Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Serval

On February 28, 2022, at 11:10 PM, the tugboat 'Serval', while navigating from Rotterdam, Netherlands to Waterford, Ireland, encountered a significant electrical malfunction that resulted in a loss of steering power. This incident occurred at coordinates 50°16'30" N, 002°21'46" W, approximately 14.5 nautical miles south of Portland, UK. In response to the emergency, the tug 'GT Victory' was dispatched to offer assistance, arriving at the scene on March 1 at 3:30 AM. Meanwhile, the owner's shore-based electrician was called in to diagnose the issue with the switchboard. After addressing the situation, the 'Serval' was successfully towed to safety in Weymouth at 6:30 PM.

On February 21, 2018, the tugboat 'Serval', which was traveling from Gdansk to Papenburg, experienced a significant engine failure shortly after departing from the Kiel Canal locks in Kiel-Holtenau at 10 a.m. The vessel was part of a convoy alongside the SFK-tug 'Kitzeberg', tasked with transporting two 500-ton sections of the new cruise liner 'AIDANova' on a barge. As the convoy neared the North Port in Kiel, the tug drifted perpendicularly across the fairway, causing a blockage in the canal, obstructing the passage of other merchant ships. In response to the situation, the tug 'Holtenau', which had been engaged in pulling the damaged container ship 'Akacia' to the North Port, was dispatched to assist. The 'Holtenau' successfully maneuvered alongside the 'Serval', and together with the 'Kitzeberg', they were able to relocate the convoy to the North Port for further investigation into the 'Serval's' engine troubles. Meanwhile, other vessels resumed their journeys. On February 22, the local tugs 'Gruno III', 'Gruno III', and 'Gruno IV' took over the barge 'Crist 1', which was carrying the forward sections of 'AIDANova' in Emden from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged tug 'Serval', rated at 275 gt (IMO No.: 7636365), for its final leg to Papenburg. The 'Serval' eventually docked at Neptun Dock in Emden on February 23 at 1:40 p.m. For further details and images of the incident, you can visit the following links: http://www.tugspotters.com/app/content/2018/02/gruno-iii-en-gruno-iv-nemen-ponton/ http://www.kn-online.de/Lokales/Nord-Ostsee-Kanal/Havarie-im-Kanal-Schleppzug-mit-Schiffsteilen-trieb-quer http://www.forum-schiff.de/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1377#p144966.

On March 23, 2015, the Russian-flagged purse seiner 'Marginella' (IMO: 8725498), measuring 944 gross tons, departed from Cherbourg, France, where it had been detained since 2007. The aging vessel was en route to Klaipeda for dismantling. By March 24, 'Marginella' was sighted off the coast of Normandy, between Caen in Calvados and Le Havre in Seine-Maritime, being towed by the vessel 'Serval'. Notably, the 'Serval' had previously been flagged with 11 deficiencies during an inspection in Gdynia in January 2015. Environmentalists from the Robin Hood group have raised alarms about the potential risks associated with this convoy. They warn that 'Marginella' carries numerous environmental hazards, including fishing nets, dozens of buoys, coils of rope, and other deteriorating materials. Compounding the issue, the vessel reportedly contains asbestos, oil, and toxic paints, raising the specter of an environmental calamity. The 'Marginella' has a troubled history, having endured two engine room fires while docked in Cherbourg back in 2007. Since then, it has remained immobilized for nearly eight years. For an in-depth look at this unfolding situation, you can read the French report complete with photographs here: http://www.normandie-actu.fr/le-marginella-navire-poubelle-au-large-des-cotes-de-normandie_118659/