More than 20,000 Hamburg residents crowded onto the Howaldtswerke site in Hamburg harbour when a legendary chapter in German economic history was written. The launch of the giant tanker "Tina Onassis" in the summer of 1953 was a key moment in the new beginning. The shipyards in Hamburg, Bremen and Kiel were considered to be worthy again. After the end of the Second World War, it signalled the start of an upswing. Shipbuilding had a noticeable impact on the economic miracle.

Banner of the exhibition. Graphic: IMMH

The International Maritime Museum Hamburg is commemorating this fascinating era in the 1950s with a special exhibition (25 September to 30 November 2025). Motto: "The Sea Unites". In German: "The sea unites. The Greek shipping miracle and the German economic miracle."

Launching of Al Malik Saud Al Awal on 5 June 1954. photo: IMMH

Large orders from Greece in particular helped the largely destroyed shipyards in this country to get going surprisingly quickly. Former wartime enemies Greece and Germany became partners and friends. For two months, fascinating photos and matching ship models can be seen on deck 1 of the institution on Koreastrasse. Over a period of 50 years, more than 160 large ships were launched for Greek owners at German shipyards, including in the GDR from 1971.

The exhibition covers the period from the early 1950s to 2002. Entrepreneurs such as Stavros Livanos, Stavros Niarchos and Aristotle Onassis were godfathers of the boom. The character of the imaginatively presented event reflects the attitude of the museum's founder, Professor Peter Tamm: ultimately, the sea helps to bring countries and people together.

Then as now.

Go there! Experience history with all your senses!

Der Beitrag Sonderausstellung „The Sea Unites“ im IMM Hamburg erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Hot flag and pennant on M 271. picture: DESA

Together with their sister ship Ex HMS Blyth, both mine countermeasures vessels were refurbished in cooperation with the industry (Babcock) before being sold to Romania by the Defence Equipment Sales Authority (DESA), which is part of the Ministry of Defence.

We are delighted that the former HMS Pembroke has joined the Romanian naval forces and will play an important role in the security of the Black Sea in the future," said a Royal Navy flag officer. This also emphasises the strengthening of relations between the armed forces of our two nations.

Minehunter "Capitan Constantin Dumitrescu". Picture: Romanian Navy

The former Sandown-class vessel is 52.5 metres long, weighs 485 tonnes and has a range of more than 2,500 nautical miles. It specialises in mine warfare in deep waters and can use high-resolution sonar to scan the seabed for mines and lost explosives, which are then safely destroyed by the ship's diving teams or the SeaFox mine-clearing system (Atlas Elektronik).

Against the backdrop of the Russian war against Ukraine, stationary and drifting mines still pose a direct threat to the countries on the Black Sea and the sea routes. This sale enables Romania to make a direct and important contribution to maritime security in the region.

kdk, Naval News

Der Beitrag Rumänische Marine stellt britisches Minenjagdboot in Dienst erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

On Saturday, 30 August 2025 and Sunday, 31 August 2025 from 1 pm to 6 pm, you can visit the German Navy's training sailing ship, the "Gorch Fock", at Wilhelmshaven's Bontekai. This is not only intended as a gift to the people of Wilhelmshaven, but of course there is an intention behind it in addition to the public relations work.

The focus of this year's summer voyage is on recruiting young talent. "Following our participation in the Sail events in Bremerhaven and Amsterdam, I am delighted to be presenting the 'Gorch Fock' at the Bontekai in Wilhelmshaven this weekend," says Commander Frigate Captain Elmar Bornkessel. "Our aim is to give young people in particular a direct insight into life and training on board. The Open Ship offers the people of Wilhelmshaven the opportunity to get to know our ship and talk to the crew," he continues.

The sail training ship will set sail again on 1 September 2025. The next port of call will be Edinburgh in Scotland.

Der Beitrag Kommt zum Bontekai! Die Gorch Fock ist da. erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

The Finnish public prosecutor's office accuses the Georgian captain and the first and second officers, both from India, of dragging the anchor of their Cook Islands-flagged ship over the seabed during the ship's voyage on 25 December 2024, thereby damaging the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia and four communication lines in the Gulf of Finland.

Finnish security forces then stopped the ship and diverted it into Finnish territorial waters. The public prosecutor's office estimates the repair costs to be at least 60 million euros. If convicted of serious damage to property and serious interference with telecommunications, the offender faces up to ten years in prison.

The three defendants have denied all allegations. The captain spoke to Finnish broadcaster YLE of a "maritime accident". The defence argues that Finland is not responsible because the cables were damaged outside Finnish territorial waters, thus highlighting the main point.

