The Union Moon cargo ship in front of the much larger Stena Feronia. Photo via Belfast Telegraph

UPDATE: The captain of M/V Union Moon, plead guilty to excess alcohol by the master of a ship Friday morning.  The captain, Miroslaw Pozniak, 55, from Poland, will remain in custody until at least Monday when it will be dicided if bail will be set.

Original: The captain of a cargo ship has been arrested in Northern Ireland after authorities found him to be drunk when his ship collided with a much larger passenger ferry.

The collision occurred near the mouth of Belfast Lough at about 7:45 pm local time between the 1,543 gross ton M/V Union Moon and the 21,856 gross ton Stena Feronia passenger ferry.

Lifeboats from the Bangor and Donaghadee Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), who were on a training exercise nearby, quickly rushed to the scene to assess the damage.

The Stena Feronia escaped with relatively minor damage above the water line and a bit of scare for the 51 passengers that were inbound from Liverpool to Belfast.  Luckily no injuries were reported.

The M/V Union Moon on the other hand did not fare so well.  Not only did the vessel sustain extensive damage to its bow in the collision, but the captain was arrested after failing a breathalyzer test.

BBC has reported that the Stena ferry has now docked at the Stena terminal and the Union Moon was accompanied by the coastguard back to Belfast.

The 55-year-old captain is due to appear in court Friday and has been charged with excess alcohol by the master of a ship.

Here’s a look at what the RNLI lifeboats found when the arrived on scene:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Silver Shadow cruise ship, owned by Silversea Cruises

With a spotlight on cruise passenger safety, a luxury cruise liner owned by Silversea Cruises reportedly collided with a local cargo ship while navigating in dense fog off the coast of Vietnam on March 16th, causing minor damage to the cruise ship and, from the looks of it, rather extensive damage to the bridge of the cargo ship.

Details of the collision are still a bit, er, foggy, yet Silversea cruises acknowledged the collision in a statement obtained by various media outlets, saying that their Silver Shadow cruise ship “was involved in a minor incident on March 16, 2012, at around 4:20 GMT as it was approaching the pilot station in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. There was contact between Silver Shadow and a local commercial vessel. Silver Shadow incurred limited minor dents and guests’ safety was never compromised. The ship was fully operational and continued on its course to Ha Long Bay, where all shore tours operated normally.”

CNN has the story…

A screenshot of the Aegean's SPOT Messenger feed, last updated Saturday, Apr 28th at 1:36 a.m., right on North Coronado Island

UPDATE:  The Latitude 38 blog reports that other boats in the race reported have a close encounter with a large ship around the time and in the same vacinity.

Michael Lawler, a crewmember aboard the Newport Beach-based Choate 48 Amante, reports having a close encounter with a freighter in the same vicinity and time as Aegean‘s tracker stopped working. “We were farther offshore, about 10-12 miles west of the Coronados,” says Lawler. “Around 1:30 a.m., I went on watch and saw a freighter bearing down on us at what was probably 20 knots. His range lights were lined up and I could see both red and green bow lights. I didn’t have time to get on the radio, so I grabbed my two million-candlepower spotlight and aimed it at the ship. That caught his attention and he took a hard left turn to take our stern. He passed about 1/4 mile behind us.” Lawler, who circumnavigated aboard his North Wind 47 Traveller, says the wind was light, the seas were a little lumpy, and visibility was good.

However, a recently discovered feed of the Aegean’s SPOT Messenger showing the satellite track of the vessel (above), last updated at approximately 1:36 a.m., with the vessel directly on top of North Coronado Island, suggesting the vessel may have broken up on the rocks of the island.

This chart shows the search area for the sailing vessel Aegean. U.S. Coast Guard graphic (click for high res)

Original: At least three sailors competing in a yacht race from Newport Beach, CA to Ensenada, Mexico have been killed and one still remains missing after an apparent collision with a large cargo ship.

Newport Ocean Sailing Association (NOSA), host of the N2E annual regatta, said that the sailboat Aegean, a Hunter 376 representing the Little Ships Fleet club, vanished from the race’s online tracking system at approximately 1:30 a.m. Saturday.  Hours later, vessels in the area of the Coronado Islands reported finding debris in the water, which prompted the launch of a Coast Guard search leading to the discovery of the wreckage, including the rear transom with the vessel’s name on it.

