Portugal

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…

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 Biting Boats? Close Encounters of the Curious Kind

Off the coast of Spain and Portugal, killer whales have been biting boats. And the famous beluga whale nicknamed “Hvaldimir” has popped up again – this time in Sweden. When first spotted in Norway in 2019, wearing a suspicious harness, some suggested he could be a Russian spy.These unusual human-wildlife interactions raise questions about managing risk. Both situations present a maritime safety concern. And the whales are at risk of being injured or killed by the boat.What’s more…

Radio Holland and Furuno Extend Distributorship Agreements

Furuno and Radio Holland prolonged their partnership with distributorship agreements. The senior management of both companies signed the agreements during Europort in Rotterdam. The companies have been working together in the global maritime market for more than 58 years.Radio Holland is the distributor for Furuno in The Netherlands, UAE, Egypt and South Africa. In addition, Radio Holland is a dealer of Furuno in USA, Panama, Canada, Belgium, Portugal, Curaçao, Trinidad & Tobago…

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…

Dutch Students Sail Home Across the Atlantic Due to Coronavirus

A group of 25 Dutch high school students arrived back in the Netherlands in a two-mast schooner on Sunday, after airline restrictions left them with little choice but to help sail it home from the Caribbean.The group, aged 14-17, had been halfway through a six week sail-study program in the region on board the "Wylde Swan", which was built in 1920. But by mid-March, it appeared they could no longer fly home from Cuba as planned.Organizers decided the ship, including 12 experienced sailors and three teachers…

V. Ships Leisure, Mystic Cruises Team Up

V.Ships Leisure, part of V.Group, a global marine support services provider, has partnered with Mystic Cruises to provide crew management services including deck, engine, and hotel crew for the 9,300 GRT ice-classed vessel World Explorer.The vessel, which is currently under the final stages of construction at WestSea Viana Shipyard in Portugal will be delivered to Mystic Cruises in Q2 2019. With capacity for 200 passengers, World Explorer will be Mystic Cruises’ first newbuild expedition vessel…

Bolidt Eyes Polar Cruise Sector

Bolidt Synthetic Products & Systems' position for decking and flooring in mainstream cruise ship and superyacht markets has been quickly converted into a series of business wins in the fast-emerging polar expedition cruise ship sector.The most recent contract for the Dutch manufacturer’s hardwearing, environmentally friendly and visually attractive products covers the Hurtigruten newbuildings, Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansens, two hybrid propulsion expedition cruise ships under construction at Kleven shipyard in Norway.

Volvo Ocean Race Partners with Yacht Racing Forum

The Volvo Ocean Race has agreed a three-year partnership with the Yacht Racing Forum. "We are delighted to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race as a long-term partner,” said Bernard Schopfer, the event’s CEO. "We have been working hard at developing a new structure for the Forum, with a new team of dedicated people, new partners, a beautiful venue and an exciting programme. Knut Frostad, the outgoing CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, has been an avid supporter of the Yacht Racing Forum since its debut in Monte Carlo in 2008. He will once again be a speaker at this year's conference…

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.

Piracy Offshore Africa: Securing a Continent

The late Nelson Mandela once said: “I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.” At the EU-Africa summit in Brussels last month, European leaders urged their African counterparts to facilitate that dream by shouldering more of the security burden in their countries, both onshore and offshore. The summit coincided with reports of renewed piracy activity in the Gulf of Aden; ongoing attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Guinea, and explosions and mass arrests in Kenya, all serving to underline the scale of that challenge.

Ready to Race: 4 Days of Stadium Racing in Cardiff

Red Bull Sailing, third in the overall standings of the Extreme Sailing Series 2013, is ready to attack for the top spots and climb up the standings in Act 6 in Cardiff, Wales this week. An eight-strong fleet and a full starting grid with two further entries still to come are preparing for a tight four-day racing bonanza between August 23-26. When double Olympic champions Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher take to the water with their catamaran in Cardiff this week, they have only one aim in mind: consistency.

Valencia to Lisbon Sailboat Race Prelude

Inshore races of the Routes des Prince, gave an immediate insight into how close the short, sharp round the buoys course racing will be. Two days of these inshore races, totaling up to six contests, are scheduled before the fleet leaves Sunday for Leg 1 from Valencia to Lisbon, Portugal. Honours, little as they may be worth, proved to be pretty even after the Route des Princes fleet took to Valencia’s waters off Malvarossa beach for the first skirmish in perfect conditions, 12-15knots of sea breeze and sunshine.

Endeavour Quay Welcomes Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing

Endeavour Quay announced that Volvo Ocean Race team, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, has chosen the Gosport facility as its summer race preparation and training facility. Abu Dhabi’s VO70 AZZAM, which means determination in Arabic, arrived last month and is now in one of the large boat sheds ready for some refit work. Servicing and race preparation work has begun on AZZAM at Endeavour Quay in time for a return to the water and the start line of Cowes Week and the RORC Fastnet Race on August 11.

Cruise Ship Held in Dublin Over Alleged Fuel Bill Arrears

Ireland's High Court orders arrest & detention of cruise ship 'MV Princess Danae' for unpaid US$94,000 bunker fuel bill. The MV Princess Danae, which has a capacity to carry more than 800 passengers and crew, is registered in Madeira and flies the flag of Portugal. In the High Court, Mr Justice Roderick Murphy said he was satisfied to issue a warrant under a 1952 International Maritime Convention allowing for the arrest and detention of the Portuguese registered cruise ship, reports the 'Irish Independent'. The arrest and detention order was sought by Italian registered firm Omega Bunker SRL…