Tugboat News – GIOVANNI BALISTRERI sold – March 2022

During March 2022 the Italian tugboat GIOVANNI BALISTRERI was sold to Nigerian interests. She was built in Italy in July 1980 by Cantiere Navali Giorgetti in Viareggio as MULETTO with yard number 29 for the Augusta company Augustea Imprese Marittime E Di Salvataggi SpA working as a harbour tug at Messina. With 27.62 metres length […]
Casualties – Tanker FILICUDI M disabled – 26.11.2021
On Thursday 25th November at 0625 hrs the 2005 built Italian flag and owned chemical/oil products tanker FILICUDI M left Sarroch, Sardegna, Italy bound to Augusta, Italy. On the night of Friday 26th November the Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) of Mazara Del Vallo was engaged in rescue operation after an Engine Room Fire which […]
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 […]
Naval News – Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in Sicily – February 2020.

Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) standing maritime immediate reaction force which consists of four to six destroyers and frigates. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational response capability. From Saturday 22nd February to Monday 24th February SNMG 2 units consisting of 6 naval ships was at Catania Port berthing at […]
Breaking Up – 1977 built tug MARZAMEMI – 06.04.2018

On Friday 6th April 2018 it was reported that the Panama homeported tug MARZAMEMI was beached at the Gadani Shipbreakers Yard. She was built in 1977 in Denmark by Dannebrog Vaerft A/S at Aarhus under yard number 169 and delivered in 1978 to Em.Z. Svitzer’s Salvage Company Ltd at Copenhagen, Denmark as SVITZER GARM homeported […]
Maritime Accidents – HOEGH LONDON listed with 1 fatality – 25.02.2019

On Monday 25th February 2019 while the vehicles carrier HOEGH LONDON was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea on passage from Tangier, Morocco to Gemlik, Turkey, her cargo seriously shifted onboard resulting in one crew fatality. She entered Pozzallo Port listed on Tuesday 26th February, 2019 and berthed safely with the aid of Rimorchiatori Augusta tugs. […]
Pozzallo Port, Sicily Movements – 04.02.2019

0649 hrs – The 2009 built LBR flag bulker LOUISA BOLTEN entered Pozzallo berthing at Banchina Foranea assisted by 2 tugs. IMO: 9406049; 179 m; 19,972 GRT. Duty tugs were the 1978 built tug CITTA DI AUGUSTA (IMO: 7711177; 32 m; 199 GRT) and the 1980 built tug LIONE (IMO: 7929073; 32 m; 200 GRT). […]
Towage – MEGARA spotted off Malta – 17.02.2018. The 1993 built ITA flag tugboat MEGARA was spotted 11 nautical miles North West off Mgarr Harbour, Gozo on Saturday 17th February during a passage from Zarzis, Tunisia to Augusta, Sicily at 0515 hrs ( 0415 UTC).She was built in Germany by Hitzler Werft, Lauenberg with gross of 304 […]