By mid afternoon, the bodies of three crewmembers and loads of badly beaten debris had been recovered.  The search for the fourth crewmember continued Sunday, but was called off Sunday afternoon by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The cause of the incident is still under investigation, but initial reports indicate that the incident appears to be the result of collision with a much larger ship that did not see or even likely know of the collision.

“It was real obvious it had been hit just because the debris was so small,” a searcher told the Pasadena Star-News. The yacht looked like it “had gone through a blender.”

On Monday, it was revealed that the sailbot did not issue a distress signal or mayday.

A crew list was not immediately available, nor was it first known how many other crew may have been on the boat, but could have been sailed by five or more persons, said NOSA in a statement

The race started off Newport Beach in mid-day Friday and many boats finished in Ensenada Saturday, with the last ones due in Sunday. Weather conditions were lighter than normal at the time and place of the incident, with boats reporting winds of only 1 or 2 knots.

The incident marks the first fatalities in the 65-year history of the race, which saw 213 boats enter this year.

The crew of the Hunter 376 Aegean at Friday's start to the Newport to Ensenada Race. © 2012 Susan Hoffman via Latitude 38 blog

The Nils Holgersson with her bow tightly embedded in the starboard side of the Urd.

The captain of German ferry Nils Holgersson could be facing serious charges after local coast guard officials have ruled out that any technical malfunction caused his ferry to ram another passenger ferry in Luebeck, Germany last week.

Damage to the passenger ferry "Urd".

Authorities investigating the May 3 collision at the German Port of Travemünde are now pointing to human error on behalf of captain of the Nils Holgersson as the cause of the collision, saying he failed to set the proper thruster positioning when approaching the dock.

The passenger ferry on the receiving end of the collision, named the Urd, suffered severe damages but managed to escape without any injuries to its passengers or crew after getting t-boned by the Nils Holgersson. The Urd was moored at Pier 3 of the Scandinavian Quay in Travemünde when she was struck, puncturing two large holes on her starboard side both below the waterline and to her upper decks.

“The ship collided with the ferry, which was in port, almost at a right angle,” coast guard spokesman Karsten Dose told the Lübecker Nachrichten newspaper.

A number of vessel rushed in to assist the vessels and pump water from the Urd.

The Nils Holgersson suffered damage to her bulbous bow and bow. She is operated by TT-Line, a shipping company based in Lübeck, Germany providing direct ferry and freight service between Germany and Sweden.  Local reports have indicated that alcohol has likely been ruled out as a contributing factor. The captain could be facing charges of endangering shipping.

USS Essex (LHD 2) pulls alongside USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193) in preparation for a replenishment at sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William T. Jenkins/Released)

She has been forward deployed to the US 7th Fleet for a dozen years and was scheduled to finally arrive back to San Diego tomorrow, however instead of telling stories of missions accomplished and far off port calls, the Commanding Officer of USS Essex, Capt. Chuck Litchfield, will be faced with serious questions on why his ship collided with the refueling tanker, USNS Yukun, during an underway replenishment at sea (UNREP) today.

And he’s only been in command of the ship for 3 weeks…

The US Navy has so far traced the root cause of the collision to an apparent steering malfunction on board the Essex.   Specific details of this steering malfunction are not yet available, however the Navy has reported that “no one was injured, there was no fuel spilled and the ships’ fuel tanks and systems were not compromised.”

There is very little room for error during UNREP operations which in most (if not all) cases happen at a speed of 13 knots while the ships are separated by no more than roughly 180 feet, usually less.  While conducting these operations, the steering gear room is manned with a direct line of communication with the bridge and the ability to take “local control” of the steering system in case of any sort of issue.

At 13 knots and at such close separation, the ability to react quickly with the right solution is critical to preventing a collision.  The other issue is that as the ships get closer, the Venturi effect becomes more pronounced which in effect, sucks the two ships together, further exasperating an already dire situation.

The Navy comments that they will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the collision, and a full damange assessment is ongoing.

