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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Breakaway News

21 Mar 2024

Somali Pirates' Return Adds to Crisis for Global Shipping Companies

© Antony / Adobe Stock

As a speed boat carrying more than a dozen Somali pirates bore down on their position in the western Indian Ocean, the crew of a Bangladeshi-owned bulk carrier sent out a distress signal and called an emergency hotline.No one reached them in time. The pirates clambered aboard the Abdullah, firing warning shots and taking the captain and second officer hostage, Chief Officer Atiq Ullah Khan said in an audio message to the ship's owners."By the grace of Allah no one has been harmed so far," Khan said in the message, recorded before the pirates took the crew's phones.

05 Feb 2024

Cruise Passenger Numbers Rebound at Port of New Orleans

(Photo: Port NOLA)

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) reports its cruise passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels. The port said Monday that it finished calendar year 2023 with nearly 1.2 million cruise passenger movements and renewed commitments to the New Orleans cruise market from both oceangoing and river cruise lines.“The cruise business has rebounded in New Orleans and cruise line partners are confident in our Port NOLA cruise market,” said Port NOLA president and CEO Brandy D. Christian.

02 Jan 2024

Ethiopia Signs Pact to Use Somaliland's Red Sea Port

Source: Somaliland Government

Landlocked Ethiopia signed an initial agreement with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland on Monday to use its Red Sea port of Berbera, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's office said.The Horn of Africa country currently relies on neighbouring Djibouti for most of its maritime trade."This has been now agreed with our Somaliland brothers and an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) has been signed today," Abiy said at the signing ceremony with Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi in the Ethiopian capital…

15 Dec 2023

Warship Rushes in to Investigate Suspected Pirate Attack off Somalia

(Photo: EUNAVFOR)

A Spanish navy ship is sailing at full speed towards a Maltese-flagged commercial vessel that may have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia, the European Union's Somali counter piracy force said on Friday.If confirmed, it would be the first successful hijacking involving Somali pirates since 2017 when a crackdown by international navies stopped a rash of seizures in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.EUNAVFOR's joint operations centre in Spain said it received an alert on Thursday about the "alleged pirate-hijacked vessel" Ruen, which was approximately 500 nautical miles east of Socotra Isl

03 Nov 2023

Breakaway Barge Retrieved After Striking Pier in Seattle

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A fully loaded container barge that broke loose and struck a pier in downtown Seattle has been towed to safety.The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified at 1:25 p.m. on Thursday that the barge had broken loose from Terminal 18 and went adrift in Elliot Bay.The barge, owned by Lyden's Alaska Marine Lines, was drifting toward the Great Wheel and the Seattle Aquarium when it was intercepted by a King County Water Taxi vessel, Doc Maynard, which used its bow to push the barge north in an attempt to prevent an allision.The barge eventually struck Pier 66, causing landside damage.

16 Mar 2023

Deteriorated Bollard Caused Drillship Breakaway and Collision

​VALARIS DS-16 after the casualty. (Photo: US Coast Guard)

A deteriorated bollard led to a Valaris drillship breaking away and colliding with a bulk carrier in Pascagoula, Miss. last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On March 12, 2022, the mobile offshore drilling unit Valaris DS-16 was in the process of being reactivated at the ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore Shipyard (STEHMO) when it broke away from the dock in strong winds, drifted across the Bayou Casotte channel and collided with the bulk carrier Akti.

16 Nov 2022

Ukraine Shipping Hub Cheers as Kherson Win Foils Russian Black Sea Hopes

© haidamac / Adobe Stock

In Mykolaiv's blast-cratered district of Korabel, close to Ukraine's southern front, Pavel Salohub, a teacher of history and boxing, has not heard a single explosion in four days - the first such respite from war since Russia invaded.Friday's recapture of the city of Kherson has shunted the frontline dozens of kilometres to the east, and with it Russian artillery, spurring hopes that almost nine months of regular shelling and strikes are ending, the 28-year-old said."Emotionally everyone is happier, you can feel it. It's the first thing everyone talks about. It's really lifted morale.

