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 […]
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 […]
General Shipping – 3 out of 4 ships seen for the first time in few hours at Malta – 17.04.2024
The predominant wind direction is the Northwest, for the reason that the Maltese Islands lie in the westerly trade wind zone. An analysis shows that the windiest months of the year are between early October and late February, when gale force winds are quite common. During Week 16 of this year – 2024 strong wind was […]
BFT Season 2024 – First 2 Italian Fishing Vessels at Malta – 19.04.2024
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 […]
Tankers – Oil Product Tanker MERSEY SPIRIT
One of the Turkish built tankers trading around is the 1996 built 76.6 m long oil products tanker MERSEY SPIRIT. She’s a former Danish tanker from the Herning Shipping A/S of which in Malta we still have one from 2 operating with a local shipping company. She was built at Rota Shipyard at Tuzla, Turkey […]
Maiden Call – KAMARINA at Malta – 04.01.2024
Another Rosetti Marino built vessel – KAMARINA entered Grand Harbour, Malta this morning Thursday 4th January, 2024 passing breakwaters at 0758 hrs coming from Turkey during her maiden call. Originally she arrived OPL Malta yesterday evening , anchoring at waiting area at 1930 hrs. KAMARINA was built by Rosetti Marino, Italy with yard number C99 […]
RoRo Vessels – Linea Messina ship JOLLY INDACO
One of the Soviet Union (USSR) built vessels that used to call at Malta was the 1989 built ro/ro vessel JOLLY INDACO owned by Linea Messina, Italy. She was built at Severnaya Verf Shipbuilding Yard at Saint Petersburg as yard number 843 as the Project 16071 ro/ro ship for Baltic Sea Shipping, USSR as S.KIROV […]
Cable Layer – ANTONIO MEUCCI in Malta for Submarine Cable Repairs – September 2023
On Friday 15th September, 2023 the Ports & Yachting Directorate of Transport Malta (Maritime Authority) issued a Local Notice to Mariners 171 of 2023 regarding repairs on Submarine Cable GO1 at St. Paul’s Bay. Being a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, Malta is located 80km south to Sicily, […]
Fishing Vessels – Italian purse seiner S. RAFFAELE
One of the Italian purse seiner that used to be seen during the Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) Season was the 1974 built S.RAFFAELE which on radio vhf she was called as SAN RAFFAELE. She was built at Cantieri Navali Codecasa at Viareggio with yard number F23 as S.RAFFAELE for Cooperativa S. Michele based at Cetara, […]
Casualties – 16 metre pleasure yacht caught fire with 9 rescued off Gorgona Island – 10.08.2023
On Thursday 10th August an Italian 16 metre Raffaelli Maestrale ’52 pleasure yacht homeported at Pesaro that left the port of Marina di Pisa with nine people on board including three children – all from Tuscany, and was headed for Capraia to spend the day at the beach, caught fire around 1230 hrs one mile […]