Essex is scheduled to participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands this summer, and will undergo an extensive maintenance availability period at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego after its return.

Essex will be assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 within U.S. Third Fleet and homeported in San Diego. Third Fleet leads naval forces in the Eastern Pacific from the West Coast of North America to the International Date Line.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

The U.S. Navy said one of its guided-missile destroyers collided with an oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

The collision between USS Porter and the Panamanian-flagged bulk oil tanker M/V Otowasan occurred at about 1 a.m. local time, Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet spokesman Lieutenant Greg Raelson said in a phone interview today. The collision was not combat-related and overall damage to the ship is being evaluated, he said.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway carrying a fifth of the world’s traded oil that Iranian officials have threatened to block in retaliation for sanctions targeting the country’s nuclear program. The U.S. Navy has said it would move to stop any Iranian attempt block the waterway.

The tanker, owned by Tokyo-based Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd., can hold 2 million barrels of crude oil and is 95 percent full, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The vessel loaded at Mesaieed in Qatar and was sailing to Fujairah, the region’s largest refueling port in the United Arab Emirates, the data show.

“We have had no reports of any spills or leakage,” 5th Fleet’s Raelson said.

Location of Sultan Shoal Lighthouse, image via Google Earth

Temasek Fairway, Singapore, image via Google Maps

A collision between two ships resulted in an oil spill in the sea outside Singapore, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. The accident between bulk carrier, Sunny Horizon, and liquefied petroleum gas carrier, Dl Salvia, happened at the Temasek Fairway, about 700 meters east of Sultan Shoal at 2 p.m. local time, the port authority said.

Workers are now cleaning up the oil spill. The two vessels involved are safely anchored in the West Jurong anchorage. No one was injured and port operations remain unaffected, the MPA said.

- Rupert Rowling, Copyright 2012 Bloomberg

Dl Salvia, image via Piet Sinke

The USS Montpelier, SSN 765

Update: The U.S Navy submarine and Aegis cruiser that collided off the East Coast of the United States on 13 October arrived safely in port on the 14th.

USS Montpelier (SSN 765) arrived at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, while USS San Jacinto (CG 56) arrived at Naval Station Mayport to further assess and evaluate the damage that resulted from their collision at sea.

Reports indicate that the sonar dome on the San Jacinto may have collapsed in the collision; potentially a very expensive and time-consuming fix, that may affect her future deployment schedule.

A Ticonderoga-class Aegis cruiser, such as the USS San Jacinto,  typically takes a very senior role within the carrier strike group.  The cruiser typically acts as the primary air warfare asset and is commanded by a Captain (O-6) who is the designated Air Warfare Commander.

Earlier: A U.S. Navy submarine and an Aegis cruiser collided off the coast of the Eastern United States today.

The collision between USS Montpelier (SSN 765) and USS San Jacinto (CG 56) occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight time when the officer of the watch aboard the San Jacinto saw the Montpelier rise to periscope depth less than 250 yards ahead of them.

No personnel aboard either vessel were injured.

Overall damage to both ships is being evaluated. The propulsion plant of the submarine was unaffected by this collision. Both ships are currently operating under their own power.

The incident is currently under investigation. Both the submarine and the ship were conducting routine training at the time of the accident. According to ABC news the two ships were participating in a “group sail” along with another vessel in preparation for an upcoming deployment as part of the strike group for the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman.

The Navy official says that at approximately 3:30 p.m. the bridge watch aboard the San Jacinto saw the submarine Montpelier rise to periscope depth about 100 to 200 yards ahead of them. The bridge ordered an “all back,” but still collided with the sub.

The Union Moon cargo ship in front of the much larger Stena Feronia. Photo via Belfast Telegraph

Investigators in the UK have confirmed what everyone already knew about the March 7th collision between the M/V Union Moon and the Stena Feronia ferry: that the captain of the Union Moon was drunk and had altered into a collision course with the ferry.

The collision occurred near the mouth of Belfast Lough in northeast Ireland at about 7:45 pm between the 1,543 gross ton cargo ship and the 21,856 gross ton passenger ferry. The Stena Feronia escaped with relatively minor damage above the water line and a bit of a scare for the 51 passengers that were inbound from Liverpool to Belfast. The M/V Union Moon, on the other hand, did not fare so well. Not only did the vessel sustain extensive damage in the collision, but the captain was arrested after authorities found him to be drunk at the time. No injuries were reported.