31 May 2022

First Cargo Ship Leaves Mariupol Since Russia Took the City

© den81 / Adobe Stock

A ship has left the Ukrainian port of Mariupol for the first time since Russia took the city and is headed east to Russia with a load of metal, the Russian-backed separatist leader of the Ukrainian breakaway region of Donetsk said on Tuesday.Ukraine said the shipment of metal to Russia from Mariupol, whose capture gave Moscow an overland bridge linking mainland Russia and pro-Russian separatist territory to annexed-Crimea, amounted to looting."Today 2,500 tons of hot-rolled sheets left the port of Mariupol…

05 May 2022

Germany to Charter Four FSRUs in Push to Cut Reliance on Russian Gas

For illustration only - A Höegh LNG FSRU

The German government on Thursday signed agreements for the charters of four floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs), as it works to become less reliant on Russian gas, as FSRUs will enable it to import LNG from other sources.The agreements were signed for the charters of two FSRUs owned by Oslo-listed firm Hoegh LNG, and two owned by Dynagas. Hoegh LNG FSRUs will be operated by RWE, while Uniper has facilitated the charter of two FSRUs managed by Dynagas Ltd.Höegh LNG said that the detailed FSRU contracts with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action…

14 Apr 2022

Russian Warship Sinks in the Black Sea

Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies

Russia's lead warship in the Black Sea sank on Thursday, Russia's defense ministry announced, after what Ukraine said was a missile strike and Russia described as an explosion of ammunition on board.The loss of the Moskva, the flagship in Russia's Black Sea fleet, occurred as it was being towed to port in stormy weather, Russian news agencies quoted the defense ministry as saying. The sinking was a fresh blow to Moscow's military campaign as it readied for new assaults in east…

24 Feb 2022

U.S. Sanctions Nord Stream 2 AG and its CEO

Matthias Warnig, Chief Executive Officer of Nord Stream 2 AG (Image Cropped) / Source © Nord Stream 2  Wolfram Scheible

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on the company in charge of building Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, expanding penalties on Moscow after it recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.The sanctions, which target the Nord Stream 2 AG company and its CEO, Matthias Warnig, add to pressure on the Baltic Sea project that was designed to double the gas flow capacity from Russia to Germany.Europe's most divisive energy project, Nord Stream 2 has not begun operations pending certification by Germany and the European Union.Germany on Tuesday halted the pipeline…

22 Feb 2022

Germany's Chancellor Scholz Halts Nord Stream 2 as Ukraine Crisis Deepens

Credit: Nord Stream 2

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz halted the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project designed to bring more Russian gas to Germany on Tuesday after Russia formally recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.Europe's most divisive energy project was finished in September but has remained idle since then pending certification by Germany and the European Union.The project is designed to double the amount of gas flowing from Russia straight to Germany under the Baltic Sea, bypassing…

06 Dec 2021

Norwegian Cruise Ship Detects Probable Case of Omicron Variant

© RedBridge / Adobe Stock

A probable case of the Omicron variant has been identified in a crew member of a Norwegian Cruise ship that reached New Orleans on Sunday after detecting COVID-19 among some crew and guests, the Louisiana Department of Health said.The probable case was found among 10 people who tested positive for the virus on Saturday, the health agency said in a tweet on Sunday.Another seven cases have since been reported, it added, taking the total number of cases among passengers and crew of Norwegian Breakaway…

04 Oct 2021

Turkey Sends Cypriot Vessel Away From Its Continental Shelf

Turkey sent a Greek Cypriot research vessel away from what it says is its continental shelf in the Mediterranean on Sunday after it entered the area without permission, Turkey's Defence Ministry said, in a sign of renewed tensions.For decades, Turkey has been at odds with Greece and Cyprus over competing territorial claims in the east Mediterranean, air space, energy, the status of some islands in the Aegean, and the breakaway Turkish state on the divided island of Cyprus.After months of tension last year that sparked fears of direct confrontation between NATO members Turkey and Greece, the two sides agreed in January to resume talks…

20 Sep 2021

Severe Winds Cause Ship Breakaway, Damage at Port in New Orleans -NTSB

Severe, unforecasted winds caused a containership to breakaway from a pier and damaged equipment at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal in New Orleans on Aug. 2, 2020, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.As longshoremen loaded and unloaded cargo from containership CMA CGM Bianca a sudden, localized thunderstorm passed through the area. Ten of the vessel’s 16 mooring lines parted in the high winds, and the ship moved away from the pier. Containers lifted by shoreside gantry cranes struck the ship. One damaged container dropped in the water spilling a cargo of plastic pellets, known as nurdles. A crane operator suffered a minor injury.

