Casualties – Maltese owned sailing yacht HARRY THE VIKING grounded – 17.08.2024

On Saturday 17th August, 2024 the 2014 built Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 439 sailing yacht HARRY THE VIKING ran aground off Pembroke Firing Ranges at Madalena Shoals around 2100 hrs. Few minutes later the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) together with Civil Protection Department (CPD) starting the rescue operation of 10 souls including the skipper to […]

Naval Ships – HS HERACLES A 472

One of the Norwegian built ships that was built as a civilian and now in naval use is the Hellenic Navy Atlas Class Logistics Support Ship HS HERACLES A 472.  She was built in Norway by Soviknes Verft AS (now VARD Soviknes) as the offshore supply ship HIGHLAND NAVIGATOR for Gulf Offshore at Aberdeen, Scotland […]

Maiden Call – UT 745 design supply ship SAR MARINER at Malta – February, 2024.

The first British ordered  supply vessel to be built to DNV’s new environmental class was the UT 745 design offshore supply vessel NORTH MARINER nicknamed as a class of her own.  Designed and built at Simek AS, Flekkefjord in Norway for Gulf Offshore NS Ltd, Scotland. Her ship class was Det Norske Veritas’ main class […]

Local Shipping – Passenger Ship LA VALETTE

One of the first from 3 German Customs Patrol Craft donated to Malta to be part of the 1st Maritime Battery of the Armed Forces of Malta, now known as Maritime Squadron was the 1952 built 29 metre craft BRUNSBUTTEL who arrived in Malta as deck cargo with 2 others (nowadays both broken up) aboard […]

Oil Rig NOBLE PAUL ROMANO towage – AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY – 05.11.2012

On Monday 5th November, 2012 the semi-submersible drilling rig (SSDR) NOBLE PAUL ROMANO towage was photographed from the air by MALTA SHIP PHOTOS around 65 nautical miles east offshore Malta. She was being towed by the 2011 Japanese built offshore tug/supply ship POSH CHAMPION with a 3,174 DWT and 75 metres as length overall. Also […]

Passer By – ROTA ENDURANCE towing TORO – 19.05.2022

On Thursday 19th May, 2022 the 2003 built MHL flag offshore tug/supply ship ROTA ENDURANCE towing the 152 metre pipe layer platform TORO was seen in the Maltese Territorial Waters around 1120 hrs. When asked by Valletta VTS what were the intentions, radio officer replied (Dutch accent) that she was intended to uplift bunkers but […]

Offshore News – Swire Pacific Offshore Fleet sold to Tidewater – 22.04.2022

On Friday 22nd April Tidewater Inc. announced the completion of its purchase of Swire Pacific Offshore Holdings Ltd., a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Ltd., for approximately $190 million after the sale was announced last 9th March. The deal will allow Tidewater to add SPO’s fleet of 50 OSVs to its own, creating one of the world’s largest OSV fleets. Part of […]

Casualties – CMA CGM RABELAIS explosion – 06.04.2022

On Wednesday 6th April, 2022 around 1230 UTC the 2010 built container ship CMA CGM RABELAIS while underway from Singapore to India, suffered an explosion, followed by fire, in western Malacca Strait between Andaman islands and Banda Aceh Sumatra. The Master immediately ordered a firefighting operation and the fire was soon controlled and remains so. […]

Haifa Port – March 2022 Movements.

The Port of Haifa  is the largest of Israel’s three major international seaports, the others being the Port of Ashdod, and the Port of Eilat. It has a natural deep water harbor, which operates all year long, and serves both passenger and merchant ships. It is one of the largest ports in the eastern Mediterranean in terms of freight volume and […]

Offshore News – ASSO VENTIQUATTRO Cargo Run – 19.06.2021

After the 2001 built offshore tug/supply ship ASSO VENTIQUATTRO was drydocked inside Dock 5 during May 2021 at Palumbo Malta Shipyard it was the turn to perform a cargo run. On Friday 18th June, 2021 at 0900 hrs she shifted from MMH Facilities to Parlatorio Wharf at Palumbo Malta Shipyards. And on Saturday 19th June […]