Casualties – FELICITY ACE sinks off the Azores – 01.03.2022

On Tuesday 1st March, 2022 around 0900 hrs local time Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) car carrier FELICITY ACE  that caught fire in the Atlantic last February 16th while carrying nearly 4,000 cars from Germany to the US sunk despite several efforts to tow her safely.  The 6,400 CEU ship sank 220 nautical miles off the coast of Portugal’s […]

Salvage – SPINOLA towing the gill netter AGRIAO – 16.01.2021

On Friday 15th January, 2021 the 2009 built Escort tug SPINOLA left Marsaxlokk Harbour, Malta at 1940 hrs bound to offshore Sicily. On Saturday 16th January, 2021 at 0721 hrs she arrived to assist the disabled Portuguese Gill netter AGRIAO around 34 nautical miles north west of Valletta. AGRIAO was built in Spain by Gestinaval […]

Cruise Liners – PRINCESS DANAE

One of the converted ships to a passenger ship was the 1955 built PRINCESS DANAE. She was built in Northern Ireland by Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries Ltd at Belfast as a fast cargo liner named PORT MELBOURNE for Port Line’s UK-Australia express service from 1955 to 1972. In 1972 she was converted as a […]

MBL News – WORLD EXPLORER Maiden Call at Malta – September 2020

On Thursday 10th September, 2020 the 2017 built expedition cruise ship WORLD EXPLORER entered Grand Harbour, Malta during her maiden call at 1438 hrs for first fly-cruise embarkation operation in the Mediterranean sea. She was built in Portugal by West Sea Estaleiros Navals LDA as yard number CO 10 and entered service in 2019 with […]

Breaking Up – 1965 built Cruise Liner PORTO – 2018

On Tuesday 30th October, 2018 the 1965 built cruise liner PORTO towed by the 2009 built MLT flag offshore tug/supply ship OPAL passed 40 nautical miles NNW off Valletta, Malta enroute to Breakers to Aliaga, Turkey. Towage left Lisbon, Portugal on Sunday 21st October, 2018. Cruise liner carried the current names – ISTRA until 1991; […]

Catania Port Movements – Monday 10th September 2018

The Port of Catania was first built in 1438. Repeatedly rebuilt over the centuries, today it is one of the most important ports in Sicily. With a total surface area of 615,000 m2 used for goods storage yards, Catania Port  is home to a variety of different activities: a tourist and commercial port (with national and […]

Fishing – Portuguese Gill netter AGRIAO

Yesterday Monday 20th August, 2018 at 1020 hrs the Gill Netter AGRIAO with fishing registration as PD (Ponta Delgada, Azores) 561C was seen entering Valletta, Malta berthing at Dwq 2 Wharf. She was built at Gestinaval in Cudillero, Spain in  2000 with a length overall of 30 metres and 8 metres width and holding 224 […]