Mariana Vessel Reviews and Specifications

On April 23, 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard, alongside various partners, intensified their search efforts for the missing crew members of the cargo vessel 'Mariana', following its distress signal. The operations are concentrated east of the Northern Mariana Islands, with aircrews from the Coast Guard and the USCGC 'Oliver Henry' (WPC 1140) conducting extensive aerial searches. Furthermore, a Japan Coast Guard Gulfstream V jet contributed to the efforts by conducting additional search missions on the afternoon of the same day. Earlier, on April 22, Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft effectively deployed their resources, covering search patterns approximately 44 nautical miles northeast of Agrihan, which is about 250 miles north of Saipan. The search came after U.S. Air Force divers from the 31st Rescue Squadron successfully recovered one deceased man from the overturned vessel during their dive operations on April 20. To date, the combined search efforts of the Coast Guard and their partners have spanned over 71 hours and covered an impressive area of around 100,000 square nautical miles. The U.S. Coast Guard is urging anyone with information that could assist in locating the missing crew to get in touch via VHF-FM channel 16 or by contacting the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu at 1-800-331-6176. Participating agencies in this extensive search operation include: - Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu - USCGC Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143) - USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) - U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Kapolei, Hawaii - U.S. Air Force 31st Rescue Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa - U.S. Air Force 36th Airlift Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Tokyo - U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft, Patrol Squadron 26 (VP-26), Commander, Task Force 72 (CTF-72) - Japan Coast Guard Gulfstream V jet - Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel 'Akitsushima' (PLH-32), Yokohama - Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft, RNZAF Base Ohakea, New Zealand For additional details, please refer to the full report with photographs at the U.S. Coast Guard's official website.

In a somber update to the ongoing rescue operations, the U.S. Coast Guard, alongside various partners, has intensified search efforts for the missing crew members of the fishing vessel 'Mariana' as of April 21. The situation escalated on April 20, around 5:12 p.m., when divers from the U.S. Air Force's 31st Rescue Squadron made the grave discovery of one deceased crew member during their dive assessments. The divers carried out a meticulous examination of the 'Mariana's exterior and employed an underwater remotely operated drone to inspect the wreck's interior. Following these efforts, the Japanese Coast Guard patrol vessel 'Akitsushima' arrived on April 21 at 2:17 p.m. to lend support to search operations, accompanied by the patrol boat USCGC 'Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143)'. Despite the thorough investigation, no additional crew members were found. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard's aircrews continue their mission, scouring the waters near the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, seeking the five missing crewmen along with an orange 12-person life raft that is also unaccounted for. Authorities are urging anyone with relevant information to assist in the search to reach out via VHF-FM channel 16 or contact the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu at 1-800-331-6176. The search efforts involve multiple agencies, including the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, USCGC 'Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143)', Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam from Apra Harbor, Guam, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point in Kapolei, Hawaii, the U.S. Air Force 31st Rescue Squadron based at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, and the U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft crew from Patrol Squadron 26 (VP-26), under Commander Task Force 72 (CTF-72). The Japan Coast Guard's Gulfstream V jet and patrol vessel 'Akitsushima (PLH-32)' from Yokohama, along with the Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon crew from RNZAF Base Ohakea, are also actively involved in the search operation.

On April 20, authorities from the U.S. Coast Guard, along with various partner agencies, intensified their search efforts for the missing crew members of the vessel 'Mariana'. The Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point reported a significant sighting on April 18 at approximately 7:30 p.m., when their HC-130 Hercules aircraft detected debris, including a partially submerged and inflated life raft, located around 95 nautical miles northeast of the capsized ship. At that moment, the wreck had drifted 26 nautical miles from its original position, which was approximately 34 nautical miles northeast of Pagan. On April 19, around 6:40 p.m., another HC-130 Hercules from the U.S. Air Force's 31st Rescue Squadron joined the search, deploying a team of pararescuemen and divers to the wreck site. This team confirmed that the overturned vessel was indeed the 'Mariana'. Divers conducted a detailed inspection of the wreck’s exterior, searching for a potential access point that could lead to the deployment of an underwater remotely operated vehicle for a deeper investigation. This approach could potentially uncover whether any crew members took refuge inside the vessel, or provide critical insights into the circumstances surrounding the capsizing event. Given the vessel's drift and the spread of debris, investigators are analyzing ocean currents and weather patterns to better define the search areas in the waters surrounding the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Since the search began, Coast Guard crews and their partners have covered approximately 75,000 square nautical miles by April 19. The comprehensive search operation includes a robust coalition of agencies: - Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu - USCGC Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143), Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, Apra Harbor, Guam - U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Kapolei, Hawaii - U.S. Air Force 31st Rescue Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa - U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon crew from Patrol Squadron 26 (VP-26), Commander, Task Force 72 (CTF-72) - Japan Coast Guard Gulfstream V jet - Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel Akitsushima (PLH-32), Yokohama, Japan - Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon crew, RNZAF Base Ohakea The search area for the six missing crew members has expanded, now encompassing almost 100,000 square miles, and is being coordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu. The complexity and isolation of the location necessitate seamless collaboration among multiple nations. Individuals with any information that might assist the ongoing efforts are encouraged to reach out to the Coast Guard on VHF-FM channel 16 or to call the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu at 1-800-331-6176.

