Gran Canaria News

A Spanish reconnaissance plane has found what could be a fishing vessel from Senegal with about 200 migrants on board that has been missing for nearly two weeks, the maritime rescue service said on Monday."The plane has found a large boat with some 200 people on board, 71 miles to the south of Gran Canaria," a spokesperson for the service told Reuters, adding it was "possible" that it was the missing vessel.A rescue ship was on its way and would take about two-and-a-half hours to reach the location, the spokesperson added.

Spanish police seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of 105 million euros ($114 million) after raiding a cattle ship off the Canary Islands earlier this week, a statement said on Saturday.The ship had stopped at ports in about a dozen countries before Tuesday's raid, and police said drug smugglers had started using livestock ships because it was more difficult for police to trace their illicit cargo."International organisations are reinventing themselves to transport drugs from Latin America to Europe, using livestock to make the control and localisation more difficult," the Spanish police statement said.Police arrested 28 crew members on the Togo-flagged Orion V, which had been trailed from Colombia in an operation by Spanish authorities, the U.S.

Three migrants rescued in Spain's Canary Islands, after apparently enduring an 11-day journey from Nigeria crouched on the rudder of a fuel tanker, should now be returned home under stowaway laws, a police spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday. In a photograph distributed on Twitter by the Spanish coast guard on Monday, the three stowaways are shown crouching on the rudder under the hull, just above the waterline of the Alithini II.The 183-metre ship, sailing under a Maltese flag, arrived in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria after setting out from Lagos in Nigeria on Nov.

The bodies of four migrants, who died on the Atlantic Ocean in an inflatable dinghy with 34 people on board, and a survivor were brought to Spain's Canary Islands, the local maritime rescue service and an NGO said on Sunday."The ship Miguel de Cervantes has recovered the bodies of the four dead people found yesterday 150 miles southwest of Gran Canaria in a dinghy, from which a survivor was also rescued," the maritime rescue service said on Twitter. The sole survivor was an "exhausted 27-year-old man" who was found by a cargo vessel on the dinghy alongside the bodies, according to tweets by Helena Maleno from Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish non-governmental organization that monitors migratory flows.The survivor…

One migrant died and 26 were missing after their dinghy capsized in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Spain's Canary Islands, the Spanish Coast Guard told Reuters on Tuesday.The coast guard rescued 34 people after the vessel capsized around 135 miles off the southern tip of Gran Canaria on Monday. Another two vessels carrying around 63 people, including two children, were found floating in the sea around 40 miles to the south. All those onboard were rescued, the coast guard said.Authorities were alerted on April 24 to a dinghy that had left Cabo Bojador in Western Sahara…

Fred. Olsen Express has taken delivery of a new high-speed ferry, Bañaderos Express, built by Austal Philippines. Captain Juan Antonio Rojas and the crew of Bañaderos Express formally accepted the vessel from Austal Philippines president and general manager Wayne Murray at a COVID-safe ceremony held at the company’s Balamban, Cebu shipyard.The Austal Auto Express 118 trimaran is the second and final vessel in a A$190 million series ordered by the Canary Islands operator in 2018. The first vessel, Bajamar Express was constructed by Austal Australia and delivered in July 2020.

The second of two Austal Auto Express 118 trimarans constructed for Fred. Olsen Express of the Canary Islands has completed sea trials off the coast of Balamban, Cebu, in the Philippines. Launched in April, Bañaderos Express (Austal Hull 395) is planned for delivery in September 2021.Bañaderos Express has achieved contract speed of 37.5 knots during multiple trials, the vessel's builder Austal said. Austal Limited chief executive officer Paddy Gregg said, “Austal’s proven trimaran hull design and integrated smart-ship technology…