EAGLE S route according to Marinetraffic. Image: NotAGenious, CC BY-SA 4.0

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the most important set of rules here. Since 1994, it has set out the rights for shipping, science and the laying of cables and pipelines, among other things, but also sets out the obligations, such as the prevention of piracy and illegal fishing and the protection of the marine environment. A key point for the peaceful settlement of disputes under UNCLOS is the principle of cooperation and control between shipping nations and international organisations, such as the IMO (International Maritime Organisation of the UN). Disputes outside national jurisdiction can be brought before international courts, such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg.

The maritime borders in the Gulf of Finland are regulated by bilateral agreements between Finland, Russia and Estonia due to the narrowness of the sea area. This means that the territorial waters in the 12 nautical mile zone are nationally controlled, and the right of innocent passage applies in the adjoining exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The most exciting question is therefore whether the Finnish courts will recognise jurisdiction for "their" cable in the international waters of the EEZ or whether they will refer the case to an international court.

kdk, ntv

Der Beitrag Finnland – Schiffsoffiziere wegen Sabotage in der Ostsee angeklagt erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Young officer cadets have been trained on the "Gorch Fock" sailing training ship since 1958. The voyages often push the cadets to their limits. Picture: HR/Julian Kiesche

We have already reported in detail here about the extensive sailing programme of the "Gorch Fock". After Spain and Portugal, Gran Canaria, the Azores and the Shetland Islands, the "Gorch Fock" was the highlight of Kiel Week. The visit of the Federal President on board in Warnemünde was a special highlight. After a short holiday period, the ship was part of the Ocean Race Europe supporting programme - together with circumnavigator Boris Herrmann. This was followed by participation in the Sail events in Bremerhaven and Amsterdam. At the beginning of the current late summer voyage, the training ship took 30 young people on board as part of the Bundeswehr Discovery Days, who accompanied the "Gorch Fock" from Kiel to Bremerhaven. On leaving Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the ship took 60 young people on board as part of the project "Meer. Gorch Fock. Experience." They will sail as far as Wilhelmshaven, where the ship will run a programme for interested applicants together with units from Flotilla 2 as part of the Düsseldorf Career Centre's "NRW gets a taste of sea air". In Wilhelmshaven, the ship will move to Bontekai in the course of the week to give the people of Wilhelmshaven the opportunity to get to know the ship and talk to the crew.

Der Beitrag "Gorch Fock" besucht Wilhelmshaven erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

The new email from the Houthis to the VDR and several member shipping companies is said to state: "All companies are asked to stop doing business with Israeli enemy ports. Otherwise, their ships will be attacked wherever they can be reached or are within range of our missiles and drones.

According to the VDR, the threat is one of a series of similar messages issued by the Houthis in the past and follows a series of attacks against traders in the Red Sea. Most recently, they attacked the Greek bulk carrier "Magic Seas" (Liberian flag) on 6 July 2025 and the Greek bulk carrier "Eternity C" (Liberian flag) on 7 July 2025 in several waves. Both ships had to be abandoned and sank. Four crew members on the "Eternity C" presumably lost their lives and an unknown number of people were taken hostage by the Houthis.

VDR is therefore calling for trade routes to be secured - including with more military protection where necessary. Attacks on civilian ships, blackmail via individual threatening emails and the deliberate disruption of global supply routes must not become the new normal, said the VDR CEO. The safety of seafarers and the stability of the global movement of goods must have the highest priority.

This gives this armed conflict a new quality, unfortunately without any further or concrete solutions - from either side.
The published video of the sinking of the "Eternity C" is hard to bear:

Watch video

kdk, NDR

Der Beitrag Hamburg – Die Huthis drohen erneut den Reedereien erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

German North Sea coast

"It is a truism and may therefore sound surprising, but without sustainable coastal fishing, our North Sea, with all its rampant industrial utilisation, has little chance of remaining at least a refuge close to nature!" explains Mayor Gerd-Christian Wagner, Chairman of the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutsche Nordseeküste e.V. (SDN). "Because with the impending disappearance of the family businesses, an expert group would disappear that would directly and locally notice negative changes in the marine and Wadden Sea environment not only selectively, like research, but on a daily basis and over a large area, and would probably also publicise them." But if they were to give up, large companies with no regional roots would move in and probably fish much more intensively and cause enormous damage to nature.

"The real threat to the North Sea does not come from shrimp fishing," adds his deputy, captain and sea pilot Ulrich Birstein, "but from pollutant inputs, global warming, plastic waste, rotten egg fishing, eutrophication, sand extraction, military use, oil and gas extraction, offshore wind farms, pipelines, cables, dumping of dredged material, accident risks and, more recently, CCS."

