Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Creativity at Sea: Remote Workers Look to Cruise Ships for Workspace

The pandemic lock down required thousands of people worldwide to work from home offices. Some companies have actually made the change permanent and only on rare occasions do they rent space for in-person group meetings or group collaboration. The occasional need to collaborate in person provides opportunity to charter a tour vessel for a multi-day voyage that combined work with inspirational scenic travel.

A significant proportion of modern knowledge workers use of information sector technology to connect with clients and formulate solutions to problems. While knowledge workers spent their workdays at offices prior to the pandemic lock down, the lock down changed the nature of their work environments. Some cruise ship operators have responded to the change in the knowledge-based work environment and have begun to provide onboard telecommunications services aimed at people who could combine travel aboard a cruise vessel while doing their distance-based work individually and/or in groups.

One cruise ship company has modified a vessel by replacing the onboard gambling casino with conference rooms for the convenience of groups of knowledge sector workers who travel on extended multi-week trans-ocean voyages. The onboard amenities, features and services are specifically aimed at both individual workers as well as groups of colleagues. Catering to remote workers is a very recent development for the cruise vessel sector. There is potential for market success for ship operators that sail from very large coastal cities that are home to large numbers of workers who have the option of working remotely.

Market Variety

The cruise vessel sector operates a variety of vessel sizes that carry anywhere from fewer than a dozen guests to several thousand guests, with options to travel across ocean or along scenic navigable waterways. While big cruise ships sail smoothly, they sometimes encounter storms at sea that cause vessels to pitch and roll, causing passenger discomfort. Small vessels that navigate inland waterways usually sail on calm water where vessel roll and pitch are minimal. Several big cities internationally are located within close proximity to a navigable inland waterway, allowing vessel operators serve the needs of local clientele.

The majority of inland waterways and related channels such as the American coastal waterway system are more scenic than sailing across open ocean. An especially scenic ocean channel extends north from Seattle into the Strait of Georgia and further north into Queen Charlotte Strait from where small vessels can sail into multiple scenic inlets. The combination of smooth sailing through gentle waters while surrounded by spectacular scenery enhances the mobile work environment and worker creativity. Businesses that occasionally seek to provide an enhanced work environment for their employees may consider cruises aboard a small cruise vessel.

Vessel Environment

Creative working groups that choose to charter a tour boat for a working cruise would likely prefer to sail aboard a vessel that has little or no detrimental impact on the environment. A cruise vessel that sails along an inland waterway may stop overnight at various marinas where it might be possible to connect to the power grid to recharge banks of batteries during the overnight hours. During daylight cruising, the vessel electric propulsion system would operate on the combination of battery and solar photovoltaic power, with a possible additional option of wind power.

Vertical overhead air-draft clearances along some routes would likely allow for a deck-mounted vertical-axis wind turbine and/or an airborne kite-sail to provide propulsion. Travel aboard an environmentally friendly cruise vessel would likely enhance the work environment for organized work groups developing creative solutions and possible aboard charter cruise vessels that provide temporary alternative work environments. There may be scope to develop a boat powered by choppy water and that sails with minimal pitch, roll and vertical heave motions. Such a vessel could operate as a cruise vessel for working groups seeking an alternative temporary work environment.

Great Lakes

Large coastal cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Toledo are located around North America’s Great Lakes. During summer months, several companies offer summer time cruises around the Great Lakes that include stopovers at points of interest. A navigation canal connects Chicago to the Mississippi River and the inland navigable waterway system, where cruise vessels now operate during summer carrying tourists. There is potential for cruise vessel operators to offer services to businesses located around the Great Lakes, providing mobile accommodation for business groups that combine cruising with a creative work environment.

While occasional summer storms cause waves on the Great Lakes, a calm water passage extends along the north shore of Lake Ontario from Hamilton/Toronto through the Murray Canal and into the tourist region of the Upper St. Lawrence River. The dimensions of the Murray Canal would easily accommodate the beam and draft of the Viking Cruise Lines long-ship river cruise vessels, with potential for such a vessel to sail through to Quebec City. The population of large cities around the Great Lakes and the size of the business sectors could provide a market for business cruise vessels.

