Lodestar-Way Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On October 2, 2020, in a critical maritime rescue operation, Malta’s Armed Forces began towing a vessel carrying distressed migrants, a situation that had previously caught the attention of the humanitarian ship 'Ambra'. The turmoil began around the evening of October 1, when Alarm Phone, an organization focused on safe migration, received an urgent distress signal from 38 migrants aboard the troubled vessel. The 'Ambra', which was making its way from Annaba to Gabes, swiftly altered its course to assist. For approximately 12 hours, the crew of the 'Ambra' vigilantly monitored the situation until a vessel from the Armed Forces of Malta appeared on the scene. After assessing the circumstances, the 'Ambra' reported back to Alarm Phone, indicating that the Maltese forces were unable to repair the engine of the migrants' boat and started towing it northward to an undisclosed location, leaving the 'Ambra' to depart shortly thereafter. This incident highlights ongoing challenges in the Mediterranean Sea, where on at least one occasion, the Armed Forces of Malta were recorded trying to send a migrant boat back towards Libya and, on another instance, directing a boat filled with migrants towards the Italian island of Lampedusa. Alarm Phone's attempts to reach the Malta Rescue Coordination center during this crisis were ultimately unsuccessful, underscoring the complexities of maritime rescue operations in the region.

On November 16, 2012, the general cargo ship Ambra experienced an engine failure while navigating near Istanbul, specifically within the Bosphorus Strait. The vessel was on a journey from the Black Sea to Benghazi when it encountered technical difficulties. To ensure the safety of the ship and its crew, tugs were dispatched to assist Ambra, effectively towing the vessel through the challenging waters of the strait. Following the tow, Ambra was either anchored or docked to undergo necessary repairs. The crew worked diligently to resolve the issues, and by November 17, the vessel successfully left Istanbul and continued its voyage. For more updates on maritime incidents such as this, visit Maritime Bulletin at http://www.odin.tc.