To provide further factual clarification, the SDN has invited Dr Gerd Kraus from the Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries to present the latest information on the topic at the SDN members' meeting on Friday, 29 August 2025 from 14:30 at the Watt'n Hus, Südstrand 11, 25761 Büsum. Research results on environmental influences of shrimp fishing in the North Sea and thus return to objectivity in the general debate.

Other interested parties are cordially invited to join us! For capacity reasons, however, please inform geschaeftsstelle@sdn-web.de in advance of your participation and the number of people attending.

Background

The Schutzgemeinschaft Deutsche Nordseeküste e.V. (SDN) is a supra-regional and non-profit environmental protection umbrella organisation that was founded in 1973 in response to extensive pollution of the North Sea. Since then, the organisation has been committed to the protection of the North Sea as a living, economic and natural environment in a professional and cross-party manner. It serves around 200 municipalities, administrative districts, nature conservation organisations, institutes, associations and individual members as a mouthpiece for the public as well as the ministerial administrations and parliaments of the federal government and the four North Sea coastal states. The common goal is to protect the unique features and beauty of the North Sea, the Wadden Sea and the neighbouring coastline from harmful human intervention and to find solutions to North Sea conservation problems.

Some of the measures of recent decades in which the SDN has represented the interests of the coast as a lobby organisation and which are now considered to have been largely dealt with are the dumping of dilute acid, waste and sewage sludge, the emergency towing concept, antifouling, air monitoring, ballast water, tank cleaning, MARPOL I to IV and the acquisition of modern emergency tugs for the North Sea and Baltic Sea, as is currently the case for the Lower Elbe.

The SDN is a member of KIMO International: http://www.kimointernational.org

www.sdn-web.de

Der Beitrag Schutzgemeinschaft Nordseeküste – Krabbenfischerei tut not! erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

Bundeswehr inspires at Hanse Sail 2025 with action at the base and open ship on the frigate "Nordrhein-Westfalen".

The 34th edition of the Hanse Sail took place from 7 to 10 August 2025 and attracted around 17,500 visitors to the quayside of the naval base on Hohe Düne in perfect summer weather. The major maritime event once again offered a mixture of a traditional sailing show, maritime experiences and a broad presentation of the Bundeswehr. The army, air force and navy were satisfied with the response and the intensive dialogue with the public throughout the event. However, the corvette "Emden" was presented to the public for the first time with a shipyard flag.

In addition to the forces of the German Armed Forces, numerous authorities from the so-called blue light faction were also represented. The police, fire brigade, technical relief organisation and other emergency organisations provided information about their tasks and deployment options. The naval aviators made a particularly impressive presentation together with the paratroopers from Seedorf and the Hamburg police. At the Hohe Düne naval base, they demonstrated their skills in a dynamic interplay with the harbour tug Langeness. The demonstration gave the audience a vivid picture of co-operation and precision on the water and in the air.

Meanwhile, many visitors took the opportunity to talk to soldiers at the Hohe Düne base and enjoy a traditional scooped meal from the field kitchen. The relaxed atmosphere made the area a popular meeting place for interested parties.

On the other side of the Warnow, at the passenger quay in Warnemünde, the frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen opened its decks at the Open Ship. The crew were on hand to answer guests' questions and provide an overview of the technology, equipment and mission profiles. For many visitors, it was a rare opportunity to experience a modern warship up close and get an idea of the diverse tasks of the German Navy.

With a successful mix of information, action and personal exchange, the Hanse Sail 2025 once again underlined its importance as a showcase for maritime diversity and as a platform for encounters between the Bundeswehr, operational organisations and the public.

 

 

Frigate "Nordrhein-Westfalen" in front of the Ferris wheel. Photo: Daniel Angres

Frigate "Nordrhein-Westfalen" in front of the Ferris wheel. Photo: Daniel Angres

Frigate "Nordrhein-Westfalen" at the lighthouse. Photo: Daniel Angres

Frigate "Nordrhein-Westfalen" at the lighthouse. Photo: Daniel Angres

Frigate and Ferris wheel at night. Photo: Daniel Angres

Frigate and Ferris wheel at night. Photo: Daniel Angres

Open Ship on the corvette "Emden". Photo: Daniel Angres

Open Ship on the corvette "Emden". Photo: Daniel Angres

Navy diver under water Photo: Daniel Angres

Navy diver under water Photo: Daniel Angres

Navy diver with equipment Photo: Daniel Angres

Navy diver with equipment Photo: Daniel Angres

Naval helicopter in action Photo: Daniel Angres

Naval helicopter in action Photo: Daniel Angres

Naval helicopter in operational manoeuvre. Daniel Angres

Naval helicopter in operational manoeuvre. Daniel Angres

Der Beitrag Erfolgreiche 34. Hanse Sail mit starker Präsenz der Bundeswehr erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

The obligation to use shore power applies to all ships that are technically capable of doing so. The cruise terminal in Altona has had a shore power system since 2017. It went into operation in Steinwerder last year and the new cruise terminal in Hafencity will follow this year. Ships are supplied with energy via cable from shore so that they can switch off their on-board generators to avoid ship emissions while they are in port.

