Gibraltar

Orcas Attack! Vessel Towed to Shore After Rammed Off Spanish Coast

Orcas rammed a sailboat off the coast of northwestern Spain and damaged the vessel's rudder, prompting the maritime rescue service to tow the boat ashore, the service said on Monday.The incident was the latest in a series of boat rammings by orca pods off the coasts of Spain and Portugal. Scientists have yet to reach a consensus on the reasons for this recent behaviour.One of the sailboat's two crew members seriously injured her hand during the towing manoeuvre amid rough sea conditions and was evacuated by helicopter to hospital…

Telemar Opens New Office in Spain

Smart maintenance and remote access technologies provider Telemar is opening an office in Algeciras to better support digital solutions for Telemar and Marlink customers.The Algeciras office will enable Telemar to directly serve customers in the region for the first time, increasing the scope and range of services available with a dedicated team in place to handle client requests in the fifth busiest port in Europe by annual TEU volume. The new facility will also provide solutions such as Smart Maintenance and Smart Data, Telemar's maritime Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution.

Orcas Sink Sailing Yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain's maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 meters (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Sunday, the service said.The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship.

Killer Whales Attack Yacht off Spanish Coast

Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, the local maritime rescue service said on Thursday, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts.In the early hours of Thursday, a group of orcas broke the rudder and pierced the hull after ramming into the Mustique on its way to Gibraltar, prompting its crew of four to contact Spanish authorities for help, a spokesman for the maritime rescue…

Superyacht Linked to Sanctioned Russian Oligarch Auctioned in Gibraltar

A $75-million superyacht linked to a sanctioned Russian steel billionaire was auctioned on Tuesday in Gibraltar, court sources said, in what is understood to be the first sale of its kind since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.The Axioma was granted entry into Gibraltarian waters and then impounded by the authorities in March after U.S. bank JP Morgan said its alleged owner Dmitry Pumpyansky had reneged on the terms of a $20 million loan.The 72.5-metre vessel is being auctioned by the Gibraltar Admiralty Court. It was listed for one day…

Russian Billionaire's Yacht Detained in Gibraltar

A luxurious super-yacht linked to the owner of Russia's largest steel pipe maker, who is currently under British and European Union sanctions, docked in Gibraltar on Monday and was then detained by the authorities.Western sanctions on Russian oligarchs over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine have triggered an exodus of luxury yachts from Europe in recent weeks, with several heading towards the Maldives, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.Reuters TV footage showed the "Axioma", believed to be owned by Dmitrievich Pumpyansky…

Aggressive Killer Whales Batter Sailboats off Spain and Portugal, Maritime Authorities Warn

Orcas behavior of battering sailboats off Spain and Portugal baffles expertsThere are many mysteries in the maritime environment. For Sailors along Spain and Portugal’s Atlantic coastline, there has been a recent series of puzzling incidents involving apparently aggressive orcas.While orcas are not known to attack humans, they can cause damage to boats. In a series of incidents along the Spanish and Portuguese coasts between Gibraltar and Galicia, groups of orcas have been recorded swimming near sailboats and other vessels…

Britannia Sets Sail on Maiden Voyage

Britain's biggest ever cruise ship, the 141,000-ton Britannia, which was officially named by Her Majesty The Queen in Southampton has set off on its maiden voyage. Thousands of passengers will be among the first to experience the luxury, style and elegance of the largest ship ever built solely for the rapidly growing British market. The 3,600-passenger vessel Britannia left for Gibraltar on Saturday night. The super liner was named by the Queen on Tuesday in Southampton, she was given a traditional send off by the Royal Marines band from Portsmouth and with confetti covering the ship, followed by a big fireworks display.

Volvo Ocean Race: Leg 1 Preview

B&G, official supplier to The Volvo Ocean Race, has teamed up with journalist and author Mark Chisnell to create a series of weekly blogs providing behind the scenes insights into the race’s tactics and results. Starting with a preview of the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 from Alicante to Cape Town, the former America’s Cup Navigator, sailing journalist, marine electronics expert and author will provide B&G with exclusive weekly, in-depth technical analysis of the action as it unfolds on the racecourse.

10,000 km Kayak Journey Ends in Istanbul

Two French students arrived yesterday (9th October) in Istanbul, finishing a 14 month epic 10,000km journey by sea kayak, having set off from Gibraltar in July 2013. Sponsored by leading marine lubricant supplier Total Lubmarine, the pair conducted important research into toxic algae and noise pollution in the Mediterranean. The journey, part of the Mare Nostrum Project, saw Louis Wilmotte and Douglas Couet paddle the whole length of Europe’s Mediterranean coast in a sea kayak carrying out scientific, educational and cultural assignments.

Ocean Sailboat Race: Race Leader Skipper Injured

The monohull Safran, skippered by Marc Guillemot and Morgan Lagravière, has been forced to quit while leading the Transat New York to Barcelona Race, as Guillemot fell and suffered a serious blow, probably breaking some ribs, say the Safron owners. Marc Guillemot explains “Abandoning is one injury that always hurts and it’s hard to accept but we are very happy with how we’ve done in the race. Morgan was really assured in looking after the boat. I’m not in very good condition. We are abandoning despite not wanting to. “There was the (rough) sea, 30-35 knots of wind and there was a big wave.

Bulk Carrier Assists in Dramatic Rescue of 322

Bulk Carrier, “Jupiter Bay”, managed by Synergy Group, was requested late on Friday night (2230 hrs, June 6) by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Rome, to respond to a humanitarian search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean involving a large number of people in small boats. At the time the “Jupiter Bay”, 30,153 dwt, was on passage from Tunis to Gibraltar. The Isle of Man flagged vessel’s Master, Capt. SE Patia, with a full Indian crew, immediately responded and by 2330hrs was at the rendezvous point and in position to rescue some 322 persons…

Gibdock Prepares Five-Star Floating Hotel

The 189-room five-star floating hotel Sunborn Gibraltar is due to welcome its first guests in February 2014, after Gibraltar shipyard Gibdock drew on its extensive cruise ship expertise to undertake hull blasting and coating work. Despite its role as a tourist and business travel destination Gibraltar does not have a five-star hotel. The 142m long, seven deck Sunborn Gibraltar resembles a sophisticated high-end cruise ship or mega yacht. However, while the vessel can move under its own power, it has been designed for sustained mooring alongside, and features its own heavy-duty mooring arms.

Oman-flagged Trimaran Wins Leg 1 Route des Princes Race

Trimaran 'Oman Air-Musandam' skippered by Sidney Gavignet (FRA) crossed the finish line to win the first leg of the international race. Oman Air-Musandam took 2d 23h 41mn 38secs for the 794 miles first leg which started from Valencia, Spain last Sunday afternoon. With most of the course being upwind the winners sailed at an average of 11.08kts for the theoretical course but actually sailed 1024 miles on the water, so making a real average of 14.28kts. Since the six man international crew established a small lead at the only turning mark of the course off Benicarlo…

Places of Refuge

The concept of force majeure has been broadly accepted since mariners initially encountered the perils of the sea. Persons and governments ashore have been obligated, at least by natural law, to accept and succor those in distress at sea. Concomitant with force majeure is the notion of providing a ship in distress with a place or port of refuge. A place of refuge is where a ship could go to avoid or ameliorate the peril and then depart at the earliest opportunity. While the original need for force majeure and a place of refuge was to reduce the risk to the lives of those on board the ship…