New York City

New York City and Newark are located next to the Hudson River that is navigable to vessels up to 300-feet length and 43.5-feet beam, with the option to Albany and west to Niagara Falls via the Erie Canal or north to Lake Champlain. A vessel of 21-feet beam by 95-feet length by 5-ft draft could sail via Lake Champlain to the Lower St. Lawrence River. One cruise vessel company sails from New York City via the Erie Canal into Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River while other operators sail via the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The layout of navigation canals across New York State allows for battery-electric cruise vessels to make overnight stops at various marinas located along the canal, including on a northbound voyage into Canada and into the Lower St. Lawrence River. There is also potential for a modified cruise vessel to carry business working groups on a return cruise across Long Island Sound between New York City and Cape Cod Bay or a marina on the Providence River near Providence RI. A business cruise along the inland waterway between Borden Town NJ and Norfolk VA is also possible.

Conclusions

The recent pandemic lock down resulted large numbers of companies having decentralized their workforce by vacating previously occupied premises, requiring their long-term and short-term contract employees to engage in distance work. The cruise vessel industry is in a unique position to offer mobile accommodations to individual distance workers and organized groups of such workers who could combine scenic waterway cruising with distance work. Sailing along calm scenic waterways offers the potential of enhancing worker creativity and problem-solving capability, in turn enhancing their value to organizations.

Several large cities across North America and internationally are located near a terminal for passenger vessels, with cities such as Seattle, New York, Vancouver, Chicago, Toronto and Montreal having access to suitable inland waterways. The smallest cruise vessels carry about a dozen guests and could be adapted to carrying groups of distance workers seeking a peaceful and inspirational environment to do creative and problem-solving work in a group.

Top image: CC BY SA 2.0 / Jerome Strauss

General Cargo Ship with Troubled History Grounds on Reef off Belize

cargo ship grounds off Belize — Herca-1 after a long history of deficiencies grounded on a reef off Belize (Belize Port Authority)

Officials in Belize are detaining a general cargo ship after it went aground in a sensitive marine area while they work to determine the extent of damage suffered on the reef. The detention has begun while the vessel which has a long history of deficient inspections remains lodged on the reef in a key shipping channel off the coast near Belize City.

The vessel which was sold last year and renamed Herca-1 was sailing through the shipping channel west of Belize’s Central Lagoon, a chain of small cayes popular for diving and fishing as well as private islands. Built in 1999 and currently registered in Panama, the 322-foot general cargo ship had departed Puerto Cortes in Honduras on March 25 bound for Port Everglades, Florida. The Belize Port Authority is reporting that the vessel is carrying containers and break-bulk cargo when it experienced a mechanical failure at around 0400 local time on March 26. It grounded on the reef east of Drowned Cayes.

The ship is believed to be undamaged and the 13 crewmembers aboard are reported to be safe. They are cooperating with Belizean authorities which have launched an investigation. Under the supervision of the Department of the Environment, the Belize Port Authority, and the Belize Coast Guard, a salvage operation is being planned.

(Belize Port Authority)

The vessel was previously detained in Belfast, Northern Ireland on November 13, 2022, with the incident lasting 25 according to the Equasis database. The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) recorded 13 deficiencies found during the first inspection after the vessel was sold including a crack in the hull which they deemed made the vessel unseaworthy. There were also issues with the lifeboat and life raft, electrical equipment, fire safety and emergency systems, none of which were grounds for detention, as well as issues with its certification which was a second ground for detention. The MCA reports the vessel was released on December 8.

Under her prior name, Jolanta, and registered in Cyprus, Equasis shows a long list of inspections with deficiencies but no prior detentions. For 17 consecutive inspections dating back to 2012, deficiencies were identified during each inspection, as well as previous ones in 2011 and before.

