BFT Season 2024 – First Moroccan fishing vessel at Malta – 27.05.2024
On Monday 27th May, 2024 the first Moroccan fishing vessel to enter Grand Harbour, Malta was the Spanish built purse seiner MIMOUNA 1 bearing fishing matricola as 12-122 with radio call sign as CNA 6020 passing breakwaters at 0837 hrs. She was built by Astafersa at Ferrol, Spain as the Spanish Purse Seiner AITA FRAXKU […]
Local Shipping – Tugboat SPINOLA sold – March 2024
The 2009 Spanish built AVT 37/70 Terminal/Escort Tug SPINOLA part of Tug Malta Limited a fully owned company of Rimorchiatori Mediterranei SpA, the latter being a sub-holding company of Rimorchiatori Riuniti Group of Genova, that commenced towage operations within the Harbours and Territorial Waters of the Maltese Islands in 1980. She was built in Spain […]
Maiden Call – Yuan Yu 711; Yuan Yu 712 and Yuan Yu 716 – 06.11.2023
The second batch from the 10 Chinese Bottom Trawlers calling at Malta entered on Monday 6th November, 2023. First to pass breakwater (0741 hrs)was the 2021 built 28.61 metres Bottom Trawler YUAN YU 712 built at Huanghai Shipbuilding Co Ltd in Weihai, China completed on 11th August,2021. With Radio Callsign as BZV5D and homeported at Qin […]
Maiden Call – Yuan Yu 709, Yuan Yu 710 and Yuan Yu 717 – 05.11.2023
An interesting flotilla made up of 10 Chinese Bottom Trawlers made history in the Maltese Islands as being the first ever Chinese Fishing Vessels especially Bottom Trawlers to enter Grand Harbour, Malta. First one to pass breakwater (0741 hrs)was the 2021 built 28.61 metres Bottom Trawler YUAN YU 709 built at Huanghai Shipbuilding Co Ltd […]
Law Enforcement – NOAA identifies 7 Nations for Illegal Fishing Activities – September 2023
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has identified seven nations and entities for their illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities in its 2023 report congress. Two of those nations were also cited for issues relating to forced labor, and two were identified for issues related to shark catch. The biennial report, titled 2023 Report to Congress […]
Dredging – Van Oord’s vessel STORNES has set a new world record – May 2023
The 1868 founded Royal Van Oord, a Dutch maritime contracting company that specializes in dredging, land reclamation and constructing man made islands is claiming a new water depth record for subsea rock installation. The 2011 Chinese built flexible fallpipe vessel STORNES perfomed these works in 1,364 m of water for Woodside’s Sangomar field development, 100 km offshore Senegal’s capital […]
Bunkering – Tugboat WAF 3 – 10.04.2021
On Saturday 10th April, 2021 the 1977 built tugboat WAF 3 called for bunkers coming from Catania, Sicily on her way to Dakar, Senegal with ETA on Wednesday 12th May. Originally she arrived on Friday 9th April around 1127 hrs but had to wait for instructions outside territorial waters (otw). She was built in Italy by Bacino […]
Cable Laying News – ILE D’OUESSANT latest acquisition for Louis Dreyfus Armateurs in Malta – 21.10.2020
On Wednesday 21st October, 2020 at 0749 hrs the latest acquisition for Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, France the 2011 built cable layer ILE D’OUESSANT entered Grand Harbour, Malta for the first time after coming from Dakar Anchorage, Senegal. She was built in China by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry at Wuhan in 2011 as the TOISA WARRIOR for […]
Former Military – CORMORANO II
One of the former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Equity Class Patrol Craft was spotted on her hull hard at Mazara Del Vallo, Sicily back to 10th April, 2014 now called as CORMORANO II. She was built in 1970 at New Orleans, USA by Equitable Construction for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as NOAA 1256 […]
Casualties – BOURBON RHODE confirmed sunk in Atlantic Ocean with three rescued – 29.09.2019
Search crews located an overturned fast rescue craft believed to be from the tug BOURBON RHODE late Saturday, Bourbon has confirmed. The craft was first located by N43RF a Lockheed WP-3D Orion NOAA Hurricane Center aircraft. And again confirmed by Falcon 50 belonging to the French Navy deployed from Dakar, Senegal. A commercial vessel participating in the operation […]
