Ana Maria News

The Israeli military is monitoring a blockade-busting flotilla on its way to the Gaza Strip and is preparing to block it if need be, Channel 2 news reported. The convoy, consisting of several small vessels, was expected to sail from Greece to Gaza in the coming days, carrying humanitarian supplies for the Hamas-controlled enclave. The Marianne of Gothenburg, which departed on Friday for Greece, is part of Freedom Flotilla III, according to Ship to Gaza Sweden. The boat, which was purchased jointly by the Ship to Gaza Sweden and Ship to Gaza Norway, is carrying solar panels and medical equipment, according to Ship to Gaza Sweden, along with five crew members and several passengers.

Shaping a vessel’s design and construction to the its function is the aim of most commercial boat building. Often, the demonstration of success is in how the boat does its job and makes money for the owner, and the definitive proof of good design and construction is defined by the owner’s return to the original yard for a sister ship. Fleet-owner Stan Cvitanovic of Cvitanovic Boat Service, Inc and shipyard owner Joe Rodriguez have demonstrated this once again with the late 2012 delivery of the lugger tug Ana Maria C. A sister ship to the George C delivered earlier in 2012 (Cummins Hotip#656) the boat has the same aft house design on a 67.5 by 26-foot hull.