPIA that caught fire while sailing from Igoumenitsa, Greece to Brindisi, Italy last Friday 18th February. The body was found in the ship third garage, Greek Authorities said, bringing the total number of unaccounted passengers to seven. Earlier authorities […]
Casualties – Tanker FILICUDI M disabled – 26.11.2021
On Thursday 25th November at 0625 hrs the 2005 built Italian flag and owned chemical/oil products tanker FILICUDI M left Sarroch, Sardegna, Italy bound to Augusta, Italy. On the night of Friday 26th November the Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) of Mazara Del Vallo was engaged in rescue operation after an Engine Room Fire which […]
Malta Naval Visits – USNS TRENTON T-EPF 5 – 12 to 18th Nov 2021
On Friday 12th November, 2021 the Spearhead Class Expeditionary Fast Transport Vessel USNS TRENTON T-EPF 5 called at Grand Harbour, Malta during her maiden call and the first of the Class to enter Grand Harbour passing breakwaters at 1423 hrs. The Spearhead class ships is a United States Navy led shipbuilding program to provide “a platform […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – Fishing vessel with 400 souls ran aground while entering Pozzallo Port – 09.11.2021
On Tuesday 9th November, 2021 after 2100 hrs with Easterly Wind blowing 20 knots a wooden stern fishing trawler packed with 400 souls ran aground whilst entering Pozzallo Port scrambling all Law Enforcements units including commercial tugboats. Weather conditions were hampering the situation with the strong wind and sea very rough of which at one […]
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 ( […]