Yachting – 1931 built classic yacht MARALA at Malta before and after – July 2023

One of the few surviving yachts of her era, is no doubt the classic 58.8 metre steel superyacht MARALA. She has a fascinating story of 1930’s elegance, German U-boats, and Hollywood glamour. Built by Camper and Nicholsons in 1931, she has had unusually few owners for her age, meaning her character, basic layout and original […]
Delivery – Qatar Emiri Navy Corvette QENS AL KHOR F 103 – July 2023

The third of the Al Zubarah Class of four vessels ordered by the Qatari Ministry of Defence within the national naval acquisition program, QENS AL KHOR F 103 was seen going to her country. The Al Zubarah class or Doha class is a class of corvettes built by Fincantieri for the Qatari Emiri Navy. Fincantieri […]
Russia-Ukraine War – Royal Air Force (RAF) to provide Fire Fighting Vehicles – July 2023.

The UK will provide 17 specialist firefighting vehicles to Ukraine’s fire and rescue services, primarily sourced from the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Defence Fire and Rescue, with one provided by the Welsh Government. Due to arrive in the coming weeks, the urgently needed equipment will help bolster Ukraine’s ability to respond to damage caused […]
Casualties – Algerian Purse Seiner YOUNES II sank – April, 2018

On Tuesday 3rd April, 2018, the Algerian tuna purse seiner YOUNES II launched an SOS message to her sister YOUNES I, of which she did not assist her for unknown reasons. YOUNES I was able to return to the Tunisian coast to berth in Bizerte, unlike her sistership YOUNES II which disappeared 20 miles north […]
Casualties – One dead in fire onboard car carrier FREMANTLE HIGHWAY – 25.06.2023

Around 2230hrs on Tuesday 25th July, the Dutch coastguard received a report that a major fire broke out on the car carrier FREMANTLE HIGHWAY with 23 crew members onboard at the time and was sailing 27 kilometres north of Ameland. She left Bremerhaven, Germany around 1430hrs UTC bound for Egypt. The fire erupted around 2130hrs […]
Aerial Photography – Crude Oil Tanker FRANKOPAN

One of the Croatian Ships trading around, the 250 metres crude oil tanker FRANKOPAN, part of the Shipping Company – Tankerska Plovidba based in Zadar was photographed from the air by MALTA SHIP PHOTOS (MSPAP). She was leaving within territorial waters (wtw) after she left drydocking at Palumbo Malta Shipyard. As a company, it’s been […]
Former Military – Ukrainian ship TORNADO at Malta – 1999

A rare former Soviet Union built craft was seen in Malta back to 5th April, 1999 as the Ukrainian Flag TORNADO. More than 600 craft of Project 376 were built for the Soviet navy as well as civilian users starting in 1955 and are in use up to this day on the rivers and harbors […]
Military Nostalgia – Gay Class Gunboats stationed at Malta used for Adverts

The third advert in the series featured Coastal Forces , follows a flotilla of small boats in action, destroying a hulk somewhere off the coast. The narrator describes the action as the MTBs and MGBs separate to carry out attacks on the hulk, which is left sinking whilst the officers break out the tobacco. After […]
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 […]
Maltese Fortifications – Fort Saint Elmo at Valletta Part 1

One of the Fortifications full of never ending history around the Maltese Islands is FORT SAINT ELMO (in Maltese as FORTI SANT’ IERMU) , situated at Valletta. Building it started in 1552 and it stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbour from Grand Harbour, and commands the entrances to both harbours along with Fort […]