The results of the investigation released today determined that although the Union Moon’s master had been under the influence of alcohol and had altered course to port resulting in a collision course with Stena Feronia, several other factors also contributed to the accident. The report also identified a lack of clear guidance regarding traffic flow around the fairway buoy; no action taken by the bridge teams of either vessel to prevent a closequarters situation from developing; no action was taken on board Stena Feronia to avoid collision; and sub-standard VHF communications.

The captain of the Union Moon plead guilty to charges relating to the breaching the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 and was sentenced to 1 year imprisonment.

• READ: MAIB Investigation Report on Stena Feronia and Union Moon Collision

Here’s a look at what the RNLI lifeboats found when the arrived on scene:

Click here to view the embedded video.

File photo of the car carrier “Baltic Ace” in the port of Bremerhaven, Germany

Update 3: Five bodies have been recovered and six are still missing in the North Sea.  AIS Data and damage photos of the Corvus J can be found here.

gCaptain’s FULL Coverage: Baltic Ace Sinking

Update 2: BBC has reported that the bodies of three crewmembers have been recovered and eight are still missing. Meanwhile the AP says that 4 bodies have been recovered, citing a Coast Guard official.

Update 1: Unofficial report from the scene…

“Car carrier has sunk, 13 crewmembers are rescued and brought to a nearby hospital. 11 still missing.. Two Dutch navy vessels, 2 helicopters and 2 SAR vessels from the KRNM are also searching for the rest of the crewmembers that are still 11 missing.”

We have been told that the car carrier sank quickly, possibly within 15 minutes.

Another unofficial report from the scene…

4 crew members have been brought to the Erasmus medical center in Rotterdam with mild wounds and hypothermia. 7 crewmembers were flown to Ostend in Belgium. 2 have been saved by the container vessel which collided with the car carrier and 11 are still unaccounted for. 3 helicopters, 2 navy vessels and several other vessels from the KNRM are searching. Also several merchant vessels are giving assistance in the search.

Original: A car carrier is sinking in the North Sea near Rotterdam after colliding with a containership Wednesday night.

The Bahamas-flagged car carrier Baltic Ace collided with the Cyprus-flagged containership Covus J after dark approximately 25 to 30 miles from Port of Rotterdam. The Baltic Ace is said to be sinking as a result of the collision and there may be as many as 24 crewmembers on board.

A rescue operation is currently underway. An unknown number of crew are being pulled from four life rafts by helicopter.

Reuters in the UK has reported that the Dutch coastguard said the Baltic Ace has “almost certainly has sunk.”

The Baltic Ace was en route from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Kotka, Finland. The Corcus J was en route from Grangemouth (UK) to Antwerp.

A piece of boat found in the debris field. US Coast Guard PhotoBod

A high seas hit-n-run? We certainly hope not…

Another large piece spotted in the debris field. US Coast Guard Photo

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking information from the public to help identify the source of a large debris field spotted Sunday evening in the Atlantic Ocean about 22 miles east of the entrance to the St. Johns River in Florida.

An update from the USCG Monday morning confirmed that so far one body has been recovered amid the debris, and it is still unknown if additional people are in the water or otherwise in distress. The USCG has identified the victim as Guillermo Gonzalez Losada, 49. Losada had a Venezuelan passport and his last known residence was in Miami.

According to the USCG statement, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aircrew reported the debris at about 6 p.m. on Sunday evening. Among the wreckage were two large pieces of a vessel, 10 life jackets, flares, and an oil sheen.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville in Atlantic Beach confirmed with organizers from the El Cheapo fishing tournament, which occurred in the area Sunday, that all participants and vessels involved in the tournament are accounted for.

Coast Guard assets involved in the search include a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard said that the cutter, Cormorant, was en route to area as of Sunday night along with a C-130 Hercules plane from Air Station Clearwater. The Coast Guard Cutter Kingfisher was aslo slated to join the search Monday morning.

