Offshore – Drill Ship PACNORSE I

One of the drilling ships that was seen in Malta during the early 80’s, even drydocked at Malta Drydocks was the PACNORSE I. She was built in 1979 by Scotts Shipbuilding Company Ltd, Greenock, United Kingdom as yard number 746 and named as PACNORSE I for Pacnorse Drilling Corporation 1 Ltd (Kristian Jebsens Rederi A/S […]
Tanker News – Captain Joseph Hazelwood, Former Master of the Exxon Valdez, Passes Away – July 2022

Captain Joseph Jeffrey Hazelwood, the Master of the crude oil tanker EXXON VALDEZ when she ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound near Valdez, Alaska on 24th March 1989, has passed away at the age of 75. The EXXON VALDEZ spill is the second largest in U.S. waters, after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in […]
Casualties – Container Ship CMA DJAKARTA on fire – July 1999.

On the night of Monday 12th July, 1999 the 1998 built 2,102 TEU containership CMA DJAKARTA caught fire off Crete following an explosion. The vessel, owned by Gebr Winter of Hamburg, was on long-term charter to Compagnie Maritime d’Affretement (CMA), Marseilles from 9th April, 1999. She was deployed on CMA’s North Europe/Japan/China service, NCJ-TPX U.S. […]
Malta Drydocks – Vessels VRISSI and BREITENBURG for repairs after collision – March 1996.

On Saturday 16th March 1996 the 1974 built SD 14 cargo ship VRISSI collided with the 1982 built BREITENBURG in good conditions, close to Cap Bon, near Tunis, Tunisia. BREITENBURG suffered extensive bow damage and made it to Grand Harbour for repairs at Malta Drydocks (MDD) seen below here in April 1996. VRISSI in disabled […]
Malta Drydocks – 237 m Ore Bulk Oil (OBO) MARINE STAR – April 1991
On Friday 19th April the 1973 built ore bulk oil (obo) carrier MARINE STAR entered Grand Harbour, Malta berthing at the Tank Cleaning Farm (TCF) Facilities. She was built in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at Yokohama as yard no 934 named as ETERNAL LIGHT with Sanko Line, Japan. She was 237.70 metres as length […]
Malta Drydocks – 333.40 m Tanker SUHAIL STAR – 1999
In the afternoon of Monday 28th June the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) SUHAIL STAR entered Grand Harbour, Malta assisted by 4 Tug Malta tugs – GREZ (Bow Hawser); FELICA (Port Bow); MARI (Port Quarter) and KATRIN (Stern Hawser) bound to Tank Cleaning Farm (TCF) for tanks cleaning before shifting to Malta Drydocks (MDD). She […]
Breaking Up – 1995 built container ship BUNGA PELANGI DUA – 2012

On Monday 16th July, 2012 the 1995 South Korean built container ship BUNGA PELANGI DUA was broken up at Alang, India. She was built at Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd (HHI) at Seoul in South Korea as Yard No 919. She was 275.1m long with 37.19 m beam. Homeported at Port Kelang, Malaysia (MYS Flag) with […]
Maltese Islands – Senglea Clock Tower

One of the clock Towers around the Maltese Islands looking on the three cities is the Senglea Clock Tower. It was built by the British Naval authorities in 1908 and has four faces. It’s machinery, manufactured in 1905, came from John Smith & sons, Midland Clock Works, Derby. The foundation stone of Fort St. Michael was laid on 8th May […]
Towage – VINCENZO ONORATO towing HANAA from Valletta – 17.12.1999

On Thursday 16th December, 1999 the 1976 built and owned tug VINCENZO ONORATO entered Grand Harbour, Malta bound to Malta Drydocks. Built as yard 24 at Cantieri Navali A Giorgetti in Viareggio, Italy in 1976 for Rimorchiatori Sardi SpA (Moby Lines Tug Division) she was homeported at Cagliari (ITA Flag), Italy. In the afternoon of […]
Dredging – Mgarr Harbour, Gozo completed – June 2021

The dredging works part of Euro 6 Million Project to improve facilities, particularly for fishermen which was started back in 2019 was finished in June 2021. Images taken last May, 2021. An article about this project was published last Wednesday 18th March 2020 – https://maltashipnews.com/2020/03/18/maritime-projects-mgarr-harbour-gozo-part-1-18-03-2020/ On Monday 14th June, 2021 the crane barge BEZZ III […]