Once the vessel is dislodged, the Belize Port Authority says it will continue to be detained while they complete the investigation and a damage assessment. The full extent of the impact on the reef can not be ascertained until the ship has been removed.

U.S. Navy Deploys an LCS to Enforce Fishing Rules in Western Pacific

The U.S. Navy has deployed one of its newest Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships to the South Pacific - with a Coast Guard boarding team on board. The Coast Guard-LCS combination has proven itself in counternarcotics interdiction campaigns off Central America, and the new deployment extends that model to fisheries enforcement partnerships with Pacific Island nations.

Though costly to operate when compared with a Coast Guard cutter, the Independence-class LCS provides an additional vessel platform in the Pacific, freeing up naval surface combatants and National Security Cutters for other missions. It carries the same 57mm deck gun as the NSC, and it is capable of launching small boats for vessel boardings and search drones for reconnaissance.

On March 20, USS Mobile got under way with an embarked USCG law enforcement team on the first deployment of the new program, the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI). Its objective is to reduce IUU fishing, combat transnational crime, and enhance regional security.

The primary objective will be to enforce the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Convention (WCPFC)'s tuna fishing rules. This has not historically been a top priority for the U.S. Navy, but the strategic dynamics are changing in the region. The U.S. government is putting a new premium on Pacific island partnerships to offset growing Chinese influence, and counter-IUU fishing assistance is a way to enhance America's reputation as a partner of choice. Small Pacific Island states do not always have the resources to police their expansive EEZs, and the U.S. is one of the few foreign partners capable of assisting in the task.

Historically, IUU fishing enforcement has been a Coast Guard mission, but under the new initiative, the U.S. Navy is joining the action as well.

“OMSI is imperative to ensure that the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission Convention (WCPFC) agreement is upheld within the Indo-Pacific region,” said Cmdr. Richard Skinnell (USN), USS Mobile’s commanding officer. “This initiative allows us the opportunity to work jointly with other branches of the military as well as our allies and partners.”

Spanish Firm to Run Offshore Wind Terminal at Bethlehem Steel Site

Offshore wind developer US Wind has reached an agreement with Spanish steel fabricator Haizea Wind Group to run its future Sparrows Point Steel terminal, where it will build the monopiles and towers needed for US Wind's construction plans.

According to US Wind, Sparrows Point Steel could become one of the biggest staging terminals for offshore wind components in the United States. The 90-acre site will have abundant space for storing material, along with quayside space and drydock access. The activity requires lots of space, since each monopile can be up to 400 feet long and weigh 2,500 tonnes.

“The partnership between US Wind and Haizea to lead Sparrows Point Steel will create one of the premier offshore wind industrial facilities in the world,” said Jeffrey Grybowski, US Wind's CEO. “Sitting on nearly 100 acres of waterfront in Baltimore County, Sparrows Point Steel is poised to become the best offshore wind heavy logistics and fabrication yard on the East Coast."

The plant is expected to employ more than 500 people and generate $3 billion in economic output over a 20-year lifespan, according to US Wind's calculations.

Courtesy US Wind

The new terminal will be located on the former home of the storied Bethlehem Steel plant, once the largest steel mill in the world. Today, the sprawling brownfield site is operated by commercial developer Tradepoint Atlantic, and it has attracted many new tenants who require large plots - primarily distribution centers, which can leverage Sparrows Point's proximity to the D.C.-area consumer market. Amazon, BMW, FedEx, and Volkswagen all lease acreage at the 3,300-acre site, which is large enough to justify its own zip code and township.

Marine operations are part of Tradepoint Atlantic's portfolio as well. In its heyday, Bethlehem Steel had its own seaport and a thriving shipyard, and a large segment of the vacant quayside has been leased by TIL for transformation into a container terminal. The new facility will increase Baltimore's container handling capacity by 50 percent.