The St. Johns River is of course home to the Port of Jacksonville, or JAXPORT, one of the busier ports in the state of Florida for both commercial cargoes and cruise ships. In 2012, JAXPORT’s three marine terminals handled a total of 8.2 million tons of cargo, including more than 923,000 TEUs  and more than 600,000 vehicles.

Anyone with information about the debris field is urged to contact Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville at 904-564-7511.

Update: The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its active search at 4:23 p.m. Tuesday for any additional people possibly in the water or otherwise in distress off the coast of Atlantic Beach.

“The decision to suspend our search as well as the decisions made throughout our response to this tragic incident have been exceptionally challenging due to the lack of critical information we ordinarily rely on, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Losada’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Deputy Commander, Cmdr. Russell Holmes. “Unfortunately, many of the questions that arose immediately after we learned of the wreckage remain unanswered.”

It remains unknown if additional people were aboard the vessel with Losada or what caused the vessel to break apart.

Coast Guard crews scoured roughly 2,800 square nautical miles and actively searched for 40 hours.

An U.S. fishing trawler on Tuesday rammed a Royal Canadian Navy warship that was docked at the Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt at Vancouver Island, near Victoria… and it was all caught on video.

The Canadian Press reports that the Seattle-based F/V American Dynasty was being escorted by two tugs when it rammed the HMCS Winnipeg, which had just completed a major retrofit.

Six people were taken to Victoria General Hospital with minor injuries.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Update: The Ottawa Citizen reports that the trawler was actually being towed and had broken away just prior to hitting the Winnipeg.

File photo of American Seafoods Company’s American Triumph (left) and American Dynasty (right), docked at Bellingham Cold Storage in Bellingham, Washington.

Rescue workers stand among the debris of a collapsed control tower at Genoa’s port in this picture provided by Italian firefighters May 8, 2013. Image: Vigili del Fuoco

Thursday Update: The Italian Ministry of Transport has identified the victims as follows:

• Killed: Morella David, Daniel Fratantonio , Candussio De Marco, Robazza Michele, Maurizio Potenza, Joseph Tusa, Sergio Basso
• Injured: Pecchi Aeneas, Chiarlone Raffaele Meo George, Russian Gabriele
• Missing: Cetrola Francis and John Iacoviello

A statement from the Italian Coast Guard said that the entire Center for Coordination of Search and Rescue Coast Guard Genoa facility was destroyed in the incident, including the 55-meter Operations Room of the Tower.

The coast guard said that despite the accident, VTS operations were moved within a few minutes to a nearby coast guard station in Savona, where crews continued to monitor ship traffic to ensure safety to the entire Ligurian region. VTS operations are expected to continue from Savona.

GALLERY: Jolly Nero Incident Photos and Video

The statement also offered condolences to the victims:

A tragedy that has deeply affected the entire staff of harbor in a tight embrace with the families of missing colleagues.

But even in a time of great sorrow you can not call into question their commitment and work, which is essential for the safety of navigation.

Ignazio Messina & Co., the Jolly Nero’s Genoa-based operator, also released the following statement:

There are no words to express the consternation and the deep grief for the workers victim of this tragedy and for their families.

Messina Group is at total and unconditional disposal of all competent Authorities in the common effort to identify as quickly as possible the causes of a tragic accident, occurred during the usual operations of exit from the Port of Genoa that also Messina Line ships execute with regular frequency in the foreseen turning basin, assisted, as in the case of Jolly Nero, by the tug boats and with the pilot onboard.

Photo: Italy Coast Guard

Update: 7 now confirmed killed, 2 missing, 4 hospitalized.

Italian Coast Guard Statement (translated via Google):

At 23.00 last night, the ship Jolly [Nero], Italian flag, while he was engaged in a maneuver to leave the port of Genoa, he bumped into the control tower is also located where the operations room of the Coast Guard, causing the collapse of the structure . At the time of the collapse, the tower were 13 people, including 10 soldiers and 3 civilians Coast Guard, port operators. At the moment, the confirmed victims are 7, 4 of which belong to the Coast Guard. 4 people are hospitalized, while 2 are still missing.