Thirty-seven migrants are feared dead after a dinghy carrying dozens of people capsized off the coast of Spain's Canary Islands, the sole survivor to have been found so far told Spain's maritime rescue services on Thursday.A rescue helicopter carrying the survivor - a 30-year-old woman who appeared exhausted and shaken - and two corpses landed at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria airport, in the Canarian capital, after a cargo ship found them 135 miles away from the coast.The woman told rescue workers that 40 migrants were aboard the dinghy…

Austal Philippines in April launched the high-speed trimaran ferry Bañaderos Express for Fred. Olsen Express in Balamban, Cebu.The newbuild is the second in a series of two 118-foot Auto Express ferries ordered by the Canary Islands-based operator under a A$190 million contract that has already seen sister vessel Bajamar Express delivered by Austal Australia in July 2020.Scheduled for delivery in the second half of CY2021, Bañaderos Express is the first vessel to be completed using Austal Philippines’ new floating dry dock…

Shipbuilder Austal Australia has delivered a new 118-meter fast ferry to Fred. Olsen Express.The high-speed trimaran ferry Bajamar Express is the first of two identical vessels ordered by Fred. Olsen Express in a €126 million ($142.8 million) contract in October 2017. The second vessel, Bañaderos Express, is under construction at Austal Philippines shipyard in Balamban, Cebu, and is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2021.Capable of transporting 1,100 passengers and 276 cars at a cruising speed of more than 37 knots, the new trimaran ferries for Fred.

The first of two Austal Auto Express 118 trimarans under construction for Fred. Olsen Express of the Canary Islands has completed sea trials in Western Australia. Launched in February, the Bajamar Express (Austal Hull 394) is scheduled to be delivered this month.Over the past weeks, Bajamar Express has achieved an average speed of 37.6 knots at 85% MCR (power), carrying 80% from maximum deadweight (cargo capacity), shipbuilder Austal said.Austal CEO David Singleton said the results of the Bajamar Express sea trials…

Australian-based global ship building company Austal Limited has commenced construction of the second of two 118 metre high-speed passenger trimaran ferries for Fred. Olsen Express in the Company’s Philippines shipyard.The vessel is due to be delivered by the end of 2020 as part of an A$190 million contract with Fred. Olsen Express for two 118 metre trimarans, which was awarded to Austal in October 2017.A metal cutting ceremony for the future “Bañaderos Express” was held in the Philippines shipyard, where the official names for the new vessels were officially announced by Fred. Olsen Express.The next generation designs for the Bañaderos Express…

Boluda Corporación Marítima, a shipping company operating in Mediterranean ports, said that its towage division Boluda Towage and Salvage has added a new azimuth tractor tugboat in the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.The VB TAMARAN joins ten other tugs operating in the Canarian port to facilitate ships’ entry and exit from the port area.With this new tug Boluda Corporación Marítima has expanded the fleet in the port of Las Palmas to ensure maritime safety in the Canary archipelago. The investment is in line with the company’s commitment to increase the operational capacity of vessels providing towage and marine salvage services.The VB TAMARAN…

On Thursday, December 27, an InvaSave 300 Mobile Ballast Water Treatment System was transported from Damen Green Solution’s premises in Gorinchem, the Netherlands, to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to be used for a demonstration program as part of the “Atlantic Blue Port Services” project, made possible by the INTERREG Atlantic Area Program, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).Upon arriving in the port of Las Palmas, the unit will be connected to a vessel’s ballast…

Spanish ferry companies Fred. Olsen Express and Baleària, through its alliance Canary Bridge Seaways (CBS), will launch the new route between the Canary Islands and Huelva on November 11.According to a press release from Baleària, there will be three weekly rotations with two vessels that will guarantee a comprehensive, reliable and quality service.The route will be triangular between the ports of Huelva, La Luz in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Departures from the Peninsula will be Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 8 p.m. while from the Canary Islands, they will be Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 12 p.m. from Las Palmas and 8 p.m.