Bethlehem Steel plant at Sparrows Point, 1973 (EPA / NARA)

Harbor and distribution centers at the former Bethlehem steel site, 2023 (Tradepoint Atlantic)

More Proposed Reforms to Ocean Shipping Act Stir Up New Controversies

Less than a year after U.S. lawmakers were successful in completing the first major overhaul of the Shipping Act and getting it signed into law, efforts are being renewed to address additional issues in how carriers, as well as terminals, operate. The first bill was proposed last Friday, March 24, and it is already receiving strong criticism from the World Shipping Council, the industry lobbying group. Other bills are also expected to be proposed in the U.S. Congress in the coming days.

Five U.S. lawmakers all from California led by Representative Jim Costa introduced the Ocean Shipping Antitrust Enforcement Act which would repeal the exemption for foreign ocean carriers from all U.S. federal antitrust laws. The bill sponsors content that it would address unfair practices that harm American businesses, producers, and consumers.

"Foreign-flagged cargo vessels need to understand that access to the American market and its consumers is a privilege, not a right,” said Representative John Garamendi reiterating his position as one of the sponsors of the 2022 reforms. He believes last year’s act did not go far enough, saying, “Congress must restore balance at our ports and tackle the longstanding trade imbalance America has with China and other nations. Big business needs to play by the rules, and the foreign-flagged ocean carriers enjoy an exemption from federal antitrust law that no other transportation sector enjoys.”

They highlight that their bill which exempts carriers from antitrust provisions would reduce collusion and anticompetitive business practices, unjustified and unilateral container rate increases, and exorbitant detention and demurrage fees. Despite last year’s revisions to the Shipping Act, the sponsors contend that the carriers are still refusing American export cargo bookings, such as agricultural goods, at seemingly any price. They say the further amendments would untie the efforts of the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and Federal Maritime Commission to defend American exporters, shippers, and consumers from unfair trade practices.

The World Shipping Council responded forcefully saying that one of the consequences would be to do away with Vessel Sharing Agreements among the carriers. The trade group argues that the exemption permits carriers to share space which allows more carriers to provide more service to more ports. Removing the exemption they argue would undermine competitiveness, reducing shipping options into a broader range of ports.

“Nobody has offered a reason why we should throw away such a useful tool as VSAs, and I think some of the rhetoric comes from a misunderstanding about how VSAs help the supply chain work better,” said John Butler, WSC President & CEO.

The sponsors of the antitrust bill cite an argument that was used last year when the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that the 10 largest ocean carriers, all of which are foreign-based companies operating foreign-flagged vessels, control more than 80 percent of the shipping market and work together to control capacity along routes.

The World Shipping Council seeks to dismiss that figure by saying that there are no carriers with a capacity share above 20 percent. Across the industry, there are only three carriers with capacity shares higher than 10 percent and only seven with capacity shares above five percent globally, according to their calculations. The WCS points out that this argument was used to introduce a similar reform bill in the last Congress that did not gather significant support.
“For far too long, foreign shipping monopolies have manipulated the ocean shipping industry and employed unfair trade practices, hurting American exporters and consumers,” said Representative Costa introducing his latest legislative initiative. “We have seen delays, congestion, and empty containers leaving American ports. It’s unfair and drives up costs. My legislation will hold foreign monopolies accountable, lower costs, and level the playing field in ocean shipping.”

The argument that the carriers have formed a monopoly has emerged from trade organizations in various parts of the world and has been raised with regulators in Europe and Australia. In the United States, two FMC commissions, Carl Bentzel and Max Vekich, expressed their support in a letter to Congress last year calling for the rules on how the FMC proceeds if it finds agreements are anticompetitive. FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei has said that he also supports reforms of the process for addressing anti-competitiveness practices among carriers.

Representative Dusty Johnson supports the antitrust bill, but also has said he thinks more issues need to be addressed that were excluded from last year’s reforms during the reconciliation between the drafts in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

The World Shipping Council responds to the initiatives by saying the liner shipping industry remains competitive. They point to declines in freight rates in the decade before the pandemic and Maffei’s testimony before the U.S. Congress saying that ocean shipping was exerting downward pressure on price inflation. They also highlight an FMC report from May 2022 that found carriers compete on price and market independently and vigorously, despite their alliances.