After spending also means aircraft of the Body, the research continues into the sea with vessels and Coast Guard divers. Participate in the research both at sea and on land Firemen, Police, Carabinieri and Police.

Wednesday morning update from Reuters:

By Paola Balsomini

GENOA, May 8 (Reuters) – Six people were killed and three are missing after a container ship crashed into a control tower in the northern Italian port of Genoa, rescuers said on Wednesday.

The tower, which was more than 50 metres (160 feet) high and looked much like the ones common at airports, collapsed into the water late on Tuesday after being struck by the prow of the vessel, the Jolly Nero.

Two of the dead were coastguard officers and a third was a pilot for the port, the coastguard said.

The three other victims have yet to be identified. Two were recovered from the wreckage of the tower’s lift, a firefighters’ spokesman said.

The accident happened as staff were changing shifts and there were 13 people in the tower when it was struck, the coastguard said.

As well as the dead and missing, officials said four people were injured and had been taken to hospital. Two were seriously hurt and one had lost a foot, investigators said.

A crane barge is pictured in front of the debris of the collapsed control tower of the port in Genoa May 8, 2013. Image (c) REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo

“The main injuries are fractures, crushed body parts, significant traumas,” emergency services doctor Andrea Furgani said.

The crash occurred shortly after 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) in calm conditions as the Jolly Nero was manoeuvring out of the port.

Genoa prosecutor Michele Di Lecce has opened an investigation and is focusing on a possible malfunction of the ship’s engine or steering mechanism, judicial sources said.

The crash is the most serious maritime accident in Italy since the Costa Concordia luxury cruise liner struck a rock and capsized off the island of Giglio in January 2012, killing 32 people.

“There’s no logical explanation because two tug boats were moving the ship and there was a port pilot on board and sea conditions were optimal,” the head of the Genoa Port Authority, Luigi Merlo, said.

The only thing left where the tower had stood was a leaning metal-framed stairway. Divers from the fire department joined the search for bodies.

The 40,594 gt MV Jolly Nero. Photo via Messina & Co.

The Jolly Nero, which is 238 metres-long (781 foot) with a gross tonnage of 40,594 tonnes, is owned by local operator Ignazio Messina and Co.

“A thing like this has never happened, we are devastated,” said Stefano Messina, one of the directors of the family-owned firm, who was in tears when he spoke to a local TV channel.

(Reporting By James Mackenzie, Antonella Cinelli, and Steve Scherer; Editing by Barry Moody and Pravin Char)

Original Report (Tuesday, May 7):

Genoa port control tower. Photo: Panoramio via Google Maps

An Italian-flagged cargo ship crashed into a control tower at the Italian port of Genoa late Tuesday night, causing it to collapse.

The 30,217 DWT Jolly Nero, a containership/ro-ro owned by Genoa-based Ignazio Messina & Co., slammed into the control tower at about 11 p.m. local time. Photos from the scene show a stairway of the tower leaning over to its side, and the 55-meter tower is believed to be completely collapsed.

A number of fatalities have been reported, as well as some still missing.

The Jolly Nero was under the control of two pilots and was leaving the port when the accident occurred.

Genoa Pilots tweeted the following last night:

Bad news guys. Bad news. Pilotage service is stil available.

— Genoa Pilots (@GenoaPilots) May 8, 2013

AIS track of the Jolly Nero. Photo: La Repubblica

Location of the tower. Photo: La Repubblica

First video from the scene (Unconfirmed):

Damage to the Tank Vessel Profit after a collision with the Motor Vessel Imperial Spirit 30 miles off of the coast of Galveston May 30, 2013. The collision caused damage to both vessels, but no injury or pollution occurred during the incident. U.S Coast Guard Photo.

A collision Thursday between a tanker and bulk carrier off the coast of Galveston caused damage to both ships, but no injuries or pollution have been reported.

The U.S. Coast Guard says that its crews in Texas City received a report at about 5:50 a.m. Thursday of a collision between the 900-foot tanker Profit, carrying approximately 19 million gallons of crude oil, and the 625-foot M/V Imperial Spirit, which was loaded with grain, approximately 30 miles off the coast of Galveston.

A Coast Guard overflight showed no signs of pollution and no injuries were reported from either vessel, although both vessels did report damage.