Carnival Corporation & plc will roll out four new ships in 2018 across four of its 10 global brands, as the company will add 18 new cruise liners to its fleet between 2018 and 2022. The new vessels to set sail in 2018 will be for Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Seabourn and AIDA Cruises, and follow three new ships debuted by Carnival Corporation in 2017. “Our fleet enhancement program enables us to manage the overall fleet by aligning new ship deliveries with our strategy for measured capacity growth over time…

For the fourth time in a row, AIDA Cruises has agreed to sponsor a ship for one of these major public attractions of one of Germany’s biggest maritime festivals. Thanks to the support of the cruise company based in Rostock, the venerable Russian vessel “Kruzenshtern” will be a guest at the 27th Hanse Sail from August 10–13, 2017. The “Kruzenshtern,” a four-masted barque, which sails under a Russian flag, is the only remaining ship still in service from the famous Flying-P Liners…

The leading NGO for the global cargo handling industry ICHCA will use its 65th anniversary conference in October to tackle risks to the cyber and physical security of the global cargo chain, said a press statement. Following the Petya attack in June, one of the biggest cyber-attacks ever experienced in global shipping which crippled A.P. Moller-Maersk’s computer systems worldwide for 5 days, the need to protect against both cyber and physical threats to critical maritime infrastructures has been topmost on the minds of many in the cargo handling industry. Responding to this, ICHCA International, the voice of global cargo handling, has picked issues surrounding security as one of five key areas for focused discussions at its 65th anniversary event which takes place in Las Palmas…

The use of LNG in marine applications is becoming increasingly common. It offers a big potential in terms of operating costs and emission reduction. Diesel engines converted to dual-fuel show considerably reduced emissions in case of high conversion ratios. Depending on the emission standard which is required, expensive and unwieldy exhaust aftertreatment systems can become unnecessary or their implementation costs are significantly lower. The engine performance is comparable to gas engines. HEINZMANN, a specialist in engine and turbine management solutions, offers dual-fuel retrofit systems for a wide range of diesel engines to be converted to gas operation and at the same time providing all the safety features required for marine applications.

APM Terminals has reached an agreement with Perez y Cia to acquire their majority stake in the Barcelona-based Grup Maritim TCB and its maritime services’ container terminal portfolio in Europe and Latin America. Grup Maritim TCB has 11 container terminals with an annual throughput capacity of 4.3 million TEUs and an estimated annual container volume of 3.5 million TEUs. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year and is subject to certain conditions precedent, including relevant approvals. Terms and price were not disclosed. Grup Maritim TCB consists of Spanish container terminal concessions in Barcelona, Valencia and Castellon…

Rolls-Royce yesterday opened a new, custom built, 2,100-square-meter service facility at the Astican Shipyard in Las Palmas, on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. The center is a partnership between Rolls-Royce and the shipyard. Las Palmas’ position in the Atlantic allows Rolls-Royce and Astican to enhance their support to rig and drillship owners undertaking ongoing exploration, production and development operations in Europe, Africa and the Americas, Rolls-Royce said, adding the center will also service future growth in the offshore supply and service market as well as the fisheries sector.

Spanish shipbuilding and repair group Zamakona Yards announced it has completed simultaneously repair and maintenance projects aboard two government-owned hospital ships, Juan De La Cosa and Esperanza Del Mar.   The vessel Juan De La Cosa was repaired at Zamakona Pasaia yard at San Sebastian, and the Esperanza Del Ma at the yard Repnaval in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Around 20 African migrants are missing at sea after their boat sunk in the Atlantic Ocean around 20 miles off the coast of Western Sahara, Spanish sea rescue services said on Wednesday. Spanish lifeguards rescued 22 African men from the sea late on Tuesday in stormy conditions and recovered the corpse of one man. The search continues for the remaining migrants. Survivors say there were over 40 people travelling in the boat, including one woman, the sea rescue services spokesman said. Photographs showed the survivors being transferred from the rescue boat to Gran Canaria island where they were attended to by Red Cross workers in makeshift tents set up in the port.