Read Authentic Ratings for the Boccadasse

The prestigious 2024 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea was presented to the Captain and crew of the 'Marlin Luanda,' operating under the name 'Boccadasse,' along with the Captain and crew of the tugboat 'Pemex Maya.' The honored individuals were recognized for their outstanding acts of courage during challenging maritime emergencies. The award ceremony took place on December 2, 2024, in London as part of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 109) proceedings from December 2 to 6. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez lauded the recipients for their bravery. Captain Avhilash Rawat and his team aboard the 'Marlin Luanda' were nominated by the Marshall Islands for their remarkable resolve when an uncrewed aerial device struck their vessel on January 26, while navigating from Suez to Incheon carrying 84,147 tons of naphtha. The incident led to a fire that erupted in a cargo tank, with flames exceeding five meters, posing a severe risk to the ship and crew. Despite the critical situation, Captain Rawat displayed exceptional leadership in coordinating firefighting efforts and ensuring crew safety despite additional threats. Though the starboard lifeboat was destroyed, the crew mustered at the port side, prepared for potential evacuation. Battling against an escalating inferno, they utilized portable hoses and fixed foam monitors until foam supplies dwindled, and seawater became the last resort for containment. After approximately 4.6 hours of self-dependent firefighting, the tanker 'Achilles' arrived, followed by French frigate FS 'Alsace' and USS 'Carney,' delivering essential firefighting foam. Support soon arrived from the Indian warship INS 'Visakhapatnam.' With several reignitions of the fire, a turning point occurred when experienced firefighters from the Indian Navy intervened. Their combined efforts with the tanker crew finally subdued the blaze and sealed a significant hull breach. Remarkably, 24 hours post-attack, the 'Marlin Luanda' was able to sail to safety under naval escort. In a separate act of bravery, on October 25, 2023, as Hurricane Otis ravaged Mexico's Pacific coastline, the 'Pemex Maya,' guided by Captain Jorge Fernando Galaviz Fuentes, adeptly prepared for the storm by securing their vessel in the Bay of Santa Lucia before venturing out to assist others in peril. When the hurricane peaked with winds surpassing 300 km/h and waves exceeding five meters, Captain Galaviz and his crew demonstrated extraordinary vigilance, locating three individuals in lifejackets amidst the turbulent waters at 2:30 a.m. They executed complex rescue operations in darkness, subsequently saving an additional survivor clinging to debris without a lifejacket. Later, two more shipwrecked persons were found adrift, and the crew successfully maneuvered once again to bring them to safety using lifebuoys. All six survivors were fortunately treated for non-life-threatening injuries. As dawn broke, the 'Pemex Maya' anchored in Acapulco, where survivors were ultimately transferred for medical attention. Captain Galaviz proudly accepted the award on behalf of his courageous crew. For more details and visuals of the event, visit the reports at Safety4Sea and SeaNews.

On January 26, 2024, two oil tankers, the 'Achilles' and the 'Marlin Luanda', became embroiled in missile attacks launched by Houthi forces in the Red Sea. The 'Achilles', which was transporting a cargo of Russian oil from Ust-Luga to India, and the 'Marlin Luanda', bound for Singapore, narrowly escaped the dangerous projectiles. While both vessels reported their crews were unharmed, the 'Marlin Luanda' experienced a direct hit when a missile struck its starboard side, igniting a fire within one of its cargo tanks. Fortunately, the crew quickly activated firefighting systems onboard to control the blaze, while the vessel was located approximately 60 nautical miles south of Aden in the Gulf of Aden. This incident highlights ongoing tensions in the region and the ever-present threats faced by maritime vessels traversing these critical waters.