14 Sep 2021

SafeSTS, Gall Thomson Launch PTX to Improve STS Transfers Safety

Image courtesy of Gall Thomson

Unexpected mooring breakouts are a risk during offshore STS operations. SafeSTS and Gall Thomson aim to offer a solution, launching the Protective Transfer System (PTX). Using the flip-flap marine breakaway coupling technology used within other Gall Thomson products for more than 20 years, the PTX is designed to provide rapid, safe, on-demand release within the marine hose transfer system.An ultra-compact system which includes its own HPU and transport and reset skid, the PTX is located directly over the vessel’s manifold drip tray…

01 Sep 2021

Turkey and Cyprus Monitor Oil Sheen After Syria Leak

Authorities in Turkey and Cyprus are on alert for any potential pollution from a 'sheen' of fuel floating across the Mediterranean from a spill in Syria, officials said.Fuel which seeped into the sea from a thermal station off the coast of Syria on August 23 has been snaking across the Eastern Mediterranean, but any potential impact on Cyprus will depend on currents.The latest satellite images of the region provided by the European Maritime Safety Agency showed the oil sheen east of Cyprus breaking down and dissolving, the Cyprus Fisheries and Marine Research Department said.The eastern Cyprus coastline, largely unspoilt, falls within two opposing jurisdictions; an area controlled by the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government and a Turkish Cypriot breakaway state recognized on

01 Sep 2021

Insufficient Communication, Lack of Accurate Tow Size at Issue in Fatal Collision -NTSB

(Screenshot from the Rose Point electronic charting system display showing the Cooperative Spirit’s positions starting at 5:28 a.m. CST. Source: American River Transportation Company, LLC, annotated by Christy Spangler, NTSB)

The lack of accurate tow size information and two pilots’ insufficient radio communication led to a fatal collision between two towing vessels in the Lower Mississippi River near Destrehan, La., according to a National Transportation Safety Board Marine Accident Brief released Thursday.Marine Accident Brief 21/16 details the NTSB’s investigation of the Jan. 26, 2020, collision of the towing vessels Cooperative Spirit and RC Creppel. The RC Creppel, which capsized in the accident, had four crewmembers aboard — one was rescued and three others were never found.

26 May 2021

Norwegian Plans to Redeploy Eight Additional Cruise Ships

(Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line)

Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday announced it plans to redeploy eight additional vessels for U.S. and international voyages starting this fall, more than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the cruise industry to a virtual standstill.Passengers will once again sail aboard Norwegian Breakaway, Encore, Escape, Pearl, Jewel, Sun, Spirit and Norwegian's Pride of America to explore Hawaii, the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Asia and more. These ships are scheduled to recommence operations from October through February.Earlier this week…

25 Feb 2021

Livestock Carrier Returns to Spain After Months Stuck at Sea

A shipload of Spanish cattle that had been drifting for months due to concerns over the bovine bluetongue disease docked in Spain on Thursday, the government said, but the fate of the animals remains unclear.The Karim Allah left the Mediterranean port of Cartagena on December 17 carrying 895 cattle destined for sale in Turkey. A second ship, the ElBeik, set sail the next day from Tarragona with a cargo of nearly 1,800 cows.Even though the cattle had clean veterinary certificates, according to Spain’s government, Turkish authorities rejected both vessels and suspended live animal imports from Spain after an outbreak of the insect-borne…

29 Dec 2020

River Dance: Grounding Triggers Breakaway Barges

© kikimor / Adobe Stock

It was a beautiful mid-summer afternoon in the nation’s heartland. The skies were clear, the sun was shining and the variable southwest breeze barely caused a ripple on the muddy water of the winding river. Optimistic fishermen lined the riverbanks and a few recreational boaters were cruising close to the floating docks lining both shores.This tranquil scene on this busy waterway was about to change…and quickly.A parting of the waysAbout a half mile upriver, a 95-foot tug was proceeding southbound on a slow bell with two barges made up end-to-end along her starboard side.

23 Jun 2021

Severe Weather Led to Barge Breakaway, Bridge Damage -NTSB

(Photo: Ryan Zimmerman / U.S. Coast Guard)

Severe rainfall and flooding from a tropical storm led to barges breaking away from their moorings and striking the Interstate 10 bridge in Channelview, Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a marine accident brief released Tuesday.On September 19, 2019, 11 barges broke free from a San Jacinto River barge fleeting area north of the I-10 bridge in Channelview during Tropical Storm Imelda, the fifth-wettest tropical cyclone on record in the continental United States.

27 May 2021

US Urges Change in Fishing Practices to Save Endangered Whales

(Photo: NOAA)

U.S. commercial fishing practices must change to prevent the extinction of North Atlantic right whales, the administration of President Joe Biden said on Thursday, as it prepares a list of new regulations to prevent whale entanglements in lobster and crab gear.The scientific assessment from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries unit is a milestone in finalizing a handful of proposed reforms of commercial fishermen mainly intended to reduce the amount of vertical rope in whale habitat.The lobster industry…