Anchor Weekly News – Week 17 of 2025.

Stay up to date with the latest maritime shipping news introducing weekly ship movements/maritime projects. Monday 21st April. From 0040 to 1636 hrs the general cargo ship NS ARLECCHINO was at Valletta berthed at Magazine Wharf. From 0602 to 1316 hrs the ro/ro ship CAROLINE RUSS was at Valletta berthed at Flagstone Wharf bound to anchorage […]
Migrant Rescue Ship – THEBACKLASH leaving Malta fresh from refit/drydocking – January, 2024

With 26 hospital beds the 2000 built vessel, THEBACKLASH left Malta last Monday 29th January, 2024 passing breakwaters at 0931 hrs after 4 months refit including drydocking. She was originally built as the HAVILA STAR in Norway by Kleven Verft – Ulsteinvik, with yard number 288 for Atlantic Offshore Rescue – Aberdeen, UK. During 2007 […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – Italy Demands That Countries Whose Flag Is Flown By Rescue Boats Bear The Responsibility Of Migrants Aboard – November 2022.

A row escalated on Friday 4th November over who should take care of migrants rescued by NGO’s rescue vessels offshore Italy, with Italy insisting that countries whose flag was flown by the vessels should bear some of the responsibility and Norway disagreeing. 3 NGO rescue vessels holding almost 1,000 migrants have been at sea offshore […]
Russia-Ukraine War – Missile Hits on Naval Vessels – 17.06.2022

On Friday 17th June, 2022 the Ukrainian Forces hit the Russian naval tugboat RFS SPASATEL VASILIY BEKH SB-739 with two Harpoon missiles in the Black Sea the first time it has claimed to have struck a Russian vessel with Western supplied Harpoon Missiles. The naval tug was transporting ammunition, weapons and personnel from the Black […]
Casualties – Tugboat FRANCO P sank with 5 fatalities and 1 rescued off Bari, Italy – 19.05.2022

On the evening of Wednesday 18th May, 2022 the 1978 built tugboat FRANCO P issued a distress call while she was towing the crane barge AD 3 sparking a rescue mission and request for aid assistance from all vessels in the area. The search for the seamen – 4 Italians (2 from Puglia & 2 […]
Casualties – 4th body recovered from Ropax EUROFERRY OLYMPIA update no 1 – 24.02.2022

On Thursday 24th February, 2022 rescue crews have recovered a fourth body from the ropax EUROFERRY OLYMPIA that caught fire while sailing from Igoumenitsa, Greece to Brindisi, Italy last Friday 18th February. The body was found in the ship third garage, Greek Authorities said, bringing the total number of unaccounted passengers to seven. Earlier authorities […]
Casualties – Military Sealift Command Chartered tug SEA EAGLE and barge ran aground – 03.02.2022

U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Lauderdale and Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations crews rescued four people from the 70-foot tugboat SEA EAGLE and the flat top barge she was towing after they ran aground on beach near Boca Raton, Florida, on Thursday 3rd February. SEA EAGLE’s crew sent out a mayday call on Thursday […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – 230 m bulker PAN UNITY with rescued souls at Malta – 28.12.2021
On Tuesday 28th December, 2021 the 2012 built 230 metre bulker PAN UNITY arrived at Bunkering Area 4 (Sheltered Area in North Westerly Wind) for rendezvous position taking place of the 141 m tanker FOREST PARK which completed uplifting bunkers and her bunkering tanker SCOT MUNCHEN. She had rescued souls aboard that were in distress […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – Fishing vessel with 400 souls ran aground while entering Pozzallo Port – 09.11.2021
On Tuesday 9th November, 2021 after 2100 hrs with Easterly Wind blowing 20 knots a wooden stern fishing trawler packed with 400 souls ran aground whilst entering Pozzallo Port scrambling all Law Enforcements units including commercial tugboats. Weather conditions were hampering the situation with the strong wind and sea very rough of which at one […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – 86 souls rescued by German Sailing Yacht NADIR – 16.06.2021

Currently at the Grand Harbour, under COVID-19 Quarantine there is the 18 metre long German sailing yacht NADIR anchored in Bighi. She entered Grand Harbour on Friday 18th June at 1736 hrs and proceeded to Bighi Bay on anchors as instructed by Valletta VTS after she dropped anchors close to the Tank Cleaning Farm ( […]