First CO2 Transport Ship for CCS Demonstrations Launched in Japan

CO2 transport demonstration vessel — Mitsubishi Shipbuilding designed and building the dedicated CO2 transport vessel (Mitsubishi Shipbuilding)

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding today launched the first dedicated CO2 carrier designed to be a demonstration ship for the development of carbon transport as part of the emerging CO2 capture, storage and reuse initiatives. The ship is being built as part of a broader government-sponsored project involving a range of Japanese companies for the operation and demonstration of the ship along with the R&D and commercialization of the technology for carbon transport.

The launch ceremony for the demonstration vessel was hosted at the Enoura Plant of MHI's Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Shimonoseki, Japan. The vessel is 236 feet long with a cargo tank capacity of 1,450 cubic meters. The ship is scheduled for delivery by late 2023 to begin testing and demonstration trips.

Mitsubishi began construction on the vessel in October 2022 using its experience in building LNG and LPG carriers. The shipyard is responsible for the design of the vessel including the cargo containment system as well as the gas handling technologies.

Once completed the ship will be owned by Sanyu Kisen and will be chartered to the Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA), one of the organizations involved in demonstration projects. They will install and operate the LCO2 marine tank system to conduct research and development on the systems. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha ("K" LINE), Nippon Gas Line Co., and Ochanomizu University will also be working with ENAA to conduct R&D on the pressure control and stability of the LCO2 transported on the ship, and plan demonstration experiments to support the development of technologies for safe and low-cost CO2 transport. K Line previously conducted risk assessment studies for the vessel.

Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) is organizing and sponsoring the demonstration projects as part of several initiatives to support the commercialization of CO2 transport technologies. Japan also sponsored the CO?-Free Hydrogen Energy Supply-Chain Technology Research Association (HySTRA) project and last year demonstrated the world's first liquefied Hydrogen Carrier Suiso Frontier in a similar project to support the development of liquid hydrogen shipping.

The CO2 shipping demonstration project is proceeding as Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC) located in China has also commenced construction on the first commercial CO2 carriers designed to support a capture and storage initiative. The ships, which will be 426 feet long, were ordered in late 2021 by Northern Lights a joint venture between Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies. Based in Norway, Northern Lights plans to start carbon transport and storage in mid-2024 with a capacity of up to 1.5 million tons of CO2 per year in the first phase of the operation. The first steel cut for the two vessels, each of which will have a capacity of 7,500 cbm of CO2, was completed in November 2022. These larger commercial CO2 carriers are due for delivery in 2024.

Monjasa Confirms Pirate Attack with Search Ongoing for Missing Tanker

tanker missing during piracy attack — Monjasa Reformer has been missing since she was boarded on March 25 (Monjasa file photo)

Monjasa, a Danish oil trading and supply company, confirmed that it has lost contact with one of the company’s product tankers, the Monjasa Reformer, after the crew reported the vessel was being boarded by pirates off the west coast of Africa. The British-French operation Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) reports that it believes the incident is ongoing and is asking for mariners to assist in locating the missing vessel. An unconfirmed report this evening from EOS Risk Group is reporting that the vessel may have traveled as much as 470 nautical miles WNW from its last known position nearly three days ago.

“On board communications channels are currently down and we are working with the local authorities to establish communication to understand the situation on board and provide all the support needed by the crew to overcome these dreadful events,” the company said in its official statement issued from Denmark this morning. The company’s spokesperson said its thoughts are with the crew and their relatives in these hours.

The piracy incident began shortly before midnight local time off the coast of DR Congo on March 25. The Monjasa Reformer had departed Port Pointe-Noire earlier in the week and was laying approximately 140 nautical miles offshore in the Gulf of Guinea. According to the company, the vessel, which was acquired in December 2022 from Ektank, is being employed carrying marine gas oil, very low sulfur fuel oil, and high sulfur fuel oil products. It is unclear if the vessel is currently loaded. Built in China in 2003, the product tanker is approximately 442 feet long and 13,700 dwt.

