Maiden Call – Former Frigate rebuilt as superyacht YAS at Malta – 18.09.2024
One of the largest superyachts in the world and a former naval vessel is the 141 m long (loa) YAS called at Grand Harbour, Malta during her maiden call on Wednesday 18th September, 2024 passing breakwaters at 1810 hrs from Souda Bay. She was built at Schelde, Netherlands by NV Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde (KMS) […]
Malta Naval Visits – August 2024
Contrary to the month of July, August was an interesting month indeed, starting with an interesting Russian Navy Replenishment tanker RFS AKADEMIK PASHIN that passed in the Malta/Sicily Channel on Friday 2nd August. Tuesday 6th August. The Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana) ocean ketch , a sail training yacht ITS ORSA MAGGIORE A 5323 anchored […]
Malta Naval Visits – May 2024
Sunday 5th May. The Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) Multipurpose vessel CP 920 BRUNO GREGORETTI called at Grand Harbour, Malta passing breakwaters at 1455 hrs berthing at Boiler Wharf using Mooring Services ONLY. More images can be found here – https://maltashipphotos.com/photo/cp-920-bruno-gregoretti-05-05-2024/ Nearly an hour later at 1540 hrs the Angeli Del Mare Class Patrol Craft […]
Naval Ships – HNLMS GOUWE A 878
The last remaining tug of Linge class of the Royal Netherlands Navy is the 1997 built tug HNLMS GOUWE A 878. The Linge Class was used at the Nieuwe Haven Naval Base to assist naval units but in 1994 it was decided that these ships were not capable enough anymore to handle the newer larger […]
Malta Naval Visits – BNS LEOPOLD I – 06.05.2021
The second naval unit to visit the Maltese Islands during 2021 was the Karel Doorman Class Frigate F 930 LEOPOLD I of the Marine Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. She was here on Thursday 6th May coming from Abu Dhabi passing breakwaters at 1014 hrs. Prior to 29th March 2007, the ship was known as HNLMS KAREL DOORMAN F […]
Naval News – Chilean Navy with new ships – 15.04.2020
Australia officially transferred 2 former Adelaide Class frigates Melbourne (FFG 05) and Newcastle (FFG 06) to the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile). A commissioning ceremony took place on Wednesday 15th April, 2020 at the HMAS Watson naval base in Sydney. Both ships, based on the USN Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigate were decommissioned in 2019 […]
Casualties – HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE – 06.03.1987
On Friday night of 6th March 1987, the 1980 German built ferry HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE capsized few minutes after she left Zeebrugge Port, Belgium at 1920 hrs bound to Dover, UK killing 193 passengers and crew, of the 539 people aboard. The eight deck car and passenger ferry, owned by British Townsend Thoresen, had […]
Naval News – Dynamic Manta Exercise 2019
NATO’s Submarine Warfare Exercise DYNAMIC MANTA 2019 (DYMA 19) naval assets started building up for the exercise off the Sicilian coast. DYNAMIC MANTA remains to be one of the most challenging exercises for NATO. It provides NATO nations’ with an excellent opportunity for their forces to practice together in a pure joint environment and simultaneously […]
