BFT Season 2005 – 45 meters Icelandic Trawler EYBORG at Malta

During the early stages of Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) fishing industry, several interesting vessels were engaged in towing tuna cages with one of them was the Icelandic 44.95 meters trawler EYBORG built at Estaleiros Sao Jacinto in Aveiro, Portugal in 1994. During June 1992 her keel was laid and 6 months later she was launched, […]

Casualties – Algerian Purse Seiner YOUNES II sank – April, 2018

On Tuesday 3rd April, 2018, the Algerian tuna purse seiner YOUNES II launched an SOS message to her sister YOUNES I, of which she did not assist her for unknown reasons.  YOUNES I  was able to return to the Tunisian coast to berth in Bizerte, unlike her sistership YOUNES II which disappeared 20 miles north […]

Reefers – 2021 built Chinese owned OCEAN STAR at Malta – 03.08 – 14.09.2022

A rare refrigerated cargo ship seen at Valletta, Malta was the 2021 built 118 metre long Chinese state owned ship OCEAN STAR. She entered Grand Harbour on Wednesday 3rd August at 0623 hrs berthing at MMH Facilities, coming from Scheveningen, The Netherlands. Said to be China’s first ultra-low temperature reefer ship she was built in […]

BFT Season 2022 – Movements – 21 to 26.05.2022

May is here and Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) Season is here with interesting Turkish fishing vessels coming to tow tuna cages from various spots that belong to Licensed Tuna Farms – Saturday 21st May, 2022. 1453 hrs – 1993 built TUR flag purse seiner SUAYIP KETENCI with fishing matricola 34A 4901 entered Grand Harbour coming from […]

Fishing Vessels – Italian stern trawler REGINA

The first Italian stern trawler that entered Malta in 2022 was the 2005 built REGINA. She entered Grand Harbour on Friday 25th March at 2125 hrs berthing at Magazine Wharf. She was built at Cantiere Navale IL Carpentiere Di Asaro S.Ec Snc at Mazara Del Vallo where she’s homeported and also with fishing matricola MV […]

Delivery – CHANNEL CHIEFTAIN VII arrive at Malta – 11.03.2022

On Friday 11th March, 2022 at 1411 hrs the 2003 built GBR flag 27.70 metres workboat CHANNEL CHIEFTAIN VII passed breakwaters during her delivery voyage from Weymouth, UK to Malta. She was built in Spain by Mercurio Plastics Shipyard at Cartagena as HERMANOS ALBA TERCERO homeported at Cartagena, Spain for the Fuentes Group for the […]

Fishing Vessels – Italian Purse Seiner MADONNA DI FATIMA

One of the beautiful purse seiners found at Salerno, Italy is the 1973 built 42 metres long MADONNA DI FATIMA. She was built by Cantiere Navali A. Giorgetti at Viareggio as yard number 19 in 1973 for Fratelli Antonio e Vincenzo Consiglio ed Altri homeported at Salerno, Italy (ITA). She’s 42.22 metres long with 7.45 […]

Maltese Fishing Vessels – 1975 built GOLDEN DAWN

One of the United Kingdom (UK) based fishing vessels bought locally was the 1975 built GOLDEN DAWN. She was built at Cubow Ltd, Woolwich, London as yard no 704 for Skipper A. Cowe (later to become assistant harbour master at Peterhead) as GOLDEN DAWN with fishing matricola as PD 211. She was a Tynedraft 86 […]

Tugboat – 1970 built SIR IAN

One of the 22 ships built by Appledore Shipbuilders at Appledore was the 1970 built tug COLERAINE. She was ordered in 1969 with her keel laid on 29th September 1969 and launched on 8th January 1970 as yard number A.S. 70 completed for J. Cooper (Belfast) Ltd and homeported at Belfast. During June, 1971 she […]