The Hamburg Senator for Economic Affairs is not worried that cruise ships will steer clear of Hamburg if shore-side electricity becomes mandatory here earlier than throughout the EU. Almost two thirds of all ships that are capable of using shore-side electricity already use the power supply in Hamburg - and that is without any obligation. However, shore power has so far been considerably more expensive than operating the on-board generators.

It is important for the acceptance of the cruise business in the city. The business should grow, which is precisely why ships should utilise this technology, said the Senator for Economic Affairs in an interview with NDR. From the "Hanseatic Spirit" to the "Mein Schiff 7": since the beginning of the year, cruise ships have drawn power from shore around 80 times in the Port of Hamburg.

Hamburg cruise terminals. Graphic: Google - Map data 2025

After many years, the knot has now burst in the cruise segment, said the spokesperson for the economic authority. And if cruisers do not comply with the new rules, there is a threat of sanctions. The senator assumes that so-called compensation payments will then have to be made.

Similar systems are also to be installed for container ships at the Burchardkai and Altenwerder terminals in future. The head of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) told NDR that the Port of Hamburg has been a pioneer in Europe for years when it comes to shore-side power. Now, with the completion of the two connection points in Hafencity next year, a functioning shore-side power system could be made available from 2027.

In 2024, however, things sounded different. It was regretted that the existing infrastructure was not being used, as nobody could be forced to do so. The reasons are not entirely clear. For some ships, the connections were too weak, said some skippers off camera. However, the responsible economic authority has always rejected this. According to their findings, the shore power supply meets the current needs of the ships, said the spokesperson for the economic authority.

Another assumption is much more obvious. Firstly, some ships do not have a suitable shore power connection, and secondly, it is generally cheaper to run the ship's own diesel generators than to use the more expensive green electricity. This "shortcoming" is now being remedied with the mandatory connection.

kdk, NDR

Der Beitrag Hamburg - Landstrom-Pflicht für Kreuzfahrtschiffe erschien zuerst auf marineforum.

On Saturday, 9 August 2025 at 12 noon, the sail training ship "Gorch Fock" will leave its home port of Kiel for a very special voyage, a late summer voyage, as part of the 187th/188th foreign training voyage. On Tuesday, 5 August 2025, the ship will move to Sartorikai and take part in events related to the Ocean Race Europe. The following Friday, the "Gorch Fock" will set sail on a day trip.

The Gorch Fock sails on her 182nd training voyage abroad, photo: Marcel Kröncke

This foreign training voyage of the "Gorch Fock" is unique: it combines maritime tradition, social proximity and training with innovative forms of recruiting young talent - and creates numerous opportunities for citizens to experience the German Navy's sail training ship up close.On Wednesday and Thursday, 6 and 7 August 2025, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., the population of the state capital will have the opportunity to visit the ship at the Open Ship. A highlight will follow on 9 August 2025 with the ceremonial departure accompanied by music from the Naval Music Corps - a moving moment to which the people of Kiel are cordially invited. A departure that has not been seen in this form for a long time.Recruiting young talent is at the centre of this training trip. Right at the beginning, 30 young people will take a seat on board as part of the Bundeswehr Discovery Days and accompany the "Gorch Fock" from Kiel to Bremerhaven, where the ship will take part in "Sail 2025" and be visited by the Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The journey then continues to Amsterdam, where the ship will take part in both the Sail and the 750th anniversary of the city. In this context, 60 young people will come on board as part of the project "Meer. Gorch Fock. Experience." project and will sail to Wilhelmshaven, where the ship will once again be used to recruit young people together with units from Flotilla 2.In Edinburgh, 75 officer cadets from the specialised military service will go on board - experienced soldiers who will complete intensive maritime training on the "Gorch Fock" for the first time. The ship will arrive in Flensburg on 14 September 2025. There, the navy will take part in an open ship at the Mürwik Naval Academy and on the "Gorch Fock" itself to mark "Memorial Day". This special voyage will conclude with the arrival in Kiel on 16 September 2025.

Der Beitrag „Gorch Fock“ bricht zu einmaliger Ausbildungsreise auf erschien zuerst auf marineforum.