Monjasa Group initially asked the media to withhold the name of the vessel saying that it was concerned that attention would be beneficial to the criminals who boarded the tanker. They report that are 16 crewmembers aboard.

“Montec Ship Management was notified by the crew that pirates had boarded the vessel and that the entire crew was secured inside the citadel in accordance with the on-board anti-piracy emergency protocol,” a company spokesman reports. In addition to immediately reporting the boarding to MDAT-GoG, Montec reports working with all relevant maritime authorities in the region, including several local and international navies.

MDAT-GoG is advising that the vessel remains “unlocated and not transmitting on AIS.” Masters operating in the vicinity are being asked to report any sighting of the black hulled tanker with a black funnel and orange logo or any suspicious activity.

“In order to minimize the risk of personal injury, as well as operating losses due to assault, the Monjasa Group has implemented an anti-piracy policy which includes an extensive description of how the crew and the officers should act in case of piracy attacks. The policy comprises measures to be taken both during and after a possible assault,” the company writes in its statement.

Monjasa has a long history of operating in this dangerous region and this is not the first experience with piracy. In October 2018, the Monjasa tanker Anuket Amber (9,500 dwt) operating under charter to Norbulk Shipping was also attacked in the same general vicinity near Port Pointe-Noire. The crew from the Anuket Amber along with an anchor handling tug the Ark Tze which was also boarded the same day were taken hostage by the pirates. The 12 crewmembers from the two vessels were released more than two months later in January 2019.

29 Dead as Maritime Migration From Tunisia Accelerates

Rescue vessel Louise Michel at Lampedusa with rescuees. Amidst rising migration numbers, the rescue vessel has been detained by Italy for making back-to-back rescues in the same voyage (NGO Louise Michel)

Migrant fatalities are on the rise again in the Central Mediterranean crossing zone, and the route is beginning to shift to the shores of Tunisia.

On Sunday, the Tunisian coast guard reported that 29 migrants had died in two boat capsizings during an attempted crossing to Italy. The casualties added to another 76 missing or dead in recent days amidst a surge in departures towards Sicily. About 3,000 others were intercepted and halted.

Tunisia is in the midst of a serious financial and political crisis. Inflation has driven up the cost of living, and in the midst of the turmoil, migrants from Subsaharan Africa have reported forceful racial discrimination at the hands of the Tunisian government. In widely condemned remarks on Feb. 21, President Kais Saied said that the goal of northbound migration was to make Tunisia "a purely African country that has no affiliation to the Arab and Islamic nations." His statements launched an official crackdown against migrants, resulting in detentions and displacement from housing and employment. The result has been a rush as thousands of persecuted migrants try to exit Tunisia for Italy, adding to Italy's already-high political tensions over arrivals. Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani warned last week that "a thousand people a day will start arriving" if circumstances in Tunisia do not change.

"If Europe doesn’t get moving and continues to leave us on our own, this summer there will be an invasion," warned Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. "The numbers are striking and with the season of fine weather, the problem can only get worse."

NGO vessel restrictions

Amidst the growing wave of migration, Italy has begun to enforce new rules that reduce rescue vessel availability in the transit zone. On Sunday, the Italian Coast Guard seized an NGO-operated rescue boat, the MV Louise Michel (best known for its association with street artist Banksy). The crew of the Louise Michel had declined to follow the coast guard's orders to stop rescuing migrants and continued to aid additional boats without first returning to port, officials said, breaking Italy's new one-rescue-per-voyage limit. The vessel has been detained for 20 days.

"The only aim of the decree law is the blockage of rescue ships, willingly taking into account the deaths of people on the move," wrote NGO Louise Michel in a social media update.

Libyan authorities have taken a stronger tack. On March 25, a Libyan Coast Guard patrol boat fired shots over the NGO rescue ship Geo Barents in international waters, driving off the ship and securing the right to detain a group of migrants in a rubber boat. The crew of the Libyan vessel also fired shots in the water next to the migrants. Both incidents were captured on video by NGOs and the footage was swiftly published.

