Loss Prevention Advice
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lessons learned from an incident where a tug deckhand was fatally injured after a mooring line came under tension during shipyard berthing operations.
A cargo vessel in ballast arrived in a port to enter a shipyard under the guidance of a pilot. The pilot and Master agreed on a manoeuvring plan. The two tugs in attendance were to accept two mooring lines each, from the bow and stern central chock of the vessel respectively. The two lines were supposed to be passed to each attending tug together as one.
At the arriving vessel’s stern, this was done quickly. At the bow, only one line was given to the attending tug forward. This line was attached to the tug’s towing hook and, unknown to the tug Master, it was made fast on the arriving vessel. While waiting for the second mooring line, the tug passed dangerously close to the port bow of the vessel. The two personnel in the tug’s towing area had to move around to avoid the risks posed by the line that had been secured.
The forward tug then manoeuvred to take the second mooring line, which was now suspended from the bow of the vessel. As the tug manoeuvred, the line already secured came under strain, again coming dangerously close to the two seafarers on the stern of the tug. One of them ducked, and the mooring line made a glancing blow on his helmet, knocking it off his head. The deck hand next to him was struck in the chest by the line under tension and seriously injured. The stretched line then pulled the tug towards the vessel and caused the tug to contact the vessel.
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A bulk carrier has been struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving one crew member missing in the latest serious security incident in the region.
The Liberia-flagged Minoan Pioneer, Greek-owned and under the commercial and technical management of Modion Maritime Management, was hit at approximately 22:00 UTC on 3 August while sailing about 20 nautical miles northeast of Al Khasab, Oman.
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Three crew members were seriously injured after the roll-on/roll-off cargo ship Nadezhda was struck by a drone near Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Turkey’s maritime authority said on 3 August.
The vessel was sailing from Novorossiysk to Turkey’s Samsun port when it was attacked about 20 nautical miles offshore. All 22 crew members were evacuated to Russia, including the three injured sailors, while a fire continued to burn in the ship’s bow.
The identities and nationalities of those injured were not disclosed, and it remained unclear who was responsible for the strike.
The incident comes amid ongoing Russian and Ukrainian attacks on vessels in the Black Sea, with both sides accusing each other of targeting ships carrying commercial cargo, including agricultural products.
The attacks have increased security concerns for shipping in the region.
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Over the past week, 28 July-3 August, one incident of piracy or armed robbery against ships in Asia.
One CAT 4 incident of armed robbery against ships2 in Asia. The incident occurred onboard a general cargo ship while underway at Charlie Anchorage, Chittagong Port Area, Bangladesh on 29 June 2026. Some ship stores were stolen.
Area of concern
Ships are advised to intensify vigilance and maintain sharp look-out while transiting the areas of concern or anchoring at ports and anchorages; and to report all incidents immediately to the nearest coastal State. The Centre also urges the coastal States to increase patrols/surveillance in their respective waters, respond promptly to incidents reported to them, strengthen coordination and promote information sharing on incidents and the criminal groups involved to arrest the perpetrators.
Situation update
For the 6th consecutive year, there has been no report of incident of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah. The last incident occurred on 17 Jan 2020.
In January 2025, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), coordinated with other stakeholders and counterparts further downgraded the threat level of ‘Abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas’ to ‘LOW’, meaning ‘No information or monitored activities suggest an impending attack; hence incidents are not expected to occur’.
In its Advisory on 14 Feb 2025 advised ships to “exercise vigilance when transiting the Sulu-Celebes Seas and report incidents to the Operation Centres of the Philippines and Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM)”.
Recommendations
Ship masters and crew are to report all incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships to the nearest coastal State and flag State, referring to the Poster on the Contact Details for Reporting of Incidents of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, exercise vigilance and adopt appropriate preventive measures taking reference from the Regional Guide 2 to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia.