Evacuations from Libya

[davidships]

Friday:

EXPRESS SANTORINI arrived Qasr Ahmed today (not sure whether went to Piraeus)
NISSOS RODOS arrived Benghazi (charter Cass Maritime/S Korea)
EUROPA PALACE returning to Benghazi from (Lattakkia and) Limassol, ETA 5/3.
HABIB sailed Alexandria this evening for Benghazi
LISSOS arrived off Port Said (presumably for Suez transit; for ??)
IONIAN SPIRIT sailed Valletta today for Sirte (Daewoo charter, to go to Chania)
ARBERIA anchored about 15nm E of Valletta (not clear if been/going to Libya)
SAN GWANN arrived Valletta this evening from Sirte (Hyundai charter)
SVETI STEFAN II arrived Bar 3/3.
S Korean frigate CHOI YOUNG from Tripoli arrived Malta Friday with evacuees

HELLENIC SPIRIT must have sailed from Qasr Ahmed earlier than reported as now back on normal Patras/Igoumenitsa/Ancona route
ANKARA arrived Istanbul today.
OSMAN GAZI-1 and ORHAN GAZI-1 returned to Istanbul and normal ferry services.
Algerian TASSILI II appears to have returned to normal service in W Med.
The still-untraced Syrian vessel "AL-ASSAD" reported sailed Benghazi 3/3 for Syria.

Italian-owned RED STAR 1 arrived Valletta from Brindisi and sailed today for Libya (Indian charter).
Turkish-owned AZZURRA was S of Cyprus 2/3 heading for Valletta but evacuation charter not confirmed.
INS JALASHWA and INS MYSORE due Libya c8/3 to assist evacuation

Non-evacuation news:

Containers of new Libyan banknotes seized by UK customs form SLOMAN PROVIDER on return to Harwich 2/3.  Cargo had been shipped outwards but SLOMAN PROVIDER had cancelled Tripoli call due to security assessment.

CMA-CGM/Comanav containership SORAYA with 1000 tonnes of wheat for Red Crescent at Benghazi turned back to Malta due security assessment.  Anchored 15nm E of Valletta.

[davidships]

Monday:

EUROPA PALACE arrived Benghazi 5/3 from Lattakia and later sailed, currently passing Limassol, ETA Lattakia 8/3.
HABIB arrived Benghazi 6/3 from Alexandria, and sailed later (for Sfax?)
NISOS RODOS sailed Benghazi 4/3 (6/3?) for Souda Bay and reported arrived.
IONIAN KING arrived Souda Bay from Libya 5/3 (this was the ship from which dozens of Bangladeshi workers jumped or climbed into the sea, apparently to avoid being repatriated, three of whom were drowned)
SCOTIA PRINCE returned to Benghazi 5/3 and reported sailed for Alexandria 6/3.
BERKANE sailed Tripoli 4/3 and passed Gibraltar Straits 6/3, arriving Algeciras same day (called Tangier?).
EXPRESS SANTORINI sailed Qasr Ahmed 4/3 and arrived Valletta following day.
MISTRAL EXPRESS sailed Tripoli 5/3, called Gibraltar anchorage yesterday for bunkers and currently heading into Nador.
IONIAN SPIRIT reported at Sirte
RED STAR I arrived Valletta 6/3 (from Misurata) and sailed today for Sirte (Indian charters).
SNAV LAZIO sailed Tripoli c6/3 direct for Palermo and arrived this morning; sailed this evening for Genoa.
KNOSSOS PALACE from Tripoli due Lattakia this evening.
IONIAN QUEEN sailed Tripoli c4/3 for Crete (Philippines charter; the earlier departure from Benghazi seems to have been to Heraklion, not Brindisi as noted earlier)
EL. VENIZELOS now at Souda Bay (but not another trip from Libya, it seems)

On 6/3 China announced that their main evacuation was complete.

HMS CUMBERLAND returned to Malta from Benghazi today (with 29 evacuees and the SAS/diplomatic adventurers)

LISSOS passed Suez Canal 5/3 from Benghazi and now in Red Sea for "Ho Chi Minh, ETA 20/3" [surely not going to Vietnam!]

AZZURRA arrived Valletta 5/3 (Lebanese owner trying to arrange Lebanese charter)

French helicopter-carrier MISTRAL arrived at the Tunisian port of Zarzis today with humanitarian aid but did not leave as planned for Egypt with refugees as they had left by air.

Three German warships - the frigates BRANDENBURG and RHEINLAND-PFALZ and the supply ship BERLIN have sailed from Tunisian port of Gabes 5/3 for Alexandria with 400 Egyptian evacuees.

No recent reports of location of SAMSUN - probably returned to Turkey.
ARBERIA remains anchored off Malta (doubtful whether Libya voyage)
Containership SORAYA now docked at Marsaxlokk, Malta.

[davidships]

Wednesday pm:

EL.VENIZELOS arrived Qasr Ahmed from Crete 8/3
LISSOS passed Aden 9/3, so perhaps she is indeed heading for Vietnam?
HABIB sailed Benghazi for Sfax 6/3 and since arrived.
EXPRESS SANTORINI sailed Valletta for Piraeus 9/3
SCOTIA PRINCE arrived Alexandria 8/3 from Benghazi
Ferry SAMSUN and Turkish frigate GELIBOLU arrived at Alexandria 7/3 from Tripoli with Egyptians
EUROPA PALACE north of Crete heading for Piraeus
IONIAN KING remains at Souda Bay
RED STAR I returned to Valletta from Sirte 9/3
ARBERIA anchored NE of Malta
KNOSSOS PALACE arrived Piraeus from Lattakia 8/3.


German naval supply vessel BERLIN off N Crete from Egypt (for Heraklion?)
German frigate RHEINLAND-PFALZ approaching Heraklion from the west
INS JALASHWA and INS MYSORE have arrived off Libya, but not now expected to be engaged in evacuations.
HMS WESTMINSTER has replaced HMS YORK in Libyan area

[davidships]

Monday pm after "hiatus" and a few days away.

EL. VENIZELOS sailed Qasr Ahmed 10/3 for Souda Bay
MISTRAL EXPRESS sailed Qasr Ahmed 13/12 for morocco via Augusta, but reported refused entry by Italy (and possibly Malta) - apparently carrying Moroccans and some Libyan migrants
AZZURRA arrived Valletta 5/3 and sailed 11/3 for Tripoli.
RED STAR I sailed Valletta 10/3 for Brindisi via Vlore
SPEEDRUNNER II arrived Benghazi from Piraeus 6/3 and sailed for Piraeus 12/3 (arrived same day?)
EXPRESS SANTORINI arrived Piraeus 10/3
SCOTIA PRINCE has remained at Alexandria since 8/3
SAMSUN apparently sailed Alexandria (for ??)
No report of IONIAN SPIRIT since arrived Sirte c4/3.
French frigate TOURVILLE arrived Valletta 14/3 from Benghazi with refugees.


ARBERIA still anchored NE of Malta
MAKKAH ex-TANGER JET called Valletta 14/3, but probably not Libya-related.

[Noel Galea]

Tanger Jet probably en-route to Egypt delivery to new owners. Most probably will operate between Hurghada - Sharm el Sheik.

[davidships]

Thank you Noel - yes, I agree.

MISTRAL EXPRESS did bunker in Augusta Bay night 15-16/3 but did not berth.  Now heading for Tanger Med.

[caboto]

I am looking for a ferry/cargo ship that docked possibly in Tripoli or Misurata, arriving March 11, leaving March 14, Greek flag, Italian crew. Heavy military equipment on board unloaded.

Urgent

[davidships]

Nothing at all definite, Caboto, as port movement data from those ports very sparse.  On such a voyage AIS might not be switched on, and there is in any case no regular feed from either Misurata or Tripoli that I can access.  This is what I have found:

AGHIOS EFSTATHIOS (IMO 8109096) reported arr Tripoli 10/3 and sailed same day (perhaps did sail later - another report says sailed 16/3).  Called Ceuta Anchorage 19/2 from Dunkerque but no report until 10/3 so must have been somewhere.  Currently en route Ceuta, ETA 19/3.  Cargo gear 2 Derricks of 25 tonnes SWL, 2 Derricks of 3 tonnes, but two larger derricks on separate hatches.
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1250685
Aghios Efstathios Shipping Co (Cyprus flag; mng V Bulkers SA, Piraeus; beneficial owner Mastrogiorgis Shipping Co Ltd, Piraeus)

MSC INDIA (IMO 8918069) reported sailed Gioia Tauro 9/3 for Libya, and arrived Homs/Al-Khums (between Misurata and Tripoli) about 10/3 - sailed late 13/2 or early 14/2.  Arrived Palermo 16/3 and heading to Gioia Tauro.  3 Cranes of 40 tonnes SWL (could be combined in pairs).
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1261953 (at Misurata in 2009)
No known Greek connection.
Hexam Trading Inc, Panama (Panama flag; optd MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co, Switzerland; mng MSC Ship Management HK Ltd, Hong Kong)

Must emphasise that the ship you seek may be neither of these.

[davidships]

Saturday pm

AZZURRA arrived Alexandria 16/3 from Tripoli and sailed 17/3 for Benghazi.  ETA 19/3
SAMSUN arrived Tripoli 17/3 and sailed same day for Alexandria, ETA 20/3.

MISTRAL EXPRESS arrive Tanger Med 18/3 and now at Algeciras.
IONIAN SPIRIT returned to Brindisi-Vlore service
ARBERIA now at Piraeus (no info on visit to Libya)

Re AGHIOS EFSTATHIOS.  On 17/3 changed destination from Ceuta to "Palos", ETA 19/3.

[davidships]

Monday pm

SAMSUN arrived Alexandria 20/3 from Tripoli

[davidships]

Just to tidy up:

AZZURRA due Tripoli from Benghazi 28/3
ANKARA sailed Istanbul for Misurata 16/3, ETA 29/3 and N of port 28/3
IONIAN KING sailed Piraeus 25/3 for Qasr Ahmed. Sailed Qasr Ahmed 28/3, arrived Valletta yesterday from Misurata with Bangladeshi, Peruvian and South Korean evacuees.  She nhas since sailed 30/3 for Piraeus.

LISSOS was in Malacca Straits 22/3, Benghazi for Haiphong

SAMSUM returned to Istanbul 28/3
SCOTIA PRINCE in Suez Canal today, returning to Red Sea.

Merchant ships sent to transfer some 6000 migrants - principally Tunisian and Libyan - from Italian island of Lampedusa include EXCELSIOR from Palermo, WATLING STREET from Termini Imerese, CATANIA from Taranto, the naval SAN MARCO, plus one other.