The 'Luta', a supply ship currently seized, is set to be sold as financial disputes surrounding its release intensify. National Maritime Services Inc. (NMS), the custodian appointed by the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), has formally requested enforcement of a previous court ruling. This ruling mandates that involved parties pay a total of $124,878.93 prior to the release of the vessel. Key stakeholders have specific financial responsibilities: investor Takahisa Yamamoto owes NMS $101,223, former crewmembers must contribute $7,058.77, Long Consulting is responsible for $11,531.06, and Norton Lilly has a claim of $5,065. In a lawsuit filed in October, Yamamoto accused Luta Mermaid, the registered owner of the 'Luta', and Lt. Gov. Victor Hocog of committing fraud, breaching contract terms, and unjust enrichment. Adding complexity, the vessel's former crewmembers along with Long Consulting and Norton Lilly intervened in the lawsuit, all seeking payments linked to the 'Luta'. The court's order outlined that all parties involved in the case are liable to contribute to NMS based on the proportion of their claims at the time the vessel was seized. NMS has provided thorough documentation of its related expenses, having already submitted detailed invoices and requests for payment. Remarkably, no party has raised objections to the fees incurred or presented any justifications challenging NMS’s financial demands, despite having full access to information regarding the contract terms. Furthermore, parties have pursued their own settlements but have seemingly neglected to ensure that NMS’s claims are settled before any release of the vessel. Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood has scheduled the sale of the 'Luta' for February 8, 2017, at 10 a.m., with a minimum sale price set at $550,000. As the situation unfolds, the implications for all parties involved remain significant.

In a significant development, Long Consulting LLC, represented by attorney Daniel Guidotti from Marianas Pacific Law LLC, has initiated a verified complaint in federal court against Luta Mermaid LLC, the owner and operator of the vessel known as the 'Luta'. The roots of this legal action stretch back to 2015, when Luta Mermaid, represented by president Abelina Mendiola, sought a loan to transition the Luta from its docking location in Louisiana into operational service in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Abelina Mendiola signed a loan agreement with Long Consulting for a sum of $300,000, with the Luta pledged as collateral. Alongside this agreement, Abelina also executed a security agreement, securing the vessel for the loan. The loan and security agreements, labeled as Exhibits A and B, were duly recorded in CNMI, with the security agreement filed on November 17, 2015, under File No. 15-0248. It was subsequently registered as a preferred mortgage with the United States Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center on November 18, 2015, which acknowledged receipt on June 21, 2016. As part of the transactions, on November 4, 2015, Luta Mermaid issued a promissory note to Long Consulting for the principal amount of $300,000 with an annual interest rate of 10%. The complaint indicates that Abelina, acting as attorney-in-fact for Deron and Fidel Mendiola, also provided a guaranty for the secured indebtedness, ensuring that all parties would fulfill their financial commitments under the loan agreement and related documents. Long Consulting disbursed the loan in accordance with the agreements, with indications that the funds were utilized for the operating costs of the Luta as it made its way from Louisiana to the CNMI. The vessel operated within the Pacific waters surrounding Saipan, Tinian, and Rota until October 25, 2016, when it was seized by the U.S. Marshals Service. This seizure followed a lawsuit initiated by Takahisa Yamamoto, a Japanese partner of the Mendiolas, who accused them and Lt. Gov. Victor Hocog of fraud, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment, claiming a substantial $3.4 million in damages. Compounding the legal issues for Luta Mermaid, crew members of the Luta recently filed their own lawsuit seeking unpaid wages and salaries. The unfolding legal saga surrounding the Luta Mermaid LLC marks a significant chapter in the vessel's history and raises questions about its future operations.

In an unexpected turn of events yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Marshals Service executed a seizure of the contentious cargo vessel M/V Luta, following a federal lawsuit initiated by Japanese investor Takahisa Yamamoto. The legal action, filed against Lt. Gov. Victor Hocog and several ship owners, claims they failed to reimburse Yamamoto for a substantial investment of $3.4 million for the vessel's purchase. To enforce the arrest, three deputy marshals, led by Yamamoto's attorney George Lloyd Hasselback, approached the M/V Luta, currently anchored in the channel adjacent to Smiling Cove Marina and Port of Saipan. The lawsuit, filed just hours prior, prompted U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona to authorize the seizure of the ship, measuring 146.5 feet long and 38 feet wide with a gross tonnage of 237. Judge Manglona's order extended beyond the ship itself, commanding the U.S. Marshals Service to also seize the vessel’s engines, furniture, equipment, and other related items. In addition to Lt. Gov. Hocog, the lawsuit names several other defendants, including M/V Luta, Luta Mermaid LLC, and individuals Abelina T. Mendiola, Deron T. Mendiola, Fidel S. Mendiola III, Fidel Mendiola Jr., and Robert Toelkes.