The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

The unloaded 800-foot tanker, Minerva Maya, sustained some damage after a collision with a tug pushing barges in the Houston Ship Channel on June 2, 2013. No injury or pollution was reported from the incident. U.S. Coast Guard Photo.

The U.S. Coast Guard is again investigating a collision involving a tanker in Texas that resulted in some damage, but thankfully no pollution.

The USCG said Sunday that the unloaded 800-foot tanker, Minerva Maya, collided with a tug pushing five barges in the Houston Ship Channel on Sunday morning.

There has been no report of pollution or injury as a result, but the tanker sustained some damage to its port bow. All vessels are currently secured and in stable condition, according to the Coast Guard.

Last week, a 900-foot tanker carrying approximately 19 million gallons of crude oil collided with a 625-foot bulk carrier approximately 30 miles off the coast of Galveston. The incident resulted in damage to both vessels, but an overflight showed no signs of pollution and no injuries were reported.

The cause of both collisions are under investigation.

Damage to the ACX Hibiscus. Photo: MAIB

The U.K.’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch on Wednesday released its final report on a joint investigation into a December 2011 collision between two containerships near the Singapore Strait, slamming the owner of one of the vessel’s withholding critical evidence.

Damage to the Hyundai Discovery. Photo: MAIB

On the morning of December 11, 2011, the Panamanian-registered ACX Hibiscus collided with the UK-registered Hyundai Discovery at the eastern Singapore Strait during a period of poor visibility caused by heavy rain. Both vessels were severely damaged in the collision, but no injuries or pollution was ever reported.

The investigation, which was conducted jointly by the MAIB and the Panama Maritime Authority, found that the ACX Hibiscus, which was outbound from Singapore, altered course across the bow of Hyundai Discovery, which was inbound at the time, without making adequate checks that it was safe to do so. The report says that both vessels’ officers took action to avoid the collision, but only after they saw each other at the last minute when it was too late to be effective.

The investigation concluded that neither of the vessel’s bridge watchkeepers had taken the precautions required by the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

The MAIB says its ability to conduct an effective investigation was restricted because access to primary evidence from ACX Hibiscus, which was outside the MAIB’s jurisdiction, was denied by the vessel’s owners, ACT Carriers Corp. According to the MAIB report, ACT Carriers Corp pressured the Panama Maritime Authority not to release critical evidence to the MAIB and, consequently, the report has been obliged to focus on the actions needed to avoid rogue vessels, rather than to deal with the underlying causes of the collision.

MAIB recommends that the owners of Hyundai Discovery share the lessons learnt from this incident with their officers, as well as further develop their safety management and training systems, particularly in collision avoidance.

As for the ACX Hibiscus, MAIB recommended that the Panama Maritime Authority take appropriate action with the owners to address the underlying causes of ineffective watchkeeping, and to ensure it is compliant with the mandatory standards of the International Maritime Organization’s Casualty Investigation Code.

The full accident investigation report can be found HERE.

NOCC Oceanic. Image courtesy NOCC

UPDATE: An inspection of the hull of “NOCC Oceanic” conducted Tuesday morning has revealed damage to the bow area of the vessel, indicating physical contact with an object.

Norwegian Car Carriers ASA currently has a team present in Sendai-Shiogama to assist the Japanese authorities in the investigations. The investigations are on-going.

ORIGINAL (24 JUN): Norwegian Car Carriers ASA (NOCC) is working with the Japanese Coast Guard to determine if one of their vessels was involved in a possibly fatal collision with a Japanese fishing vessel off Japan, the company said Monday.

NOCC on Monday said it has been informed by the Japanese Coast Guard that, on 23 June at 10:15 hours (LT), the Japanese flagged fishing vessel “Yujin Maru no. 7″ was hit by another vessel and broke in two some 300 km off the Japanese coast south-east of Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.

The Japanese Coast Guard believes that the NOCC-owned vessel, “NOCC Oceanic”, may have been involved in the collision, and has instructed the vessel to proceed to the port of Sendai-Shiogama for investigations, including a check of the hull.

