Cruise ship Caledonian Sky ran aground on an unchartered reef shoal off Kri Island, Indonesia while on a 16-night cruise from Papua New Guinea to the Philippines. There were with 102 passengers and 79 crew members on board, but no injuries were reported and evacuation was not required. The vessel was successfully refloated at the next high tide with the assistance of a tug. The vessel was anchored nearby for special survey and underwater inspection, but the damage incurred was minor and did not cause any danger to the seaworthiness or stability of the vessel. Caledonian Sky resumed its voyage and is now likely to arrive in Manila on March 14th. There are however concerns that the grounding caused damage to the coral reef near Kri Island. The ship operator and the local authorities are fully co-operating in the assessment of any environmental damage. Caledonian Sky is 645dwt and 4,200grt. According to database, Caledonian Sky is covered by Skuld Oslo 2 for member Salén Ship Management AB.
Buoy tender Vikingfjord was disabled after engine failure and started to drift early on the morning of March 9th when west of Bergen, Norway. Coast Guard salvage ship KV Bergen was sent to assist, and the tender was taken on tow at the third attempt, in rough weather conditions. Bergen towed the vessel to sheltered waters south of Bergen and returned to base. Vikingfjord was subsequently taken on tow by tug Sjobas. According to database Vikingfjord (formerly Hekkingen) is covered by Gard P&I through owner Romy Shipping AS. KV Bergen also covered by Gard, through Assuranceforeningen Gard – gjensidig, for owner SEB Njord AS.
Russian freighter Merle was arrested by Libyan Coast Guard militants off Tripoli, reportedly while en route from to Libyan Zuwara port under ballast. The boarders said that the crew didn’t have entry permission from Libyan authorities, but this type of event, of increasing frequency in the past couple of weeks, seem to be part of the ongoing internal disputes in Libya. Merle was ordered to alter course to Tripoli, where she will be anchored until further investigation. The crew and vessel were accused for illegal trade in Libya, without valid documents and permission for the claimed loading. Seven seamen from the Russian general cargo ship Merle were arrested and being held by Tripoli-based Special Deterrence Force. Russian Foreign Ministry officials are in contact with the Libyan authorities to resolve the problem. Merle is 3,716dwt and 2,456grt. According to database, Merle is covered by Noord Nederlandsche P&I Club.
General cargo vessel Skagern ran aground on Gota river bank below Trollhattan, Sweden, en route from Trollhattan to Hull, UK, on the morning of March 9th, while loaded with timber. The vessel developed a starboard list, but no breaches or water ingress were reported. Traffic was not affected. According to database. Skagern covered by North P&I Club through senior member Noord Nederlandsche P&I Club.
Offshore supply vessel Miss Lynda ran aground at West Cameron Jetties, Louisiana, while en route from Cameron LNG facility to Southport, carrying a cargo of construction materials, four passengers and three crew members. The vessel stuck into the Cameron Jetty in Lake Charles, suffering damages to the hull, but without water ingress. The crew was unable to refloat the vessel and all the passengers were evacuated to utility ship Sally D. The crew remained on board during the salvage. Miss Lynda had 4,300 gallons of fuel and 100 gallons of oil products aboard when the accident occurred, but there was no damage to fuel tanks and no reported oil leak. The cause of the incident appears to have been technical failure. Calcasieu Ship Channel traffic was not affected.
Sunken towing vessel Sonny J has been raised and dewatered, the US Coast Guard announced on Sunday. Sonny J suffered partial submersion last week on the Lower Mississippi River near Vidalia, Louisiana.
The owner of century-old tugboat Shamrock, which hit rocks in inner Tutukaka Harbour, New Zealand late last Thursday, hopes that the hull can be repaired so the vessel can continue sailing. A salvage team took about six hours on Sunday to free the 13m vessel. Owner Martin Beeby described the grounding as an unfortunate accident as they tried to moor in the harbour. He, his partner and a dog were rescued on the night. On Sunday floats were placed around the deck of Shamrock and she was floated off the rocks and towed by a tug towards Marina Beach near the Tutukaka marina. Shamrock was first launched in 1915 and since then has worked as a ferry in Coromandel, a tug in Tauranga, and a fishing charter on the Kaipara.