One Year Later, Russian Navy Confirms Loss of the Amphib Saratov

The Russian Navy has finally acknowledged the loss of the amphibious assault ship Saratov, which was destroyed by Ukrainian forces at the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk one year ago.

Russian forces captured the port of Berdyansk on February 27, 2022, just days into the invasion of Ukraine. They soon began using the seaport to resupply the ongoing drive to capture Mariupol, shuttling vehicles and ammunition to Berdyansk using small amphibs. According to Russian state-controlled outlet Zvezda, 10 ships were assigned to these resupply runs.

Ukrainian forces struck back on March 24, 2022, when an Alligator-class tank landing ship caught fire and exploded alongside the pier at Berdyansk. Secondary explosions followed for an extended period of time, consistent with combustion of a cargo of munitions. Satellite images taken by Maxar the next day showed clearly that an Alligator-class vessel had sunk alongside the pier.

Two Ropucha-class tank landing ships - which had been berthed nearby - exited the port shortly after the initial blast. Bystander videos showed that one appeared to have a fire on deck.

Russia did not acknowledge the loss at the time, but on the one-year anniversary of the attack, commander of the Russian-occupied Crimean naval base Felix Menkov confirmed that the Saratov had been sunk and members of the crew had been killed.

"A year ago, during hostilities, we lost a ship of the landing formation - VDK Saratov. We lost personnel of the landing ships Saratov, Novocherkassk, Tsezar Kunikov,” said Menkov at a memorial ceremony. "Our children and grandchildren should be raised with such role models of love and service to the Fatherland."

Ukraine's Navy claims that the commanders of the Saratov and the Novocherkassk were traitors who defected to the Russian Navy in 2014.

The wreck of the Saratov was raised and removed in July 2022. Tsezar Kunikov has reportedly been laid up for lack of spare parts to repair her main engines, and the status of Novocherkassk is not known.

Spain Tries to Regulate Ship-to-Ship Tanker Transfers in Int'l Waters

Spain has enacted a national regulation aimed at restricting ship-to-ship oil transfers outside of its 12-mile line, effectively extending Spanish authority into international waters.

The area off the Spanish exclave of Ceuta is one of two main hubs for Russian oil transfers in Europe. Aframaxes and Suezmaxes carrying oil from Russia's Baltic ports transit to a meeting area off Ceuta, where they raft up with larger VLCCs and transfer their cargo at sea. The arrangement supports long-haul shipments to Asia, where buyers have a strong interest in Russian petroleum. Similar transfer patterns have developed for Russian-origin fuel cargoes, and are often used to disguise the cargo's origin for purposes of sanctions evasion.

The high-seas transfers have captured the attention of Spanish regulators, who are concerned that the aging "dark fleet" tankers that move much of Russia's petroleum could spill oil offshore without any accountability for the cost of cleanup. In a move to crack down on these transshipment operations, Spain has enacted a new regulation empowering port captaincies to oversee anchorage operations in "Spanish maritime spaces" outside of Spain's territorial seas. These new "spaces" include the contiguous zone (12-24 nm from shore) and the exclusive economic zone (24-200 nm), where coastal states have limited jurisdiction under UNCLOS.

The regulation requires tanker operators to ask for permission from the nearest Spanish port captaincy if they wish to anchor within "Spanish maritime spaces" outside of the Spanish territorial sea, and it imposes strict requirements for safety during the anchorage period. If the tanker operator complies, they are required to charter a salvage tug with spill response gear throughout their stay. The regulation leaves out STS transfers conducted without anchoring, a common practice seen in the recent case of the Maersk Magellan.

Under international law, coastal states do not have unilateral authority to regulate navigation outside of the 12-mile line, with limited exceptions. Recognizing the limits of its own national jurisdiction, Spain will soon petition the IMO to "give us instruments to prevent the transfer of Russian crude from ship to ship . . . in front of Ceuta," a transport ministry source told El Mercantil.

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