In a statement, NOCC says that, citing information about the incident from the 2nd Regional Office of Japan Coast Guard, eight crew members were rescued by the sister ship “Yoshi Maru No.55″ at 13:50 hours LT on the same day following the collision. The Captain of “Yujin Maru no. 7″ is still missing and a a rescue operation has been launched, the statement added.

NOCC says that the master of “NOCC Oceanic” has not given any indication that his vessel may have been involved in a collision, but the company has agreed to contribute fully to the investigation. ”NOCC Oceanic” is now currently underway to Sendai-Shiogama port, where she is due to arrive on Monday 21:00 hours LT, NOCC says.

A team representing NOCC, its insurance underwriters, technical manager are en route to Sendai-Shiogama to assist in this investigation.

“NOCC Oceanic” is 6,450 ceu carrier that was built in 2012.

This screenshot shows the last position recorded for Maria in the North Sea. AIS provided by MarineTraffic.

A search is underway in the North Sea for three missing from a standby security vessel that sank Monday morning following a collision with a fishing trawler.

The AFP, citing the Dutch Coast Guard, reported that the accident happened at around 1:30 am (1130 GMT) when the 32-meter Maria, deployed to guard an oil drilling platform about 24 miles southwest of the Dutch navy port of Den Helder, collided with fishing trawler Texel 68.

Two of Maria’s five crew were rescued by other vessels in the area. The three missing are feared to have been trapped inside the vessel when it sank shortly following the collision.

The Dutch Coast Guard has deployed at least two vessels and a helicopter to assist in the search operation.

Maria is flagged in the Netherlands however reports say that her crew were not Dutch.

AIS data for the Maria, last updated about 16 hours ago as of 11:40 EST. Data provided by MarineTraffic.com

The post Three Missing After Dutch Security Vessel Sinks in Collision With Fishing Trawler appeared first on gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News.

Remember this?

Well BBC reports that the skipper of the yacht, Royal Navy lieutenant Roland Wilson, is in court this week accused of negligence in the moments before the August 2011 collision with the 120,000-ton tanker Hanne Knutsen during a Cowes Week race.

Prosecutors allege that Wilson sailed far too close to the tanker, failing to comply with a “moving prohibited zone” of 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) in front and 100 meters (328ft) either side of a vessel greater than 150m (492ft) which ultimately caused the collision.

Almost amazingly, only one member of the eight-man crew of the yacht suffered head injuries in the collision. Another abandoned ship just prior to the collision and was picked up by spectator vessel.

Wilson, who was a serving officer at the time of the crash but is now a reservist, denies three counts of contravening maritime regulations, BBC reports.

The post Sailboat Dismasted by Tanker in Viral Video Sailed Too Close, Prosecutors Say appeared first on gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News.

The MV Siderfly seen listing heavily along an embamkment of Germany’s Kiel Canal. Photo credit: CCME

A collision between a cargo ship and a LPG carrier early Monday morning has closed Germany’s Kiel Canal, leaving the cargo ship heavily listing and leaking diesel into the busy waterway.

FULL COVERAGE: Kiel Canal Ship Collision

Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME) reports that the 100-meter coastal freighter “Siderfly” collided with 116-meter Dutch-flagged gas carrier Coral Ivory at about 3 a.m. Monday in the Nordostseekanal (akaKiel Canal) near the town of Brunsbüttel in Northern Germany.

Photos from the scene show the Sidefly listing heavily against an embankment.

The Sidefly sustained two holes to its port side measuring about 3 by 5 meters each and reports indicate that diesel has leaked but is being contained by booms. The vessel was reportedly carrying a cargo of fertilizer from Brunsbüttel to Antwerp in Belgium when the collision occurred.

The Coral Ivory did not sustain damage in the collision. The vessel was underway from from Brunsbüttel to Uusikaupunki in Finland.

No injuries amongst the crew have been reported.

At this time the Kiel Canal remains closed as efforts to stabilize and salvage the Sidefly are underway.

The Kiel Canal is the world’s busiest artificial waterway and runs for almost 61 miles, linking the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. In 2012, a total of 34,879 ships transited the canal according to data from Kiel-Canal.org.

The post Collision Closes Germany’s Kiel Canal appeared first on gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News.