Barracuda 2024 Exercise – Malta-Italy Bilateral Exercise – May 2024

Malta’s strategic location in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, intersecting major shipping lanes linking the east and west, underscores both its strength and vulnerability to maritime incidents. Recognising the imperative to safeguard its vital tourism industry, ports, and desalination plants, Transport Malta (TM) explained that ”Malta has diligently worked over the past decade to […]

Red Sea Crisis – British bulker RUBYMAR sinks – 02.03.2024

The BLZ flag bulker RUBYMAR loaded with around 21, 000 tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. When […]

Maiden Call – Finnish ro/ro vessel FINNSUN – 14.07.2023

On Friday 14th July , the 218 metre ro/ro vessel FINNSUN entered Grand Harbour, Malta at 0811 hrs coming from Salerno, Italy during her maiden call. Her purpose of the port call was to discharge new cars and berthed at Laboratory Wharf Inner, part of  Valletta Gateway Terminals (VGT).             […]

Tugboat News – Ocean Going Tug SA AMANDLA to retire in Q4 of 2023

Having delivered nearly five decades of service to the regional and international maritime industry since she was built in Durban in 1976 the iconic ocean-going Emergency Towing Vessel SA AMANDLA is to be retired for recycling. Almost 48 years old, she was brought into service as the JOHN ROSS built by Elgin Brown & Hamer […]

Tugboat – Singapore Built THOR SERVER

One of the Faroe Islands operated vessel that was a regular visitor in Malta was the tug THOR SERVER that was used as a guard/chase boat with seismic operations. She was built in 1978 by Marine Builders Pte Ltd at Singapore as yard number 1016 named as AL JUBAIL VIII trading until 1985 where she […]

Casualties – USS BONHOMME RICHARD LHD 6 fire – 12.07.2020

On Sunday 12th July 2020, an explosion occurred around 0850 hrs aboard the US Navy Wasp Class Amphibious Assault Ship USS BONHOMME RICHARD LHD 6 while she was berthed at her home port, Naval Base San Diego undergoing maintenance. The resulting fire was fuelled by paper, cloth, rags or other materials, not fuel oil or […]

Casualties – Tankbarge PML 2501 aground – 10.06.2020

On Wednesday 10th June, 2020 around 1230 hrs the US Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie Command Center received notification that the 302 feet long tanker barge PML 2501 towed by ANGLIAN LADY went aground in the lower St. Marys River, near Sweets Point. PML 2501 is carrying 3,622 metric tons of coal tar and […]

Casualties – HOEGH XIAMEN on fire – 04.06.2020

On Thursday 4th June around 1600 hrs shortly after the HOEGH XIAMEN had completed loading operations at Blount Island, Port of Jacksonville, USA fire started aboard of which Authorities believe the fire broke out on the ship’s seventh deck before spreading through several other levels up to the 11th deck. All 21 crew members disembarked […]